Nigel Farage has accused London Mayor Sadiq Khan of “hating England” after a ban was imposed on London cab drivers flying England flags during the Euros.
Transport for London (TfL), chaired by Mr. Khan, has issued a warning to the city’s 125,000 cab drivers, stating they could face severe penalties, including the loss of their black cab licenses, if they display the Cross of St George in their vehicles. This decision is officially justified by concerns that such symbols could distract drivers and other road users
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Chelsea-based cab driver Fred Perkins criticized the move, telling The Sun, “It’s nonsense. It’s all coming down from Khan at the top because he’s ultimately in charge. Our society has really gone woke when we can’t fly a little flag for England during the Euros. Loads of drivers used to have flags on their cabs in the past. How can a little flag be a distraction compared to the great big advert on the side of my cab?”
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage expressed his disapproval on X, formerly Twitter, stating, “Khan really hates England.”
A spokesman for the National Private Hire Association told Express.co.uk, “We feel strongly that banning such signage is unreasonable and unfair. While we understand the principle behind ‘unauthorized signage’ and the risk of causing conflict, this is not a regional flag supporting an individual team which may lead to conflict. This is supporting the nation’s team in the Euros.”
TfL guidelines indicate that breaches of regulations could result in formal sanctions, including warnings, fixed penalty notices, prosecutions, or license reviews.
A TfL spokesman explained, “For the safety of all passengers and drivers, we have guidelines about what can be displayed in or on taxis and private hire vehicles. Only official signs and stickers are permitted. Any other signage or flags are not allowed as they could distract other drivers and road users.”
Farage and Khan have had frequent clashes since Khan’s election as London Mayor in 2016. The former UK Independence Party leader has often challenged Khan on issues such as knife crime and ULEZ, while Khan has accused Farage of “breathtaking ignorance” for proposing to scrap race discrimination legislation.
