British PM says don't 'mess' with flag after uproar over new England kit
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British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Friday waded into a row over a new England football shirt designed by Nike that changes the colours of the St George's Cross, saying "we shouldn't mess" with national flags.
The U.S. sportswear giant altered the appearance of the Cross - the flag of England - using purple and blue horizontal stripes in what it called a "playful update" to the shirt ahead of Euro 2024, which starts in June.
Nike and the Football Association said the colours on the back of the collar - different from the traditional red cross on a white background - were inspired by the training kit worn by England's 1966 World Cup winners.
But the decision has led to a furious backlash from some fans and former players, with leading politicians weighing in.
Sunak - a fan of Championship side Southampton - said he "prefers the original" England shirt.
"My general view is that when it comes to our national flags, we shouldn't mess with them," he told reporters. "Because they are a source of pride, identity, who we are, and they're perfect as they are."
Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer, whose remit includes sport, said the FA and its kit partner had failed to put supporters first.
"Our national heritage - including St George's Cross - brings us together. Toying with it is pointless and unnecessary," she said on X.
Keir Starmer, the leader of Britain's main opposition Labour party and an Arsenal supporter, called on Nike to "reconsider" its decision.
"I'm a big football fan, I go to England games, men and women's games, and 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," Starmer told the Sun newspaper.
No intention to offend
In a statement later on Friday, Nike said it "was never its intention to offend" but did not indicate any plans to change the kit design.
"We have been a proud partner of the FA since 2012 and understand the significance and importance of the St George's Cross, and it was never our intention to offend, given what it means to England fans," it said.
"Together with the FA, the intention was to celebrate the heroes of 1966 and their achievements. The trim on the cuffs takes its cues from the training gear worn by England's 1966 heroes, with a gradient of blues and reds topped with purple.
"The same colours also feature an interpretation of the flag on the back of the collar."
The FA, in a separate statement, said it was proud of the kit design, also referencing the 1966 link.
"It is not the first time that different coloured St George's Cross-inspired designs have been used on England shirts," said a spokesman.
The debate over the new design comes with British politics in the grip of so-called "culture war" issues, pitting proponents of "traditionalist" values, such as Sunak's ruling Conservatives, against those with more liberal, "progressive" views.
Former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, the country's most-capped player, told the BBC he does not agree with the changes, describing himself as a "traditionalist."
"We have so many changes to kits these days so it really makes fans buy fresh kits to stay up to date and it is very expensive," he said. "It is a colour difference and I think it is significant."
Shilton's former teammate John Barnes, however, said he could not understand the fuss.
"I don't get involved in culture wars any more but this whole furore ... I didn't even know there was a St George's Cross," he told the PA news agency.
He added: "They are not changing the colour of the shirt, the lions are still there. If they were going to change the national flag for England and change the colours, then that's a proper debate to have."