Team NI Commonwealth chief says Ulster Banner linked to race hate as he sets out rationale for dropping the flag

Conal Heatley told the News Letter the flag had been placed on the homes of ethnic minority people as part of a bid to force them out, and “that is not something we want to be associated with”.

He further questioned why it had ever been used at all, given that it lacks any official status.

Mr Heatley was speaking ahead of the AGM for the Commonwealth Games Northern Ireland, the body which organises Team NI's entry into the sporting contest.

The AGM is due to be held on Wednesday, and the issue of flags is expected to be discussed at it.

Whilst in the Olympics, athletes from Northern Ireland can choose to compete under the Union Flag (Team GB) or tricolour (Team Ireland), in the Commonwealth Games the Ulster Banner has been used as the flag of the NI contingent.

It was the official flag of the old Northern Ireland government, which collapsed in 1973.

Mr Heatley questioned whether those opposed to replacing the Ulster Banner are "oblivious to what some people on the other side of the community have been saying for the last 50 years".

Speaking to the News Letter, Mr Heatley outlined his position by saying “Northern Ireland does not have a unique identifying flag”.

It was put to him that the Ulster Banner is a unique flag, albeit one without official status.

"Therefore Northern Ireland doesn't have a flag,” he replied. It's not the official flag of Northern Ireland – [that is] the Union Flag.”

And using the Union Flag to replace the Ulster Banner “doesn’t work” said Mr Heatley.

"Not for any political reason, but simply because the Union Flag also represents, could represent, England, Scotland, Wales, Jersey, Guernsey, Isle of Man, etc. It doesn't uniquely identify Northern Ireland..."

He went on to add: “This is nothing to do with us. This is a failure of government. The Ulster Banner was the flag of the old Northern Ireland government, not of Northern Ireland, but of the government [until 1973].

"The current flag of the Northern Ireland Assembly, therefore the government, is the flax flower.

"So if you're going to use the flag of a government, our question would be: should we not use the flag of the current government, rather than a government from 50 years ago? I don't think that's an unreasonable question to ask."

He was asked: Why not keep the status quo going?

"Because the question has been raised on numerous occasions. And this is what obviously we're seeing one side of the community, or certain people within one side of the community, making comment now.

"My question: have they been oblivious to what some people on the other side of the community have been saying for the last 50 years? ... We want to get away from all of that and we want something the politicians of Stormont can agree…

“We may not like it and by and large when any new design of anything comes out we all hate it, but it won't be offensive to people on the basis of their upbringing or anything like that."

And he feels the Ulster Banner is?

"It's not me feeling it. I'd say if you walk through certain parts of Northern Ireland and say 'what do you think of this flag', I think there's a considerable section of the community do feel that.

"It's not my view on that – but I think you need to go and speak to people in the community right across the wider community... the question is why was the Ulster Banner used – and I think that's the bigger question – in the absence of an official recognised Northern Ireland flag?"

He said "the thought process at the minute", if Stormont doesn't come up with a flag for NI, is to use the NI Commonwealth Games logo instead.

He added: "We'd love politicians to sit round a table and think of a better Northern Ireland, and a new modern Northern Ireland, and say, let's come up with a new flag...

"This is not eating away at anybody's identity, it's about the reverse: what we're trying to do is make sure as a sporting body we're open to everybody... as soon as Stormont has agreed on a flag, we'll use it the next day. As soon as we can get it, we will use it. So the appeal is to the politicians."

Has there been an upsurge in the number of people requesting a review of the flag for 2026?

"There's always been chatter. I'm trying to choose my words very carefully.

"The Ulster Banner of late, and I'm sure people would be very aware of that, has been misappropriated by a small number of people.

"And I refer to newcomers. We've had newcomers, NHS staff, chased out of their homes by having the Ulster Banner put on their windows. That is not something we want to be associated with. And that's been part of the thought process where we need to be looking and saying 'How can we have something that is inclusive? How can we invite these people to take part in our sports and our clubs if that's the imagery that's around it?’"

So the race riots have added impetus to this?

"They certainly haven't helped,” he replied.