Gary Neville, the former Manchester United footballer and current pundit, has faced criticism from an employee after ordering the removal of a Union Jack flag from a building site he owns. The incident occurred at the St Michael's office redevelopment site in Manchester, where workers had hoisted the flag alongside a Moldovan flag and another unidentified one.
An anonymous employee told the Daily Mail that Neville, 50, saw the flags while walking past and used a radio to instruct workers to take down the Union Jack. The employee claimed Neville only mentioned the Union Jack, not the other flags, and said it had to come down. The worker expressed anger, stating that Union Jacks are commonly flown on building sites across the country and that Neville, who played for England 85 times, should not prevent them from celebrating their country.
The employee said the order was followed amid fears of job losses, and later 'toolbox talks' were held to explain that political messages, including flags, were banned on site. The worker insisted there was no ill-intention behind the flag display, as workers from various countries had put up flags representing their origins. They accused Neville of 'opening a can of worms' by speaking out about patriotism.
Neville had previously posted a video on social media in the wake of a terror incident at a Manchester synagogue, accusing 'angry, middle-aged white men' of using the Union Jack in a negative fashion to divide the country. In the video, he questioned why workers felt the need to put up a Union Jack now, after 15-20 years of building in the city without such displays, and called for a return to a neutral point amid political polarisation.
