Nike ‘should not mess’ with St George’s Cross on England shirt, says Sunak

Rishi Sunak has said that Nike “should not mess” with the St George’s Cross, as he waded into a row over the brand’s decision to change the flag’s colour on its new England shirt.

It comes after the kit manufacturer revealed it had altered the cross using purple and blue horizontal stripes in what it called a “playful update” ahead of Euro 2024.

The US firm said the colours were inspired by the training kit worn by England’s 1966 World Cup winners.

“I prefer the original and my general view is that when it comes to our national flags, we shouldn’t mess with them,” the prime minister said.