WORCESTER'S MP has rubbished calls for a new Bank Holiday to mark Brexit - categorically ruling the idea out.

Brexit minister Robin Walker says his Government will not be accepting requests to mark June 23rd as 'independence day', calling it "too costly" for the economy.

He made his remarks during a Westminster debate, where he also insisted there would be "no silver bullet" in bringing down immigration.

In the weeks running up to the EU referendum, Brexiteers led a growing clamour for June 23rd to become an additional UK Bank Holiday if the result favoured leave.

Within an hour of the outcome UKIP's outgoing leader Nigel Farage declared it "independence day", adding to the calls.

But during a parliamentary debate where Mr Walker was questioned hard on Brexit, he pointed to Government research putting the cost to employers at £1 billion. He said: "I'm afraid the Government has no current plans to create another permanent UK Bank Holiday.

"Tempting though it might be, an 'independence day' would face fierce competition from the likes of Saint George's day, Trafalgar day and many more.

"Within this context it is hard to commit to 23 June over its many rivals.

"Unfortunately it is just too costly, in the view of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to introduce another holiday at this stage.

"When that department analysed the impact of an additional holiday for the diamond jubilee it was found to cost employers more than £1 billion."

Mr Walker also told MPs the Government would resist any attempts to scupper Brexit, saying: "Let me be clear, the British people have voted to leave the European Union, and their will must be respected and delivered on."

He said MPs who thought Theresa May might never revoke Article 50, the two-year process for leaving the EU, are wrong, saying "we are getting on with the process and preparing the ground" on an exit.

Under questioning about migrants, he said the department was "carefully considering the options open to us" but added: "It must be a priority to regain more control of the number of people who come here from Europe".

​"As the Prime Minister has said, there is no single silver bullet that is the answer to dealing with immigration," he said.

"We have to look at the whole range of issues, from the rules we have for people coming into the country to how we deal with abuse of the system.

"That will be an important part of our considerations."

Mrs May has said the Government will trigger Article 50 by March, meaning the UK will leave the EU in 2019.