Tory MP Ben Everitt has hit out at Nike for changing the colour of the St George's Cross, asking: "What other country in the world would accept this?"
He told GB News he thinks the decision is "bonkers", saying Nike should "do one and mess with somebody else's flag".
The new Nike England kit has faced criticism from MPs - including Reform UK's Lee Anderson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer - after the red St George's cross on the collar was replaced by a multicoloured one.
Asked about the change, Everitt told GB News: "I think its bonkers, its not the biggest political issue in the world - but why mess with the flag?
Tory MP Ben Everitt has hit out at Nike for changing the colour of the St George's Cross, asking: "What other country in the world would accept this?"
GB NEWS
"The reasoning they've put behind it - the historical references, the 1966 training kit, you can sort out historical references on the kit without messing with the flag.
"One of your viewers just nailed it: what other country in the world would accept this? Messing about with the national flag, the national identity.
"It's a fairly simple thing, just leave it alone."
He added: "For me it's just a matter of simplicity. There's plenty of ways to show our appreciation for the 1966 team, to be playful. If you want to be playful, dont be playful with the flag.
"We don't need detailed discussion on this really. We just need Nike to do one and mess with somebody else's flag."
The new kits will "celebrate football heroes of the past with a modern twist", Nike said when they were announced.
Nike said the change was a "playful update to unite and inspire".
In a statement today, the sportswear brand said: "The England 2024 Home kit disrupts history with a modern take on a classic.
"The trim on the cuffs takes its cues from the training gear worn by England’s 1966 heroes, with a gradient of blues and reds topped with purple.
"The same colours also feature an interpretation of the flag of St. George on the back of the collar."
Speaking to the Sun last night, Starmer joined Tory and Reform UK MPs in their criticism of the kit, demanding Nike change it back to the original flag.
Branding the change "wrong", he added: "I’m a big football fan, I go to England games, men and women’s games, and the flag is used by everybody.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
"It is a unifier. It doesn’t need to be changed. We just need to be proud of it. So, I think they should just reconsider this and change it back.
"I’m not even sure they can properly explain why they thought they needed to change it in the first place.”
Earlier this week, Reform UK MP Lee Anderson told the Express: "The left have the nerve to ask me why I want my country back.
"This virtue signalling, namby-pamby, pearl-clutching woke nonsense must stop.
"Any more of this and I'll be on the first flight to Rwanda."
