County flags are to be flown outside parliament for first time in a bid to celebrate “rich and proud heritage of our nation“, the Government has announced.
Northern Powerhouse Minister Jake Berry has arranged to fly the 50 flags around Parliament Square on Historic County Flags Day on July 23, coincidentally the same day as the expected announcement of the result of the Conservative leadership election.
Mr Berry told The Sunday Telegraph: “This is the first time we have marked this important day in our calendar this way. I cannot think of a better way to show the rich and proud heritage of our nation, the strength of our Union and the pride that all communities share in the county they think of as home.
“It will also mark the start of a new chapter in our nation’s history. We will have a new Prime Minister who will chart a new course for our country, lead the nation out of the European Union and ensure every community shares in our prosperous future.”
Mr Berry who describes himself as a “proud Lancastrian” will also be writing to all county council leaders urging them to fly their county flag on July 23.
The flags include the 37 registered county flags of England, the six flags of Scotland’s counties and the seven county flags of Wales.
With no wide acceptance of the county flags of Northern Ireland – the Union flag will fly to show the importance of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom.
In April Mr Berry wrote to local authorities to urge them to do more to celebrate and promote England’s historic counties.
Town halls were also encouraged to come forward with innovative ideas to bring local communities together around the history and heritage of their areas.
This included placing road signs to mark the boundaries of the historic counties, flying county flags whenever possible, creating flags for counties without one, and celebrating county days where they exist.
This article by Christopher Hope, Chief Political Correspondent at The Telegraph was published on Sunday 30th June 2019.
Thanks to British County Flags for permission to use images and links.
Why is Bristol not represented here?
Bristol is represented under the flag of Gloucestershire, as that’s the traditional county, Bristol was made a ‘county corporate’, a form of administrative area. The River Avon forms the much of the boundary between Somerset and Gloucestershire. There are 39 traditional/historic counties of England, 92 in the UK as a whole.
More info about the Gloucestershire flag: https://britishcountyflags.com/2013/07/10/gloucestershire-flag/
What about the three flags of the North Riding, West Riding and East Riding of Yorkshire? I believe that when they were designed, in a conpetition run by the Yorkshire Ridings Society, the Flag Insitute recognised them.
Bristol is represented as part of Gloucestershire!