Gary Neville has been accused of ‘opening a can of worms’ by an employee who was ordered to take down a Union Jack flag at a building site owned by the former Manchester United footballer.
In the wake of last week’s terror at a Manchester synagogue, Neville published a video on social media in which he accused ‘angry, middle-aged white men’ of dividing the country by ‘using the Union Jack in a negative fashion’.
The 50-year-old football pundit and entrepreneur took matters into his own hands recently at the St Michael’s office redevelopment site in Manchester and ordered the removal of a flag that had been planted by workers.
One employee told the Daily Mail: ‘He was walking past when he saw the flag flying on the fifth floor along with a Moldovan flag and another one.
‘He got on the radio to one of the workers and started asking why the Union Flag was up there. He only mentioned the Union Flag, not the other two – and said it had to come down.
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‘Obviously he is the boss, and we are not going to argue with him. But Union Flags are normally put on building sites. It happens all over the country.
‘Gary Neville played for England, but he won’t let us put a flag up to celebrate the country where we live. It’s caused a lot of anger. This wasn’t discussed, we were just told.
‘He didn’t mention the Moldovan flag or the other. He only had a problem with the Union Flag.
‘Afterwards we had to do ‘toolbox chats’ for everyone about political messages on the building site. Basically we had to explain why we can’t have flags, and we can’t express our political views because Gary Neville says we can’t.’
The employee, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed there was no ill-intention behind the decision to hoist the flag but revealed Neville’s order was carried out amid fears of job losses.
They said: ‘Some of us disagreed, but we had to take them down. Some are questioning who Gary Neville thinks he is to tell them what flags they can put up in their place of work. Flags are being put up all over the country.
‘They weren’t happy that they had to take them down, but they have to do what they are told – they don’t want to lose their jobs.
‘People who work on construction sites are from all over the place, all different countries and we all get on really well. So there was no ill meaning behind it. The lads were just putting flags up from where they are from.
‘Everyone else can put their flags up so why can’t we? They do when they’re playing for England, shall we say, and I am not a footballer.
‘Obviously it is bad times in this country at the moment, and this is the way people are trying to unite together. But in speaking out about it, Neville’s opened a can of worms.’
In his video monologue, Neville, who reminded his followers he played 85 times for his country, questioned the timing of the supposed displays of patriotism.
He said: ‘I have been building in this city for 15 or 20 years, and there has been no one put a Union Jack flag up in the last 15 or 20 years, so why do you need to put one up now?
‘It is quite clearly sending a message to everybody that there is something you don’t like. The Union Jack flag being used in a negative fashion is not right.
‘I am a proud supporter of England, and Great Britain, and our country and would champion it anywhere in the world as being one of the greatest places to live.
‘But I think we need to check ourselves… and start to think ourselves back to a neutral point because we are being pulled right and left.’