An Alliance amendment to fly the Union Flag on designated days at all council headquarters is “inadequate unless it’s backed up by stronger action”, according to NI Conservatives’ co-chair, Trevor Ringland.
“It is not much good simply concocting an amendment, which will be voted down, almost 15 months after Alliance voted to take the flag down at Belfast City Hall”, Trevor said. “Certainly, designated days and other appropriate days across Northern Ireland is the right way to go. The Union Flag should fly to reflect respect for the constitutional position of this part of the UK, as guaranteed by the Belfast Agreement, rather than to assert the culture of any part of the community here.”
“Alliance could use its position at the Belfast City Council to insist that designated days are implemented Northern Ireland wide, otherwise it would act to ensure the flag at the City Hall goes back up for 365 days a year. If a flag can come down, it can also go back up, if parties are not prepared to accept the consequences of Northern Ireland’s constitutional choice. Failing that, no amount of amendments are likely to achieve anything and Alliance has missed an opportunity to solve a problem to which it has contributed in no small measure.”