The European flag will continue to fly at Edinburgh City Chambers despite Scotland and the UK leaving the EU, the capital’s Lord Provost has announced.
Green party councillor Staniforth had tabled a motion at Thursday’s full council meeting, noting that in the 2016 EU referendum, “Edinburgh was the most remain-supporting city in the UK” with 74.4 per cent of citizens voting to remain in the UK.
Cllr Staniforth stated that “to mark our city’s strong wish to remain in the EU, the Council of Europe flag should be flown from the City Chambers every day until Edinburgh is part of the EU again”.
READ MORE: SNP slated after forcing debate on European flag at Holyrood
He added that there would be exceptions on days where flying a flag to mark or commemorate a specific day of celebration or remembrance made it “impossible”.
The UK formally left the European Union on January 31 following the 2016 Brexit referendum.
Conservative group leader Cllr Iain Whyte had told councillors that “I don’t think we wish to take part in a debate about flags”, before Cllr Staniforth withdrew the motion after being reassured by the Lord Provost Frank Ross that the symbol will remain above City Chambers.
The Lord Provost said: “The flag currently flying from our City Chambers, whilst commonly known as the EU flag, is in fact also the flag of the Council of Europe. This has been in existence since 1955 and as the UK will continue to be a member of the Council of Europe, we will continue to fly this flag.”
The message was echoed by council leader Adam McVey, but Tory opponents, who said the authority should be concentrating on improving council services, rather than symbolic gestures.
READ MORE: Town in Netherlands replaces Union Jack with Saltire in EU flag line-up
Conservative group chairman, Cllr Jason Rust, said: “The flag was first unveiled as the flag of the Council of Europe and remains as such. The Council of Europe has nearly 50 member states and is responsible for the European Court of Human Rights of which we remain a member.
“Effectively in that regard nothing is changing so this was simply a manufactured argument and attempting to create a row where none exists. Focus would have been better on values than symbolism."
He added: "Frankly the whole flag issue was simply a distraction from fundamental city council business. Residents would prefer we were concentrating on flagstones not flags.”
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