A motion calling for the Union flag to be flown above Stormont when the Northern Ireland Assembly was sitting, as well as from all Executive buildings on designated days, was defeated in the Assembly yesterday after a stormy debate.
Proposing the motion, the Rev Ian Paisley said the fact that he had to do so at all proved that "concession after concession after concession has been given to the pan-nationalist front". The aim of those objecting to the flag was to "divest this part of the United Kingdom of any aspect of Britishness at all", he said.
Before the motion was debated, the SDLP, Sinn Fein and the Alliance had signed a "petition of concern". This made it necessary for the motion to have the support of at least one-third of nationalists in the house.
Mr Paisley described this as being "a veto handed to those who want to carry out the republican agenda in this house".
The Ulster Unionist Junior Minister, Mr Dermot Nesbitt, said it should not be up to the Assembly or the government to decide on flags because it was a constitutional issue. He said it was internationally accepted that minorities should have their rights guaranteed, but also that they should "respect the national law, respect the constitution; that means respect the constitutional position of Northern Ireland as demonstrated by the flag".
Mr Sean Farren, the Minister of Further and Higher Education, said sorting out the flags issue was a test of the maturity and responsibility of the Assembly.
He said that until a set of common emblems could be agreed on he would keep the status quo, which meant the Union flag would fly on his department on designated days.
The Sinn Fein MLA for Foyle, Ms Mary Nelis, opposing the motion, made a fierce attack on the Democratic Unionists. She said their motion was not about flags but about trying to stop the implementation of the Belfast Agreement and parity of esteem for all. "This motion is about a party running for its life in the face of progress and change," she said.
The leader of the Progressive Unionist Party, Mr David Ervine, said there was an element of foolishness about the debate and criticised Sinn Fein for insensitive "in-your-face" politics. Ms Jane Morrice, the Women's Coalition MLA for North Down, said the flags debate lay at the core of the new government and would be best resolved by the power-sharing Executive.
The dissident North Down UUP MLA, Mr Peter Weir, said their action showed the SDLP "in its true green colours, a party with nationalism at the heart of it". He claimed Northern Ireland was being subjected to "dimmer-switch Britishness".
Mr Mark Durkan, the SDLP Minister of Finance and Personnel, said his party's ministers had taken great care not to offend anyone over the flags issue or to turn ministries into party political property.