FLY THE FLAG WITH PRIDE
EXCLUSIVE CAROLINE WHEELER SADIQ Khan called on people to fly the English flag and enjoy “the biggest celebration ever of St George’s Day”.
The London Mayor said he is proud to be flying the Cross of St George above City Hall.
And he urged other civic leaders to follow suit and not be “embarrassed” or reluctant to express their patriotism.
Speaking ahead of St George’s Day today, Mr Khan admitted that he had not always felt comfortable with the English flag. But he said the symbol had been reclaimed from the far-right and should now be celebrated rather than feared.
He said: “If I am honest when I was younger I didn’t naturally see the St George’s flag as my own because when I was growing up we had the National Front and the British National Party and they sort of appropriated the St George’s flag.
“I remember campaigning in a by-election in 1993 when BNP candidate Derek Beacon won a seat in the Millwall ward of Tower Hamlets council.
“There were some estates where I would go and would see a St George’s flag hanging from the balcony and it probably meant they were a BNP family and you would avoid it.
“But what was great was the 1996 Euros – football coming home – where we had this great football festival where we re-appropriated the St George’s flag and it was the first time I ever really felt comfortable with the flag.
“We have claimed it back from the far-right which is really important. Just like we celebrate St David’s Day, St Patrick’s Day and other festivals, I want this year when I am the Mayor of London for us to have the biggest celebration ever of St George’s Day.”
He added: “I think whereas the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish very rightly celebrate their nations, my observation is there is reluctance for us to do that and we shouldn’t be embarrassed to do so.”
Mr Khan said that one of the “great things about England is that we are so diverse as a nation”. He claimed: “We all saw during the Olympics in 2012 girls wearing headscarves with their faces painted with Union Jacks, which was fantastic.
“We saw Mo Farah draping himself with the Union Jack and other athletes as well. Similarly, we shouldn’t be embarrassed about draping ourselves with the St George’s flag.”
Yesterday, thousands gathered in Trafalgar Square for a Feast of St George.