Debate contribution: Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage
Debate contribution by Mr Trevor Clarke on .
- MLA
- Mr Trevor Clarke
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 22 September 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Display of Flags and Emblems Bill: Second Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5739912
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for giving way on that point. One thing that strikes me about the Bill is that there is a reliance on the PSNI to carry that out, but no consideration is given to the civil disobedience that will be caused by doing it. I have not been in the Chamber for much of today's debate, but I have been present at other times. I am sure that the Member will agree that the only solution available in any such circumstances is engagement with local communities to get their willingness to buy in. I am sure that the Member would agree that any other option, regardless of which community we are talking about, will cause civil disobedience, which will actually make matters worse for the communities from which we are talking about removing such flags.
Sorry.
Will the Member give way?
That leads me on to a very good example from many years ago. I got into trouble for suggesting this. I worked with a local community in an area where, at one time, probably around 2007, there were about 70 paramilitary flags. We engaged with that community to get those flags taken down and have them replaced with the colours of the country. People benefited from that community engagement and buy-in, and that paid dividends tenfold. There was also an understanding locally that those flags would then come down at the end of the marching season. That is a good example of how community engagement with those responsible for putting up some flags can work. Taking a sledgehammer to crack a nut does not work, however. We have seen police go into areas, both nationalist and loyalist, and remove two or three flags, only for 20 or 30 flags then to be put up. Combine that with the potential for civil disobedience: it would be a disaster. The only way in which to address the issue is through community engagement and cooperation, not by taking the hard attitude that the Bill takes.
336 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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