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| Belfast City Council to vote on flying Union flag at City Hall | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| A council vote on whether or not to keep the Union flag flying outside Belfast City Hall is due to take place later on Monday. | A council vote on whether or not to keep the Union flag flying outside Belfast City Hall is due to take place later on Monday. |
| Currently, the flag is flown every day of the year at the building. | Currently, the flag is flown every day of the year at the building. |
| Nationalist councillors want it removed, arguing this would create a more equal and neutral environment. | Nationalist councillors want it removed, arguing this would create a more equal and neutral environment. |
| However, unionist councillors have accused Sinn Fein and the SDLP of "raising tensions" and abusing their nationalist majority at the council. | However, unionist councillors have accused Sinn Fein and the SDLP of "raising tensions" and abusing their nationalist majority at the council. |
| Population shifts | Population shifts |
| Belfast City Hall opened in August 1906 and the Union flag has flown from the landmark building for longer than a century. | Belfast City Hall opened in August 1906 and the Union flag has flown from the landmark building for longer than a century. |
| It was first raised when Belfast was a mainly unionist city but in recent decades, population shifts have led to a rise in nationalist councillors and an end to unionist control. | It was first raised when Belfast was a mainly unionist city but in recent decades, population shifts have led to a rise in nationalist councillors and an end to unionist control. |
| Combined, Sinn Fein and the SDLP now outnumber unionist councillors by 24 to 21. | Combined, Sinn Fein and the SDLP now outnumber unionist councillors by 24 to 21. |
| Just over a week ago, Belfast City Council's policy and resources committee voted 11-9 in favour of removing the flag from the building completely. | Just over a week ago, Belfast City Council's policy and resources committee voted 11-9 in favour of removing the flag from the building completely. |
| Balance of power | Balance of power |
| Such a decision requires the backing of the full council, and that vote is due to be taken on Monday evening. | |
| However, the Alliance party - which holds the balance of power within Belfast City Hall - is expected to offer a compromise. | However, the Alliance party - which holds the balance of power within Belfast City Hall - is expected to offer a compromise. |
| The party is set to propose a motion that the Union flag be flown on 17 designated days a year - in line with the current flag policy at Stormont. | The party is set to propose a motion that the Union flag be flown on 17 designated days a year - in line with the current flag policy at Stormont. |
| The flag debate has provoked fresh controversy in recent weeks, with Alliance accusing the DUP and UUP of "underhand tactics". | The flag debate has provoked fresh controversy in recent weeks, with Alliance accusing the DUP and UUP of "underhand tactics". |
| Both of the main unionist parties were involved in the delivery of up to 40,000 leaflets that claimed Alliance had sided with nationalists on the issue. | Both of the main unionist parties were involved in the delivery of up to 40,000 leaflets that claimed Alliance had sided with nationalists on the issue. |
| Emotive issue | Emotive issue |
| The leaflet urged members of the public to contact the party by phone to express their views on flag policy. | The leaflet urged members of the public to contact the party by phone to express their views on flag policy. |
| Alliance said its office staff were subjected to "many abusive and nasty" phone calls following the distribution of the flyers. | Alliance said its office staff were subjected to "many abusive and nasty" phone calls following the distribution of the flyers. |
| In response to complaints from Alliance, the DUP said it had "nothing to apologise for" while the UUP said flag policy was an emotive issue for unionists. | In response to complaints from Alliance, the DUP said it had "nothing to apologise for" while the UUP said flag policy was an emotive issue for unionists. |
| Both parties said they had advised anyone contacting politicians on the issue to be "respectful" at all times. | Both parties said they had advised anyone contacting politicians on the issue to be "respectful" at all times. |