A recent survey of 5,400 people has found that one in eight Labour voters found the St George’s flag “racist and divisive” and that it should “not be displayed”.
In the same survey, nearly three-quarters of voters said the flag is “a symbol to represent England and no-one should be offended by it”.
The data revealed that Labour voters were 13 times more likely than Conservative supporters to describe England’s flag as “racist and divisive”.
The poll found that while 74 per cent of voters overall say “no-one should be offended” by a flag which “represents England”, the figures drop to 56 per cent of 2019 Labour voters, compared with 91 per cent of Tory supporters.
The new survey was conducted on behalf of former Tory treasurer Lord Ashcroft.
One per cent of Conservative supporters said the flag was “racist and divisive”, compared to 13 per cent of Labour voters – equal to more than one in eight.
It follows reports last month that several Labour MPs refused to give out leaflets with the Union Flag, with some saying that its extensive use was “detrimental” in areas with large minority ethnic populations.
This comes as taxi drivers in London are calling on the transport authority to allow motorists to display flags on St George’s Day to show their patriotism.
Taxi drivers around the country have previously been warned against displaying flags, as seen during the 2018 World Cup.
At the time, councils argued that the clip-on flags could be viewed as a distraction to other road users and potentially lead to an increase in accidents.
The National Private Hire and Taxi Association (NPHTA) has called on Transport for London to reverse the ban and allow drivers to celebrate by flying flags.
Speaking to The Telegraph, David Lawrie, director of the NPHTA, said: “When it comes to the ban on the English flag, it’s bonkers.
“We live in England and we should be proud to represent our country. At what point do you consider political correctness to have gone too far?
“You can’t have one rule that eliminates any sort of British pride but then be allowed to proudly display the flag of another country.”
With that in mind, do you think the English should be able to fly the St George’s flag without fear? Have your say.
