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The new Defence Secretary blocked an attempt to make the Red Arrows trail the colours of the Scottish flag at the Commonwealth Games, the Standard can reveal.

It emerged when bungling organisers issued a programme for last night’s opening ceremony that stated blue and white smoke would be trailed.

But the world-famous RAF display team trailed their traditional red, white and blue smoke - the colours of the Union Jack - instead.

Commonwealth Games 2014 opening ceremony 25 show all Commonwealth Games 2014 opening ceremony 1/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony John Barrowman performs during the opening ceremony at Celtic Park (AFP Photo) AFP PHOTO/ BEN STANSALL 2/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Performers dressed as Tunnocks teacakes (AFP Photo) AFP PHOTO/ANDREJ ISAKOVICANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images 3/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony A Scottish Terrier is led around the arena (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) AP Photo/Scott Heppell 4/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Rod Stewart performs (Peter Byrne/PA Wire) Peter Byrne/PA Wire 5/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony The Queen watches patiently as Prince Imran, the Commonwealth Games Federation president, and Sir Chris Hoy struggle to open the Queen's Baton (AFP PHOTO/ BEN STANSALL) BEN STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images 6/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Scotland's Euan Burton carries the flag (Andrew Milligan/PA Wire) Andrew Milligan/PA Wire. 7/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Malaysia's flagbearer Fatehah Mustapa leads his country's delegation (AFP PHOTO/ GLYN KIRK) AFP PHOTO/ GLYN KIRKGLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images 8/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Athletes from St Lucia wave as they walk around the stadium (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) (AP Photo/Frank Augstein 9/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Australian competitors arrive (David Davies/PA Wire) David Davies/PA Wire 10/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony The spectacular opening ceremony featured hundreds of performers and volunteers (REUTERS/Phil Noble) REUTERS/Phil Noble 11/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony The Queen arrives at Celtic Park (AFP PHOTO/ BEN STANSALL) AFP PHOTO/ BEN STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images 12/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Sir Chris Hoy holds up the Queen's baton (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) AP Photo/Scott Heppell 13/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony The Queen holds her message (Peter Byrne/PA Wire) Peter Byrne/PA Wire. 14/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony The Duchess of Cornwall with Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond (Danny Lawson/PA Wire) Danny Lawson/PA Wire 15/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Billy Connolly watches (Peter Byrne/PA Wire) Peter Byrne/PA 16/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony John Barrowman is somewhere under that giant kilt (Martin Rickett/PA Wire) Martin Rickett/PA Wire 17/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony The Red Arrows fly over Celtic Park (Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire) Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire 18/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Fireworks light up the sky (AFP PHOTO/ ADRIAN DENNIS) AFP PHOTO/ ADRIAN DENNIS 19/25 Rebecca Adlington Rebecca Adlington watches the 2014 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony at Celtic Park, Glasgow. (Picture: PA) 20/25 Highland fling Performers during the 2014 Commonwealth Games (Picture: PA) 21/25 John Barrowman John Barrowman performs with giant cans of Iron-Bru in the background (Picture: PA) 22/25 Tunnocks John Barrowman and Karen Dunbar perform during the 2014 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony (Picture: PA) 23/25 Pipes and drums The Pipes and Drums of The Scottish Regiments (Picture: PA) 24/25 Arriving Queen Elizabeth II arrives at the opening ceremony (Picture: PA) 25/25 Susan Boyle Susan Boyle performs in a purple gown (Picture: PA) 1/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony John Barrowman performs during the opening ceremony at Celtic Park (AFP Photo) AFP PHOTO/ BEN STANSALL 2/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Performers dressed as Tunnocks teacakes (AFP Photo) AFP PHOTO/ANDREJ ISAKOVICANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images 3/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony A Scottish Terrier is led around the arena (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) AP Photo/Scott Heppell 4/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Rod Stewart performs (Peter Byrne/PA Wire) Peter Byrne/PA Wire 5/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony The Queen watches patiently as Prince Imran, the Commonwealth Games Federation president, and Sir Chris Hoy struggle to open the Queen's Baton (AFP PHOTO/ BEN STANSALL) BEN STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images 6/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Scotland's Euan Burton carries the flag (Andrew Milligan/PA Wire) Andrew Milligan/PA Wire. 7/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Malaysia's flagbearer Fatehah Mustapa leads his country's delegation (AFP PHOTO/ GLYN KIRK) AFP PHOTO/ GLYN KIRKGLYN KIRK/AFP/Getty Images 8/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Athletes from St Lucia wave as they walk around the stadium (AP Photo/Frank Augstein) (AP Photo/Frank Augstein 9/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Australian competitors arrive (David Davies/PA Wire) David Davies/PA Wire 10/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony The spectacular opening ceremony featured hundreds of performers and volunteers (REUTERS/Phil Noble) REUTERS/Phil Noble 11/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony The Queen arrives at Celtic Park (AFP PHOTO/ BEN STANSALL) AFP PHOTO/ BEN STANSALLBEN STANSALL/AFP/Getty Images 12/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Sir Chris Hoy holds up the Queen's baton (AP Photo/Scott Heppell) AP Photo/Scott Heppell 13/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony The Queen holds her message (Peter Byrne/PA Wire) Peter Byrne/PA Wire. 14/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony The Duchess of Cornwall with Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond (Danny Lawson/PA Wire) Danny Lawson/PA Wire 15/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Billy Connolly watches (Peter Byrne/PA Wire) Peter Byrne/PA 16/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony John Barrowman is somewhere under that giant kilt (Martin Rickett/PA Wire) Martin Rickett/PA Wire 17/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony The Red Arrows fly over Celtic Park (Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire) Dominic Lipinski/PA Wire 18/25 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony Fireworks light up the sky (AFP PHOTO/ ADRIAN DENNIS) AFP PHOTO/ ADRIAN DENNIS 19/25 Rebecca Adlington Rebecca Adlington watches the 2014 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony at Celtic Park, Glasgow. (Picture: PA) 20/25 Highland fling Performers during the 2014 Commonwealth Games (Picture: PA) 21/25 John Barrowman John Barrowman performs with giant cans of Iron-Bru in the background (Picture: PA) 22/25 Tunnocks John Barrowman and Karen Dunbar perform during the 2014 Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony (Picture: PA) 23/25 Pipes and drums The Pipes and Drums of The Scottish Regiments (Picture: PA) 24/25 Arriving Queen Elizabeth II arrives at the opening ceremony (Picture: PA) 25/25 Susan Boyle Susan Boyle performs in a purple gown (Picture: PA)

The Evening Standard has learned that a request was made by organisers for the team to fly the colours of the Scottish saltire for the Glasgow crowd. But it was blocked by new Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, who ruled that the RAF should fly the colours of the United Kingdom.

A source said: "It’s the Royal Air Force, keeping Britain safe.”

An MoD spokesperson said: “The Red Arrows are ambassadors for the United Kingdom and are famous for their red, white and blue smoke trails which represent the whole of the UK.

“The flypast was to celebrate the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, the Commonwealth and the presence of Her Majesty so it was fitting that red, white and blue were used.”

The MoD would not identify who made the request to remove the red smoke. Sources said the request was rejected too late for the programme to be changed.

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond has promised not to use the Games to promote Scottish independence.

A Glasgow 2014 spokesperson said: “Glasgow 2014 would like to clarify that it was its Ceremonies producers who had initial conversations about Red Arrows trailing blue and white smoke to represent the Host Nation’s Saltire but this was never formally requested. We were delighted with the participation of the Red Arrows who deployed their standard trail of red, white and blue in last night’s ceremony.”