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Sir Keir Starmer has backed criticism of Nike for changing the cross of St George on the back of the new England kit.

The Labour leader called on the sports manufacturer to switch the multicolour flag back to the original one.

His comments come after a social media storm over the change, with calls on X to boycott the US sports manufacturer.

The row started after Nike posted pictures online of the new England kit which will be used for this summer’s Euro 24 tournament.

While some pictures showed off the ‘away’ kit’s new colour purple, alongside the classic ‘home’ white jersey, one of the X posts showed a new motif featuring a purple, blue, black and red cross on the back of the shirt, which was captioned: “A playful update to the flag of St George appears on the collar to unite and inspire.”

Previously, shirts have often featured the red and white of the St George’s flag.

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Nike's new England kit
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Nike’s new England kit

Thousands of X users have reacted to the new kit, the vast majority negatively, with many attacking it for being unnecessary or “disrespectful”. Some accused Nike of being “woke”, and many urged people not to buy Nike products.

Sir Keir joined in the criticism when asked by The Sun if it was “wrong” to change the colours.

“Yeah, I think it was,” he said.

“As you know, I’m a big football fan. I go to England games – men’s and women’s games – and the flag is used by everybody.

England players wearing the current kit in November 2023. Pic: PA
Image:
England players wearing the current kit in November 2023. Pic: PA

“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.”

He went on: “I’m not even sure they can properly explain why they thought they needed to change it in the first place.

“One more thing on that for me, they could also reduce the price of the shirts – I think it’s £130.”

A home team shirt for both men and women costs £124.99 on the Nike website.

A description of the new kit from Nike read: “The England 2024 home kit disrupts history with a modern take on a classic.

Sir Keir Starmer has intervened in the debate on the new England shirt. Pic: PA
Image:
Sir Keir Starmer has intervened in the debate on the new England shirt. Pic: PA

“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.”

A number of other prominent voices, including football pundits and politicians, have also criticised the shirt’s design and price.

One social media user responded to Nike’s post to ask: “which other country’s flag you have done this to?”

Another said it was “not yours to mess with”, while a third said: “Looks crap I’ll be wearing my old England shirt even if I get bean juice down it I’d rather wear that than this.”

A person calling themselves “Alfred Ramsay” has set up a petition on the change.org website and, so far, several thousands of people have added their names. The anonymous petition creator says in accompanying text: “I would love to buy this new shirt, but cannot while it shows the Cross of St George defaced… Please change the shirt.”

Nike, which also unveiled a slew of other international kits at the same time, is yet to comment on the storm. Sky News has contacted the company for comment.

England are also yet to comment, other than to publicise the availability of the kits, which went on sale today, on their social feeds.

Euro 2024, which kicks off in Germany in June, is now less than 100 days away, with England and Scotland having qualified and Wales facing Poland on Tuesday for one of the play-off places.

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IT issue affects flights at Edinburgh Airport

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IT issue affects flights at Edinburgh Airport

All flights were halted at Edinburgh Airport this morning due to an IT issue affecting its air traffic control provider.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, the airport later announced service had resumed.

Its post read: “Flights have now resumed following the IT issue with our air traffic provider.

“We thank passengers for their patience and understanding.”

But passengers continue to feel the effects.

A Delta Air Lines flight from New York to Edinburgh was diverted to Dublin after going into a holding pattern over the Scottish capital.

And a live arrivals board on the airport’s website showed multiple flights diverted, delayed and cancelled.

Arrivals board at Edinburgh Airport. Pic: Edinburgh Airport
Image:
Arrivals board at Edinburgh Airport. Pic: Edinburgh Airport

Morven McCall and Cody Stevenson, both 19, were due to fly easyJet from Edinburgh to Amsterdam on their first trip away together.

Morven told Sky News: “We literally just got into the airport and as soon as we walked through the door there was an announcement that it had been cancelled.

“I was ill over the summer and had to cancel two holidays already, this was our first time going away together. We are just gutted and stressed.”

Follow live: Latest updates as flights halted

Arrivals at Edinburgh Airport. File pic: PA
Image:
Arrivals at Edinburgh Airport. File pic: PA

One passenger was on a plane when they found out.

