Commonwealth Games flag row: Ulster Unionists round upon move to replace Ulster Banner for Northern Ireland athletes
Two UUP figures have turned their fire upon the proposal to replace the Ulster Banner at the Commonwealth Games.
Jon Burrows MLA, currently in the running to become the next party leader, said that it would have been an act of “exclusion”, whilst Lord Elliott said the very idea should never have been “up for debate”.
They were reacting to the decision of Team NI’s organising committee, Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland Ltd, not to proceed with a proposal to drop the widely-recognised but unofficial flag as the team’s emblem for the Glasgow games this summer.
One suggestion that had been floated was replacing it with the Team NI logo (an etching of a red hand with the team name underneath).
After opposition from DUP communities minister Gordon Lyons, the proposal has been axed.
Mr Burrows said: “You can’t replace a flag with a logo.
“A flag is worn in victory, waved in pride, and unites people.
"A logo sells a brand or a product. It inspires no one.”
He added: “We all cheered Dennis Taylor and Alex Higgins alike.
"Our great football teams had heroes from everywhere – Newry’s Pat Jennings was my own favourite from the great teams of the 1980s.
"Sport here has never belonged to one tradition alone...
“No athlete should ever be forced to drape a flag around their shoulders if they don’t want to – and no one here would ever demand that. That is genuine tolerance.
"But stripping everyone of their flag is not inclusion – it is exclusion.”
He concluded: “This decision was wrong, and I am glad it has been corrected.
"The focus now should be on supporting our athletes as they prepare to compete, united under a flag that means something to them and to the people cheering them on.”
Lord Elliott of Ballinamallard, a former leader of the party said: “This is the right decision, and it should never have been an issue or up for debate.
"We look forward to seeing Northern Ireland athletes proudly draped in the Ulster Banner as they celebrate victories and bring home silverware for our wee country.
“Our focus must now return to where it belongs, supporting our fantastic athletes as they prepare to compete and make us proud on the world stage.
"However, this saga raises serious questions: why was the original decision taken without clear guidance, and why did the communities minister allow it to unfold unchecked?
"This lack of leadership caused unnecessary division and distraction when unity should have been the priority.”
His comments have been put to the Department for Communities.