Gosh, this is really going to cure all the ills that beset the country, isn't it.

Andy, Barnsley,

Nick Griffin will be over the moon.

Kevin, Lincoln, UK

Mike from Lancaster England, asks, "Have we really got nothing more important to worry about?? How is this then from an ex EU Commissioner? "Because the new proposed Reform Treaty reproduces a large number of the institutional innovations contained in the Constitutional Treaty, there are many politicians and commentators in the United Kingdom who argue that a referendum on the Reform Treaty should also logically be held".
"The concept of the United Kingdom’s being able in any foreseeable future to "put an end" to European political integration within the European Union is a delusion. If all such political integration is equated with the emergence of the European "super-state," it logically follows that as a member of the Union, Britain must be on the path to such an Orwellian nightmare."

Will that do to convince you all that the whole, "fly the Flag" was an excuse to bring in legislation which would allow the EU flag to have the same status AS THE UK FLAG-IN READINESS FOR USE.

Anne Palmer, Wolverhampton. , England

The only flag for England is the English flag , effectively banned from being flown by the British state all these years . Its the only one I care about now . Time we had it back and on all public buildings in England , all the time .

Jerry , London , England

Is there anything in the fine print mandating a flag and flag pole tax . . . in addition to VAT? If not, NuLabour is slipping.

Dennis, Portland OR, US

There are two questions that were not answered by this article, nor by the numerous comments by readers: Why was the ban imposed, and did anyone bother to fly the flag before the ban? Thus will removing the ban make any difference to the sense of national identity in England? (Don't worry the Scots and Welsh, I'm not ignoring you - it's just that you folks already have a greater sense of national identity than the English.) Not that an answer to these questions will explain the decision made by the government to lift the ban, so, all I can suggest is buy shares in companies that make flags!

Dave, Cheshire,

Doc suggests we English vote for a party led by a self-proclaimed Welsh nationalist (first and foremost).

Do me a favour. The deadlist enemies of England are the British.

Stephen Gash, Carlisle, England

Dump the Union Flag! In England I want to see the English flag fly.
Independence for England!

Derek, Southampton, England

Does any one think that the McBritish government will encourage many to fly the Cross of St George flag?
Get ready for the anti English Euro brigade, to slap up EU flags all over England!
This is what this is about really.

Lee Ingram, Leicester, ENGLAND.

Which party can one vote for on May 1st that believes this to be an appalling idea and will ACT on what they beliefs?

Tony Parkes, London, UK

As a very old man ,I've always thought that nationalism was suspect and that flags were a lot of nonsense,but I can understand that in new countries like the USA,Wales and Scotland they might be important for the children.
Re Derek Smith,Brighton and Wills,Soton.
I would be most interested to know when the pedantry regarding the usage of Union Jack/Union Flag began? It certainly did not exist during the war.

Edward Welsh, Lampeter, Wales

Have we really got nothing more important to worry about??

Mike, Lancaster, England

The job now for the English is to make sure that where there is only one flag pole on a government building it is England's Cross of St George that flies and not the Union Flag. I relish the fight we will have with the English haters in the british establishment.

tally, Durham, England

Vote BNP.

Doc, Lincoln, ENGLAND

looks like the new labour lot are worried sick that the BNP are about to replace them. The working man is about to transfer his vote to a party that will look after it's own first.

Colin Brown, Newcastle, England

I have not been able to find one person that was prosecuted for flying our United Kingdom Flag. The protocol only concerned GOVERNMENT Buildings.

Words fail me as to what name to give to Government's that would give the same status to the European Union flag that it gives to the United Kingdom's national flag? They do not even have the guts to say that all this is about flying the EU flag, yet that was what the legislation was all about.

I always look for what this Government is NOT saying, and when they want to change old customs, it usually has something to do with the EU.

Anne Palmer, Wolverhampton,, England

Do not be fooled. This is just to pave the way for a forest of Euroflags from every spineless local authority in the land, with a couple of honourable exceptions I hope. Note particularly the relaxation of the rule about the primacy of the union flag. Does anyone seriously think this is in order that the Scots and the Welsh may fly their national flags?

