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7 September 2017

Pride flag flown from Cabinet Office, despite Foreign Office ban

By Will Stroude

A schism has appeared to open up between government departments today, as the Cabinet office announced it would fly the rainbow flag to mark London Pride this week – despite Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond recently banning the Foreign and Commonwealth Office from doing the same.

In a seemingly loaded move, newly-appointed Cabinet Office Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted this morning that he was “proud” to fly the rainbow flag to mark the event, less than a week after it emerged that Mr Hammond had instructed his own office and all British embassies not to do the same.

In an official statement Mr Hancock added: “Civil servants across the country will be joining in the celebrations this week, and flying the flag shows that pride in our LGBT community is shared at the most senior levels of Whitehall.

“The flag symbolises lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender pride, and reflects the diversity of the LGBT community with its red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet horizontal stripes.”

Labour MPs Wes Hunt and Chris Bryant responded to Mr Hancock’s, questioning why the Foreign and Commonwealth Office would not be allowed to do the same

Last year – before Mr Hammond took over the role of Foreign Secretary – British embassies in Paris, Oslo, Tel Aviv and Santiago also flew the rainbow flag to mark local Pride events. Mr Hammond was one of just four Cabinet ministers to oppose equal marriage in 2012, saying it was “upsetting vast numbers of people”.

“The Union flag always takes priority,” a Foreign and Commonwealth spokesperson announced – incorrectly – last week. “It is flown from the FCO’s main flagpole at all times. It is never substituted for another flag. It is the FCO’s long-standing policy to fly the Union flag, national flags and the flags of Overseas Territories.’

Former Foreign Secretary William Hague allowed the flag to be flown to mark the parade in 2014, and personally shared a picture on social media.

Fellow Tory minister Oliver Letwin, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said of the Cabinet Office’s decision today: “We are delighted to join with the LGBT community in celebrating Pride this weekend, and will be flying our flag at the heart of Whitehall.

“We have committed to governing one nation, bringing people together and flying the flag this week shows our pride in and solidarity with the LGBT community.”

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