They said: “We boarded our flight and pushed back on time for an 8.45 (am) departure, then sat for a while before the pilot told us what was happening.

“He updated us a couple of times, cabin crew are brilliant at handing out water etc, and I’m surprised that everyone appears to be upbeat. But then you do wonder how long for, just been told we’re hoping to be in the air in 20 minutes.”

Another passenger told us: “The first news was from the airport announcement as we were halfway through boarding, saying the airfield was closed due to air traffic control down.

“No one knew what was going on. We’d already been delayed a bit before boarding, with no reason. I suspect problems started about 9am.”

It comes after an earlier announcement that all flights had been halted.

“No flights are currently operating from Edinburgh Airport,” the previous statement said.

“Teams are working on the issue and will resolve as soon as possible.”

There was no timeframe for recovery initially, Sky News learned.

It’s understood by PA that the issue was not linked to today’s Cloudflare outage.

Edinburgh Trams also posted on X, writing: “If you’re travelling with us to @EDI_Airport this morning, please be aware that flights are not currently operating.”

The airport urged passengers to contact their airline for the latest information on flights.

An average of 43,000 passengers per day use the airport, which is served by 37 airlines flying to 155 destinations.

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Teenager fatally hit by car on motorway had been tasered by police, watchdog says

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Teenager fatally hit by car on motorway had been tasered by police, watchdog says

The police watchdog says it is investigating after a teenager who was tasered by an officer on a motorway was fatally hit by a car.

Logan Smith, 18, was being taken to hospital in an ambulance at about 11pm on Sunday when the vehicle stopped on the hard shoulder of the M5 in Somerset.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said the vehicle stopped on the northbound carriageway “due to the concerns of ambulance staff”.

Mr Smith got out of the ambulance near the junction for Weston-super-Mare and “entered the live lanes of the motorway”, the watchdog added.

Police were called and an officer arrived at the scene, with bodycam footage showing the officer discharging their Taser, causing the teenager to fall to the ground.

“Soon afterwards” Mr Smith was struck by a car travelling on the southbound carriageway, the IOPC said.

The watchdog said it was investigating the “actions and decisions taken by Avon and Somerset Police prior to the death of a teenager”.

IOPC Director Derrick Campbell said: “My thoughts and sympathies are with Logan’s family and friends and everyone affected by this shocking and tragic incident. 

“We want to reassure everyone that we will independently investigate all the circumstances surrounding this incident, including the use of a Taser.

“After being notified by the force, we sent our investigators to the police post incident procedure to begin gathering evidence.

“We have taken initial accounts from the officer and ambulance staff involved.

“We met with Logan’s family on Tuesday, to give our condolences, explain our role and to provide some further detail about our investigation, including a Taser being discharged during the incident.

“We will continue to keep them updated and they request that their privacy be respected at such a difficult time.”

The coroner has been informed and formal identification and a post-mortem have taken place.

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Former doctor charged over alleged sexual assaults on 38 patients

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Former doctor charged over alleged sexual assaults on 38 patients

A former doctor has been charged over alleged sexual assaults on 38 patients in his care.

Nathaniel Spencer, 38, has been charged with 15 counts of sexual assault, 17 counts of assault by penetration, nine counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, three counts of assault a child under 13 by penetration and one count of attempted assault by penetration.

It follows a police investigation into alleged sexual offences between 2017 and 2021.

Staffordshire Police said in a statement the charges come after a complex investigation by the Public Protection Unit into sexual offences at the Royal Stoke University Hospital, in Stoke-on-Trent, and Russells Hall Hospital, in Dudley.

North Staffordshire Justice Centre
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North Staffordshire Justice Centre

Ben Samples, deputy chief crown prosecutor for the West Midlands CPS Complex Casework Unit and Serious Violence, Organised Crime and Exploitation Unit, said: “We have decided to prosecute Nathaniel Spencer for a number of serious sexual offences allegedly carried out against patients while he was working as a doctor – including assault by penetration and sexual assault against a child.

“Our prosecutors have worked at length to support a detailed and complex investigation by Staffordshire Police, carefully reviewing the available evidence to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.”

Spencer, from Birmingham, will appear at North Staffordshire Justice Centre on 20 January 2026.

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