Foreign Secretary 'tells embassies not to fly rainbow flag for gay pride'

( (Photo: RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP/Getty Images))

The Foreign Secretary has told British embassies not to fly the rainbow flag at this summer’s gay pride celebrations.

Phillip Hammond was one of four government ministers in the new cabinet to vote against marriage for same-sex couples.

The flag, which is a symbol of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement, was flown by embassies including Tel Aviv, Paris and Oslo last year, prior to Mr Hammond taking up the post.

A spokesperson for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office told The Independent that they are committed to promoting LGBT equality in other ways and that the policy was not singling the rainbow flag out in particular: “It is the FCO’s long-standing policy to fly the Union flag, national flags and the flags of Overseas Territories.”

“The Union flag always takes priority and is flown from the FCO’s main flag pole at all times. It is never substituted for another flag.”