Sinn Fein urged to 'reverse decision' not to fly Union flag at half mast on Mid Ulster Council buildings

“Following the death of Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, last Friday there has been a wave of sympathy and sadness across the United Kingdom, and the Mid-Ulster Council area has been no exception," he said.

“The Union Flag is flying at half mast at Stormont and much has been made of comments of condolence by the Sinn Fein leadership.

"It is a great pity that such sentiments have not permeated down to Sinn Fein in Mid-Ulster, where that party has refused to allow the Union Flag to be flown at half- mast on our Council buildings.

“I fully understand that the Council has a policy of no flags, but this can be set aside in exceptional circumstances.

"I would certainly argue that occasion of the death of the Queen’s Consort, who has ruled beside her for almost 70 years in a lifetime of service and duty, constitutes exceptional circumstances, and that the Union Flag should be flown at half-mast as a mark of respect.

“The situation is particularly hard to take given that Sinn Fein managed to break every rule by assembling 2,000 people in Belfast for the funeral of a terrorist leader, and have also broken rules at local republican funerals.

"It makes it extremely difficult to believe the promises that Sinn Fein would do great things to accommodate the British and Unionist identity in some future United Ireland, when they can’t even manage to accommodate it in the United Kingdom.”

A spokesperson for Mid Ulster District Council said: "While we have received requests to fly flags at half-mast, the Council currently has a ‘no flags’ policy and so does not fly flags on any occasion."

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