Belfast City Council has unanimously voted against flying the Union Flag on Prince Andrew’s birthday - with full unionist support after a DUP change of mind.
At Tuesday evening’s meeting of the full council, the DUP made a u-turn from their opposition to an SDLP motion to not fly the flag on the Duke of York’s birthday, amid allegations of his sexual abuse of a teenager.
The DUP had previously stated at committee level it would await the outcome of the trial before making a decision on the flying of the flag. At Tuesday's meeting the party reversed its position after an Alliance amendment proposed to fly the flag instead on July 1st every year to commemorate the Battle of the Somme. This would maintain the number of designated days for flying the flag.
