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The cross of St George should not be messed with, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says, weighing in on a row over the colours of England’s football team kit.
Earlier, Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer joined the chorus of prominent voices taking issue with Nike’s design for the new kit.
The design takes creative licence with the cross by adding navy, light blue and purple to the traditional red.
BBC News understands there are no plans to change or recall the shirt.
Speaking to reporters, Mr Sunak said he “prefers the original” and the national flag is a “source of pride” and identity.
“When it comes to our national flags, we shouldn’t mess with them because they’re a source of pride, identity, who we are, and they’re perfect as they are,” he said.
On social media, the culture secretary said: “Fans should always come first, and it’s clear that this is not what fans want. Our national heritage – including St George’s Cross – brings us together. Toying with it is pointless and unnecessary.”
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told The Sun, external that the “flag is used by everybody, it is a unifier, it doesn’t need to be changed”.
“We just need to be proud of it. So I think they should just reconsider this and change it back,” he said.
Nike says the shirt, launched earlier this week ahead of Euro 2024, includes “a playful update to the cross of St George” which “appears on the collar to unite and inspire”.
A Nike spokesperson told media outlets: “The England 2024 Home kit disrupts history with a modern take on a classic,” inspired by the training kit worn by England’s 1966 World Cup winners.
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