TUV brands Alliance Party 'nationalism’s little helpers' over Union flag intervention in Ards and North Down

It had looked as though the Union flag would fly all year round on all 13 war memorials in the borough and at the council buildings in Newtownards rather than just on designated days after it was voted on by council and ratified by an Equality Impact Assessment.

However the proposal was called in by Alliance party prompting an angry response from TUV candidate Peter Wilson.

A call in is intended to be used in exceptional circumstances to bring about the examination of an executive decision that has been made but not yet implemented.

Mr Wilson said: “[On Wednesday] night a minority on Ards and North Down Borough Council voted to overturn the will of the majority and, disgracefully, this worked for them.

"It is outrageous that a coalition of Nationalist, Alliance, Green and independent councillors could remove the Union flag from war memorials and civic buildings.

“After going through an equality consultation which showed the public is in favour of the Union Flag flying 365 days a year on all war memorials and Church Street civic building and a vote of the full council showed that 20 were for the flying of the Union Flag and just 13 opposed the proposal was carried only for nationalism’s little helpers, the Alliance Party, to call the decision in.”

He added: “One really does have to question how the call in legislation was framed when we consider that unionists in Belfast were unable to successfully deploy it when it came to the introduction of a policy which means Irish street signs can be erected if just 15% of residents request it and yet the flying of our national flag can be stopped by way of a call in.

"The minister who piloted this legislation through Stormont, Edwin Poots, has questions to answer in this regard.

“I am glad that TUV’s hands are clean on the issue having opposed the passage of the Bill in the Assembly.”

An Alliance press officer acknowledged that the party had called-in the decision but did not take the opportunity to reply to Mr Wilson comments.