Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage
Debate contribution by Mr David Brooks on .
- MLA
- Mr David Brooks
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 14 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5686236
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Does the Member agree that what is relevant is that the Alliance Party was the enabler of Belfast City Council's 15% threshold for Irish language street signs? Some may rightly ask whether that is the kind of threshold that it is looking at having through this legislation.
47 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Uncertain: close call Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy
Uncertain: this record is published but not counted in any total.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.59 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- Criteria met: Controversy escalation (0.61).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.44).
- Subject area: Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy.
- The answers did not meet either automatic threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.31 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.03 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.59 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.27 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.61 | Yes |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.45 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.59 | Between thresholds |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.44 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.26 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.30 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.98 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.02 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
| Sport (including the GAA), the arts and cultural bodies | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 16:17 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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