D.L. Stephens, York, England

As a frequent visitor to Britain I often wonfered why you seldom
saw flags flying. I did not realize it was against the law . Here in Canada public buildings and most commercial properties fly the Canadian flag at all times ... The Canadian flag can be purcahsed in many stores. and the flying ot it is a matter of pride . L M Wagg , Brampton,Ont.

Lewis M. Wagg, Brampton, Ontario , Canada

"At present, flying national flags from public buildings is restricted to 18 days a year, which include the Queen’s birthday and Remembrance Day. " That clearly doesn't apply in Wales where I see the red dragon flown daily from public buildings.

Andy, Wrexham,

Oh! At last! But why now?
What bad news are they intending to try and bury now?

Phil Austin, RAUNDS, England

it is another way to subverse other non christian communities by flying the christian symbols of st john,george,the saltire...etc.i agree to union jack not to symbols of religion,it is also the dep desire of the priest son,the PM.
PUBLISH PLEASE.

roert wintertton, edinburgh,

Quite right, John London, it's hypocrisy of the first order from Nu-Labor.

Terry Walpole, Queens Park, Brighton

John's absolutely right. I've been wondering for some time now whether or not the government's desire to promote British nationalism is a way to placate us Eurosceptics who see what's really going on: Brown's gradual selling of British sovereignty to Brussels.

Skylar, Basingstoke, England

I'll pay you a £1 extra on your salary, but as long as you fly the flag ........... Yeah right, I can see the Job centre staff really going for that one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pride is more than a flag and Britishness is certainly more than a flag - fair play, tolerance, understanding, etc - where are they now ???!!!!

Ian Payne, WALSALL,

Excellent... The sales of Union Jacks in Scotland will collapse as everyone replaces it with the Saltire.

DickW, Aberdeenshire, Scotland

Our government is demonstrating that for politicians, patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels.

If you want to make me proud, stop sending our troops into battle without the proper equipment, and stop deporting cancer patients to die. Loyalty oaths in schools and flags flying over job centres are not going to do the trick.

Jamie Gilmour, Bolton, UK

Union Flag, not Union Jack.

Colin McSporran, Andover, USA

Let's not abolish the rules giving precedence to the Union Flag in place of the national flags...

Mike Laughton, Runcorn, United Kingdom

why cant i be english instead of british or from the dread 'uk'?

sticky, devon, engish

Isn't the problem with this sort of thing this? The whole point about being British is that we like things to be understated - which is why we generally think of Americans as crass and vulgar.

If we are really British why do we need to fly the flat to assert if? If we are not, no amount of flag flying will change that.

jo, london, uk

About time, time to sort the immigrants, law & order and government services before further skilled UK citizens are leaving the UK for a better life in Oz etc. as the Great has been lost from Britain since Labour took over.

Jake, Chester, UK

You cannot rekindle the flame of a nation by simply asking the population to fly a flag that for ten years has been dragged through the mud by this government. British troops are advised not to wear their uniform in public for fear of offending non nationals and have faced abuse or attack, so is it really wise or indeed safe to fly our national flag anymore without causing offence to some immigrant or minority group which would no doubt end up with a visit from the Anti Nazi League or the plod and your DNA taken. What took a thousand years to put together has been dismantled in ten and no flag waving ceremony or Britishness test will ever reunite this country again. You reap what you sow Gordon and its going to be a bitter harvest.

Cromwell, Leeds, England

I don't think flag flying is a clue to a nation's greatness. More an indication of it's insecurity perhaps. Maybe that's why Britons have never felt it necessary to wrap themselves in theirs.

