Hendron – Other parties should have accepted Alliance suggestion over armed forces flag

Alliance Belfast Council Group Leader Cllr Maire Hendron has expressed her disappointment that other parties did not support the Alliance compromise position on the flying of the armed forces flag at Belfast City Council. The DUP proposed a motion that the flag would be flown for 6 days but Alliance proposed a compromise position of just 1 day. The Alliance suggestion was defeated and the 6 days suggestion was voted through.

Cllr Maire Hendron said: “I am disappointed that the other parties did not support our compromise position. Flying this flag for one day would have been sufficient to show our respect to the armed forces, but at the same time ensuring that work towards a shared future was not threatened.

“We decided that once our amendment that the flag would be flown for one day was defeated, we believed that we had no option but to support it being flown for six days as not flying it at all would be disrespectful to those who have served in the armed forces and have been injured or lost their lives.

“Alliance does however recognise that there are people who do not support the armed forces and in my speech to Belfast Council I showed my respect for their views

“I believe that we need to show a maturity in these issues and support measures that build community relations and not strengthen divisions in our society. “

ENDS