Brexit: Sadiq Khan unable to fly EU flag at City Hall on seven-year anniversary due to 2021 law change

City Hall is unable to fly the EU flag outside its Newham HQ on the anniversary of Brexit, after a 2021 change to legislation means it could be prosecuted unless planning permission is granted.

The London Mayor Sadiq Khan had intended on flying the EU flag today (June 23) in recognition of the contribution the bloc and its residents have made to the capital, seven years after the UK voted leave.

Legislation from 2007 regulates the flying of flags from public buildings, with “express consent” needing to be granted by the local planning authority first.

Some are exempt, such as national flags, those of the United Nations and the Commonwealth, and, until 2021, the EU.

The government’s webpage on flying flags in the UK notes: “Following the UK’s departure from the European Union, the flag of the European Union is no longer included in the list of flags that do not require consent.”

A City Hall source said the mayor had wanted to fly the EU flag on the Brexit anniversary, but has been unable to do so due to it being removed from the exempt list.

The source said: “The mayor is proud to fly flags from City Hall - from the Union flag to the Ukraine flag in recent times. Flying a flag is a way of showing solidarity, expressing our values, and showing pride in the identities we share.

“With over a million people calling London their home from other European countries it’s extraordinary that the government has effectively banned the European flag being flown without going through a long and bureaucratic planning process.

“Europeans contribute hugely to our social and economic life, and all we wanted to do was show our gratitude with a small gesture for one day of the year.”

Instead, City Hall is being lit up in the EU flag’s yellow and blue colours.

In an open letter to EU Londoners, Mr Khan describes the vote to leave as “heartbreaking for me”.

“London’s diversity is one of our enduring strengths,” he writes. “As long as I’m mayor, I will do my utmost to ensure we continue to be a beacon for progressive ideas and liberal values – a place that is open to everyone whatever the colour of your skin, the colour of your passport or the colour of your national flag.”

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has been approached for comment.