John Bull, Chester,

I'm all in favour of it. Union Flags from every building.
I didn't know it was banned. I bet its news to most Brits.Why was it ever banned? will we ever know.

rikrok, London, UK

This whole episode is an attempt to kill off Englishness and more specifically the break up of the UK. New Libour needs the UK to stay in power. Does it not?
This shift towards nationalism by the government is just a smoke and mirrors exercise.
After watching how they refused a referendum on Europe, and have mindlessly promoted multiculturalism over our own British culture, I would'nt trust them with a goldfish.

steve, air strip one, uk

Sadly, way too late though...

Rod, Lyneham, Wilts UK

To all the American posters, England is not an island but only part of the United Kingdom. Roll on English nationalism as Scotland is sick of subsidising you. I fly the saltire of Scotland at my home and hope it is soon to be the only flag flying from all public buildings in Scotland

R. Macuistean, Isle of Tiree, Scotland

How easily 'taken in' we all are? Flying our flag was never banned as long as it followed a certain protocol which applied to Government buildings. At the same time as that legislation came out another piece of legislation came out too which was about giving the EU flag the 'same status' as our own National United Kingdom flag. The UK Flag was always a "stand alone Flag", giving another Flag the same status and our flag is no longer the proud flag it has always been.

What a shock for the people that voted to agree to what they thought was this freedom to fly their own National flag and to wake up one morning to see the European Union flag flying along side our Union Flag ALL THE TIME. Especially if ever the Treaty of Lisbon is ratified.

The following was not in the Consultation papers, its title “Partial Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA)”. When this Government "Gives" something to the people-look for the "catch"!

Anne Palmer, Wolverhampton,, England

Please, it's the Union Flag or the Flag of the Union.

Derek Smith, Brighton, UK

Hey! I smell "GENERAL ELECTION".

Nigel Miller, Valencia, Spain

I thought the jack was the device from which the Union Flag flew.

Wills, Soton, UK

Flying flags, oaths of allegiance , citizenship ceremonies - isnt it all a bit "American" and un-British? Before we know it, we'll have to stand for the national anthem with right hand over the heart next. Bad taste in my view.

Not only that but it foments division by flying the regional flags of St George, the Saltire , the Dragon and whatever they have in N Ireland. If we are going to go all American, then maybe we should finally resolve this issue and have one flag and one anthem for one country - the UK. In the going we can maybe chose something more tuneful.

jhe, newport,

What with oaths for primary school children and now flags on job centres I did'nt realise till now just how limp wristed British politicians have become.
Suppose they,re not old enough or educated enough to know about Samuel Johnson .
Perhaps the school children should be given an outing to see his Statue at Victoria Station along with the rendering his wise words .

jack, Perth , WA

Indeed - it is interesting to know why there were restrictions placed on flying the Union Jack in 1924. Equally interesting are the opinions of some of the comments made by readers from the US regarding the importance of the flag.

Jane, Hong Kong,

Fly the Stars and Stripes!!!

Derek, Seattle, USA

Great....about time too....!

Caroline, London,

How dumb is it for a nation to ban flying it's own flag from it's own public buildings for over 80 years. No wonder my Great-grandfather and all most of his relatives immigrated to the US.

al, Earlville, NY, USA

why was it illegal to fly the union jack since 1924? what is the reason for this 'law'?

migle, london, uk

It's about time your flag is shown!! I'm from America where our flag is everywhere, but I visit England often and very
seldom have seen any of your flags, I didn't realize there was actually a law against it--just thought you people didn't
really care.
Well, this is really very good news!!

Gloria Gonzalez, Slarington, PA

What will become of the jobsworths who currently go around telling people to take down flags, accusing them of being racist etc.?

Simon, Chatham, Kent

Strange - when I lived in Scotland their flag was absolutely everywhere anyway.

MDHinton, Sieradz, Poland

How ridiculous!!! Who was in power Labour will never learn that this party is dangerous and bonkers.

steve tea, manchester, cheshire

Well they do say everything that America does England soon follows.....................................

Dan, Santiago, Chile

Although I am infavour of flying the Union Jack from all public buildings, it's a bit rich that a government that is determined to turn us into a province of the European Union is behind the move; unless they fear English nationalism.

John, London,