Downing Street was accused of a “weak” effort to celebrate the Lionesses’ passage to the Women’s World Cup final with claims that its decorations outside Number 10 were a pale imitation of an equivalent display for the men’s team.

Bunting draped from the Downing Street railings on Friday morning appeared to be a scaled-down version of the decorations rolled out by Boris Johnson ahead of the men’s European Championships final in 2021.

The Liberal Democrats suggested it would be a “very different story” if the men’s team were playing in a World Cup final – the first time any England squad has done so since 1966.

Dame Caroline Dinenage, the chairman of the Commons culture, media and sport committee, said: “There’s certainly a stark contrast between Downing Street decorations then and now. I hope No 10 are going to raise their game before Sunday.”

Pictures taken on Friday morning showed a single stream of bunting lining the Downing Street railings and framing the famous black door, with three larger flags hanging in the windows.