30 April 2025, 21:00

By Sadiq Khan

Last Wednesday, many of us flew the English flag with pride as we marked St George’s Day.

In London, we hosted our festivities in Trafalgar Square, with a family-friendly celebration paying homage to England’s rich culture, history and traditions.

As Mayor of London – and as a proud and patriotic Englishman – I’ve always been passionate about ensuring our capital city not only recognises St George’s Day but does so in style.

Growing up, I wasn’t always comfortable around the St George’s flag.

It was a time when, first, the National Front, and then the BNP were on the march, and it sometimes felt our flag had been co-opted by them.

But for me, everything changed one glorious summer during Euro '96. I’ll never forget watching England dismantle the Dutch 4-1 at Wembley.

It was an exhilarating performance that led to an outpouring of joy and euphoria. And after the final whistle, tens of thousands of us waved the red cross with gusto and embraced while chanting ‘football’s coming home’.

In that moment, it felt as if our flag had been reclaimed and recast as a........

© LBC