Derry City Council last night took the first step towards changing the official name of the city from Londonderry to Derry, nineteen years after the council's name was similarly changed.
A proposal to put the name change issue in motion was jointly proposed by the majority SDLP and Sinn Féin groups of councillors. It was passed by 23 votes for and six votes against. However, the minority DUP and Ulster Unionist Party councillors described the decision as "the final nail in the coffin of community relations in the city". Proposing the controversial motion, the leader of the SDLP on the council, Mr Pat Ramsey, said it was intended to be neither divisive nor detrimental to any citizen of the city. "We have deliberated on this for some time now and we have been endeavouring to come up with a motion that will cross all divides and one which will give everyone an opportunity to give closure to this issue. Even in the last few minutes, we have encouraged unionists to give solidarity to this proposal, which we firmly believe will protect the rights of the minority community.
"It is our wish that anyone should be entitled to have the name Derry, Londonderry or Doire recognised by all government and statutory agencies and bodies and this motion reflects that wish," he said. However, the DUP's Mr Gregory Campbell said the proposed name change would further alienate the city's minority Protestant population.