Debate contribution: Display of Flags, Emblems and Banners

Debate contribution by Mr Mike Nesbitt on 30 April 2024.

MLA

Mr Mike Nesbitt

Party at the time

Ulster Unionist Party

Date

30 April 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Display of Flags, Emblems and Banners

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4487533

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Hmm.

From listening to the debate, I believe that two questions arise. The first, as Mr Kearney said, is about how we ensure equality and respect — two of the fundamental values of the 1998 agreement — and how we build this society. Ms McLaughlin talked about the validity of having a position on the constitutional question, and, of course, that is at the core of the 1998 agreement, so it is a question of how we promote, celebrate or perhaps even just defend our culture and identity. As I have said before, it is not about everybody jumping into a virtual blender and coming out the human form of beige. Republicans will be republicans, nationalists will be nationalists, unionists will be unionists and loyalists will be loyalists. Those who do not want to subscribe to any of those descriptors will continue to be what they are. I am really trying to avoid the term "Other" here, because, although I understand why it was used in 1998, society has moved on, so perhaps it is time to rethink on that front. The other question — it is fundamental to the debate — is this: how does one best change human behaviour? Is it through a top-down law, or should it be done from the bottom up, through working with communities and civic groups? We often use the words "co-design" and "co-production". If a community feels that it has bought into a code of conduct and has some skin in the game, surely that —.

I hope that Members recognise that it is very rare for me not to accept an intervention. On this occasion, however, I am not going to, and I am going to tell you why. Twice, the proposer of the motion was asked to take an intervention, and twice she said that she could not, because she had so much to get through. She sat down after seven minutes and 45 seconds, wasting some 25% of her time, which she could have used to engage in a debate, which this is supposed to be. I am sorry, but I am not taking an intervention from the Alliance Party today.

I represent Newtownards. Unfortunately, we have the full suite of organisations born out of loyalism, many of which have morphed, and not in a good way, since then. Every summer, we could drive down from here, go on to Messines Road, which takes us around to the peninsula, and every single lamp post will have a Union flag on it, until we get to the Comber roundabout, where there is one UVF flag. Why one? It is a taunt. It is saying to the authorities, "Take it down tonight, and then come back tomorrow to see how many are up". I know that, because there is a residential area near there, and, a couple of years ago, a young family were taking their son to primary school. On the lamp post opposite — this is off the main track, in a residential area — there was a flag that depicted a man wearing a balaclava holding an assault rifle. The young boy wanted to know what was going on. I worked with a recognised third party, and the flag disappeared, but every other lamp post continued to have a flag on it. There was no consultation with or consent from the community. I therefore of course agree that we have to do something about those things, but does anybody think that a new law is going to improve the situation? We have to be persuaders. Mr Beattie has explained why we will not be supporting the motion. Members should consider very carefully supporting our amendment. We want to do this, and I believe that the First Minister and the deputy First Minister want to see change here. We have come through a lot, however, and we have a long way to go, so let us not beat ourselves up. Let us do the practical and sensible thing. Once again, I commend the amendment to the House.

678 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 10:02 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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