London City Hall has flown inclusivity flags more often than England’s St George’s Cross since the Mayor’s office relocated to the Royal Docks in 2022, official records show. The figures, obtained by The Telegraph, reveal that seven different inclusivity flags have been raised from the east London building over the period, while the St George’s Cross has appeared on just six occasions.
Inclusivity flags flown more often than St George’s Cross
Five of the six appearances of the St George’s Cross came on St George’s Day, 23 April. The remaining instance followed a request from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport when England reached the final of Euro 2024. In contrast, the Mayor has flown a range of flags representing different communities, including the Progress Pride flag, the bisexual Pride flag, the lesbian Pride flag, the transgender Pride flag, and the intersex-inclusive Pride flag. These flags are flown to mark awareness events and signal support for LGBTQ+ communities; for example, Sir Sadiq Khan has been a proponent of flying the Rainbow Flag for the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia and has pledged to fly the lesbian Pride flag. The intersex-inclusive Pride flag, a newer design that adds a purple circle on a yellow triangle to represent intersex people, has also been raised.
Alongside the Pride-related banners, the Mayor has flown the Windrush flag, which celebrates Caribbean migrants and their descendants, and the Romani flag, representing the Romani people. Other national flags to have flown from City Hall include those of Jamaica, Wales, Scotland and Ukraine. The European Union flag was flown in the past, but since 2021 it has been removed from the list of exempt flags, requiring special permission; City Hall has instead used coloured lighting to display the EU flag’s colours on the anniversary of the Brexit referendum.
Government guidance issued in 2021 encourages councils to fly national flags more frequently to promote civic pride and makes clear that no special permission is required for doing so.
Political backlash over flag record
The disparity has drawn sharp criticism from opposition politicians. Alex Wilson, leader of Reform UK’s London Assembly Group, accused Sir Sadiq of showing a “clear aversion” to the St George’s Cross. “As Mayor of London, it is entirely within Sadiq Khan’s power to decide which flags are flown at City Hall and when,” he said. Mr Wilson claimed the Mayor had aligned himself with those who wrongly portray the St George’s Cross as a symbol of the far‑right, describing the suggestion as “abject nonsense”. He urged the Mayor to “support our lads and fly the English flag with pride” during what he said was likely to be Sir Sadiq’s last World Cup as Mayor.
Susan Hall, the Conservative leader of the London Assembly, also criticised the record, saying: “We should be proud of our common identity – the thing that should unite us – and I hope this is a wake-up call to Sir Sadiq to start flying our flag proudly.” She noted that former Labour Mayor Ken Livingstone ensured the St George’s Cross was flown on every England matchday during the 2006 World Cup. “Ken Livingstone at least flew it when England were playing football,” she added. The research also indicates that Boris Johnson, a past Conservative Mayor, supported cultural festivals including St George’s Day celebrations.
Mayor’s office response
A City Hall spokesman defended the Mayor’s record, stating: “City Hall hosts a St George’s Day festival at Trafalgar Square every year to celebrate everything that is great about England and regularly supports screenings and celebration events to bring Londoners together in honour of England’s sporting success.” Sir Sadiq has actively participated in and promoted these St George’s Day festivals, which he has highlighted as celebrations of English culture and diversity.
Related controversy: Oxfordshire County Council’s flag ban battle
The row over flags at City Hall comes just days after a Liberal Democrat‑run council escalated its campaign against flag‑raisers to the High Court. Oxfordshire County Council has applied for an injunction to block the “Raise the Colours” group from hanging the Union Jack on lampposts and public infrastructure, citing a need to “protect” residents and “values”. The council said its decision followed incidents that included “trespass, obstruction of the highway, and incidents where council teams, contractors and residents have faced confrontation or harassment”. The campaign has been linked by some to anti‑immigration sentiments, though the council insists its action is driven by safety risks and the distress caused by the flags and their removal.
