By New guidance published today by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) will see the Union flag flown on UK Government buildings every day.
Westminster has asked for every UK Government building to fly Union flag every day of the year.
The Government also claims to have “cut red tape” so that two flags can now be flown on the same pole.
It says: “This will allow organisations to highlight their local identity alongside their national identities, for example by flying a Middlesex county flag alongside the Union flag in London, or the Saltire alongside the Union flag in Scotland.”
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said “The Union flag unites us as a nation and people rightly expect it to be flown above UK Government buildings. This guidance will ensure that happens every day, unless another flag is being flown, as a proud reminder of our history and the ties that bind us.”
Planning regulations in England that were introduced in 2007 to allow the EU flag to be flown on public buildings without acquiring planning permission will also be removed.
Instead, special dispensation has been created to allow for the flying of NHS flags without planning permission.
Mhairi Black: Alister Thorpe Image
SNP MP Mhairi Black said the “overload” of Union flags would do nothing to undo the failures of the Tory party in government.
Black said: “This idea seems to have been inspired by Tory ministers watching an episode of the Thick of It, rather than a serious government.
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