Former American senator told to 'cover up' T-shirt during Holyrood tour after flag design seen as 'political'

See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source Published: 14:40 EDT, 27 September 2026 | Updated: 14:40 EDT, 27 September 2026 A former American senator claims he was told to cover up his T-shirt during a tour of the Scottish parliament after its design was seen as a ‘political statement’.Republican Scott P. Brown was about to embark on a tour of Holyrood when he says he was stopped by a police officer who took umbrage at his top supporting ‘law enforcement’.The 67-year-old explained that he had bought the black short-sleeved garment printed with the Thin Blue Line flag, and a Spartan helmet, at a bike festival earlier in the summer.But posting a video on X, the ex-Massachusetts congressman told his 65,000 followers that he was ‘told to cover up’ after the officer objected to the motifs.He wrote: ‘Had a great stay in Scotland except when I tried to visit parliament.’ The former senator said in a short clip: ‘This cop came up to me and said “do you mind covering up your shirt”? I’m like what are you talking about? Why? And he says “it’s a political shirt… it represents a political stance’.Pointing at the blue and white stripes, he tells followers: ‘The political stance is obviously that I support law enforcement, which I do. I was pretty shocked. So we just went in and took off after, because it wasn’t worth it.’ But he still hailed Scotland as ‘a beautiful place’.It is not the first time visitors have been asked to cover up or remove items due to attire that is seen an inappropriate. In 2024 Jenny Willmott, a co-founder of the campaign group Scottish Lesbians, was told to remove a ‘Scottish Lesbian’ badge at a Women’s Rights Network event due to its ‘partisan message’.In 2022 the parliament apologised after a woman was ejected for refusing to remove a scarf in the suffragette colours of purple, green and white. Former US senator Scott P Brown was told to cover up his T-shirt at HolyroodAnd earlier this year Scottish Greens Maggie Chapman and Kate Nevens were accused of an extremist ‘political stunt’ after wearing pro-Palestine scarves while being sworn in as MSPs.The Scottish Conservatives said at the time it was ‘blatant hypocrisy’ as Green MSPs previously objected to the women’s rights campaigners wearing suffragette colours in parliament.The parliament website asks the public to ‘remember that it is a working parliamentary building’ and that ‘protests are not allowed inside the building’.It advises that visitors are permitted to wear ‘a single small, discreet badge’ to express their view.But a spokesman said: ‘The Parliament’s visitor behaviour policy prohibits the display of flags, banners and political slogans inside the Holyrood building, including on clothing and accessories.‘Visitors displaying flags, banners or political slogans are asked to remove or cover up such items before being allowed entry.’