Group Leader Maire Hendron said the Alliance Party would never support Sinn Fein and the SDLP in permanently removing the flag.
At a meeting of the Council’s Policy and Resources Committee today, a Sinn Fein motion to permanently remove the flag was passed despite the opposition of the Alliance Party. The Sinn Fein proposal will now go before the full Council Meeting on December 3rd.
Councillor Maire Hendron said: “Alliance will never support Sinn Fein and the SDLP in their attempts to permanently remove the Union flag from the City Hall. Today we voted against this proposal as the Alliance Party recognises we are part of the United Kingdom and the Union flag remains the flag of Northern Ireland.
“At the meeting today I proposed that the flag should fly on designated days. This has been a long standing Alliance policy and is in line with the recommendations of the Equality Commission in 2002 and 2011.
“In recent weeks allegations have been made that the Alliance Party Group has made a pact with Sinn Fein and the SDLP on the future of the flag. Nothing could be further from the truth.
“The Alliance Party believes that the Union flag should be flown with respect and dignity. In the context of building a shared future in our divided society we believe it is important that the recommendations of the Equality Commission should be followed in the matter of the flying of flags.
“At the December Council meeting we will again propose that the Union flag be flown on the designated days as recommended by the Equality Commission.”