Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has entered the fray surrounding Nike’s recent reinterpretation of the England football team’s kit.
The sportswear giant has reimagined the iconic cross, introducing purple and blue horizontal stripes on the jersey’s back, a nod to England’s historic 1966 World Cup training attire.
Sunak voiced his concerns, insisting that the St George’s Cross should remain untouched by kit designers.
“Obviously, I’m fond of the original, and I generally believe that our national symbols, especially flags, should be left as they are. They represent our pride, our identity, and they’re flawless in their current form,” Sunak remarked on Friday.
Displayed at Wembley’s store, the new kit showcases the revised St George’s Cross.
Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer has urged Nike to backtrack, expressing to The Sun: “I’m an avid football supporter, attending both male and female England matches. The flag unites us all. There’s no need for alteration. We should embrace it with pride.
“They ought to rethink this decision and revert the design. I’m not convinced they can even justify the need for this change.”
Labour’s shadow attorney general, Emily Thornberry, echoed the sentiment, labeling the shirt’s revamp as “bizarre.”
Chatting with BBC Breakfast, Thornberry questioned: “The England flag is the England flag. What’s with the additional hues?”
A Change.org petition demanding a redesign has already garnered upwards of 21,000 supporters by Friday midday.
Nonetheless, John Barnes, the ex-national team winger, seems puzzled by the commotion.
Ahead of Euro 2024, Barnes commented during a charity golf event, “I stay clear of cultural disputes nowadays, but this uproar…I wasn’t even aware there was a controversy over the St George’s cross. If they were altering the three lions, that’s a different argument. I don’t grasp the uproar. It’s a lot of fuss over nothing.
“The shirt’s color remains, the lions are intact. If there were plans to modify England’s national flag colors, then that would merit a serious discussion.”
Criticism has also surfaced over the kit’s pricing, with an “authentic” adult jersey priced at £124.99 and £119.99 for kids, while “stadium” versions cost £84.99 for adults and £64.99 for kids.
