To mark St George’s Day tomorrow, I asked people in Great Britain which flag they felt represented them best – the flag of their own nation, or the Union flag.
In England, nearly half (44%) chose the Union flag, with one in ten choosing the cross of St George and a further 29% saying both equally.
Similar numbers of Conservative and Labour voters chose the Union flag (40% and 48% respectively), but Tories were four times as likely as Labour voters to name the cross of St George (16% to 4%). Those currently leaning towards Reform UK were more likely to name the cross of St George (30%) than the Union flag (25%) – though a further 43% said both equally.
Nearly three quarters of those in England agreed that the cross of St George is “a symbol to represent England and no-one should be offended by it”. This included more than 9 in 10 Tories but only just over half (56%) of 2019 Labour voters: 13% of them agreed that the St George’s cross was “racist and divisive and should not be displayed”.
In Scotland, attitudes to flags were very different from those in England. More than half of all Scots (51%), including 83% of 2019 SNP voters, felt they were best represented by the Saltire, compared to 17% who named the Union flag and 23% who said both equally. Those who voted Conservative in 2019 were the only group more likely to name the Union flag than the Saltire (by 34% to 20%), with 45% saying they were equally represented by both flags.
In Wales, just under half (46%) said the Welsh flag represented them best, with just under a quarter (24%) naming the Union flag and a similar proportion (23%) saying both equally. Again, Conservative voters were the only group more likely to name the Union flag (43%) than the Welsh flag (25%); 31% said they felt equally represented by both.
