Labour has been accused of disrespecting Britain after Sir Keir Starmer‘s Government dropped ‘His Majesty’ from official communications.
The Government said it had made a ‘strategic decision’ to remove the reference to His Majesty The King in all public communications – instead replacing it with the bland ‘UK Government‘.
The change has been made without public announcement, consultation, or explanation, raising serious questions about Labour’s attitude towards the Monarchy and Britain’s proud traditions.
The Conservatives have denounced the move and branded it ‘disrespectful towards Britain’s history, culture, and constitutional settlement’.
The change emerged in response to a written Parliamentary question, with the Government confessing that references to ‘His Majesty’ are already no longer being used in the Government’s communications with the public.
Cabinet Office Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds said: ‘Since July 2024, guidance has been updated to reflect the new Royal Coat of Arms following the accession of His Majesty The King.
‘A strategic decision has been made to adopt ‘UK Government’ as the primary identity for all public-facing communications.’
The Tories pointed the finger of blame at Sir Keir’s deposed communications director Tim Allan, who became the latest casualty of the Mandelson scandal when he quit yesterday after just five months in the job.
The old HM Government logo used on official communications with the public, which the Government itself said was ‘recognised and trusted by the public’
Labour’s bland new ‘ UK Government’ logo – it said it had made the change to ‘provide clarity for the public’
Labour has been accused by the Tories of disrespecting Britain after Sir Keir Starmer’s Government dropped ‘His Majesty’ from official communications
An old example of the HM Government logo on official communications with the public
Is dropping royal references from government branding a necessary modern update or a reckless break with tradition?
The party said the change ‘shows a lack of respect for Britain’s national institutions and interests’ and added that it will be Mr Allan’s ‘lasting legacy in Government’.
Shadow chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster Alex Burghart said: ‘How typical that Labour should be trying to quietly obliterate tradition.
‘What earthly good is caused by this change? It’s just another depressing attempt to ‘modernise’ for modernisation’s sake. Be in no doubt: the Conservatives will reverse this on day one.’
Guidance under the previous government said the default logo and branding for all official communications should be ‘HM Government’.
Previous Government Communications Service guidance said: ‘The HM Government identity is recognised and trusted by the public. As such it is the master brand for government communications and must be applied correctly and consistently.’
However new guidance published in June 2025 under Labour now says the default logo for public communications is: ‘UK Government’. It adds that the new branding ‘should feature [on] all communication and policy that affect the whole Union’.
It is not the first time Labour has been accused of removing references to the Royal Family from government. Under New Labour they rebranded ‘HM Stationery Office’ as the ‘Office of Public Sector Information’, and ‘Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Fire Services’ as the ‘Chief Fire and Rescue Adviser’.
The Government said that ‘HM Government has not been dropped as a style’, and that ‘it’s just different in certain circumstances’.
A spokesman added: ‘To provide clarity for the public, communications teams are advised to use ‘UK Government’ rather than departmental names and logos for announcements.
‘This does not affect the use of ‘His Majesty’s Government’, which continues on relevant official communications and records.’