Flags of England and the Union Jack

When I lived in Singapore, I was asked, "What is the difference between the Union Jack and the Flag of England?" 

The flag of England is a red cross. Like a plus sign, on a white background. It is just for England, not Wales to the West, not Scotland to the north, not Northern Ireland across the sea.

Bother the flag of England and the Union Jack flags are available all year from flag suppliers and party shops. But in all sizes in supermarkets, especially the England flag, when the English football team is playing a televised match.

For years the Americans flew their flag everywhere. In England, the union Jack was on souvenirs, especially in the tourist shops in central London. But now, in September 2025, the two flags are appearing on lamp posts in cities, towns, villages and from windows of private houses.

Why? Two reasons. Here is my attempt to summarize impartially. However, I suggest you go back to the sources and make up your own mind, Even if I have understood properly, and explained faily, as the situation is different in different places and different dates, amongt different sets of people, regarding flags hung in different places.

England has had undocumented immigrants arriving on boats from France. Escorted to safety by British boats. Housed in four star hotels by local councils. Maybe the UK admin are hoping to get votes. 

Not all the voters are happy. When British people cannot get accommodation. Whether it is a story carried by the newspapers of an immigrant complaining that two bedrooms are not large enough for eleven children, or large numbers of single men, and one a single man attacking a local female teenager, local people have been out with protests. 

So the UK flags seemed to be saying British people first, before foreigners. Some people, on the councils and elsewhere, said that the British flag was seen as intimidating by new arrivals, immigrants, as well as by long established immigrants. 

Another factor was the flying of a naitonal flag. Foreign flags, such as the Palestinian flag, had been flying all over the East End of London. But when members of the public put up the UK flags, the council took down the UK flags, on the grounds that they were not safe, or had not applied for, and had not been granted permission to fly flags on public property. 

This produced protests along the lines, of, what other country stops you flying your own national flag?

Teams of people started putting up flags.

The red cross of England was combined with other flags to make the union flag known as the Union Jack.

As a traveller, and having lived in Spain and Singapore, when I am in a country I am very happy to see the country's flag flying. Tourists buy tee-shirts with the flag of the country they have visited. I learn a few words of the language, enjoy the food, attempt to copy the intonation. I am sure many immigrants who come here are delighted to fly the flag of the country they have chosen to live in.

The flags were all waving from lamp posts along the M3 motorway from London to Brighton. They looked very jolly. Now that the saumer flowers are coming to an end, the flags are flying before the lights are lit to brighten the streets on the dark evenings.

 Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_Jack

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/29/uk/st-george-flag-england-meaning-intl#:~:text=For%20some%2C%20the%20spectacle%20is,is%20it%20stoking%20in%20England%3F