Belfast's nationalist Lord Mayor was today facing a censure motion against him, following his boycott of events involving a British government minister.
Democratic Unionists on Belfast City Council confirmed they had tabled a motion to be debated next week, condemning SDLP Lord Mayor Martin Morgan for announcing that he was snubbing all public functions involving Northern Ireland Office Minister John Spellar.
The SDLP Mayor of Derry, Shaun Gallagher, has also declared his intention to boycott events involving Mr Spellar, in a dispute over the Army's refusal to dismiss two Scots Guards convicted of killing Belfast teenager Peter McBride in 1992.
Mr Spellar is being singled out because he sat on an Army Board which retained Guardsmen James Fisher and Mark Wright.
Mr Morgan said that while he understood unionists' concerns about his action, he still stood by it. "I did not take my decision on Mr Spellar lightly and I have to stand by it," he said. "It cannot be right that a soldier is kicked out of the British Army for cheating on Who Wants to be a Millionaire?but soldiers who murder a citizen of this city are allowed to stay on."
DUP councillor Sammy Wilson said their motion at Belfast City Hall condemned Mr Morgan for adopting "a narrow, blatantly political, sectarian policy". The DUP motion is expected to be supported by the Ulster Unionists and loyalist councillors.
However, its success will hinge on the votes of three cross community Alliance Party councillors who hold the balance of power on the council. While it would not result in any penalty against the mayor, unionists believe it would be a severe embarrassment for him to lose the vote.
A motion condemning links between the Provisional IRA and Basque terrorists will also be debated at City Hall next week. Last month Mr Morgan was yards away from an ETA bomb attack while holidaying in Spain.