Alex Deane: Neglecting our friends

For the Jubilee, the flags of all the Commonwealth countries will be flown in Parliament Square. But I have it on good authority that the flags of the British Overseas Territories will not be flown. Not because some fool in our bureaucracy opposed their flying; oh no - someone made the sensible observation that they ought to be flown (which really ought to be automatic, but there we are) and there was agreement with that suggestion. The simple problem, it has emerged, is that the British Government doesn't have them.

That is to say that we don't even have the flags of these places - despite the fact that they are under our jurisdiction and share our Head of State. EU flags? Oh yes - got them aplenty. But places with which we have enduring and important cultural and formal British ties? Not even one each.

A bit shameful, isn't it?

This is now being rectified post-haste, but until it's belatedly fixed, for a sense of how flags should be celebrated and honoured, you can always try this.