St George to stay in pole position

The Northern Echo
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
by Dan King

Political campaigners were hailing a victory for patriotism last night after a council decided against reinstating a European Union flag in place of the Cross of St George.

In September, Wear Valley District Council removed the EU flag outside its offices in Crook, County Durham, after it was revealed that it did not have planning permission to fly it.

It was replaced by England's national flag. But the council applied for - and granted itself - a licence to hoist the EU flag.

However, yesterday morning the council's director of housing, Michael Laing, and freedom of information officer Lawrence Serewicz met anti-Europe crusaders Jim Tague and Neil Herron, who have campaigned against the flag.

They decided that the EU flag would not be hoisted and the St George flag would continue to fly alongside the Union flag and the Wear Valley District Council flag.

It was agreed that the EU flag would be flown only one day a year - Europe Day on May 9.

Mr Herron praised Mr Laing for standing up to political pressure to fly the EU flag, and said that it was a victory that would have implications for other councils.
He said: "Wear Valley District Council's aspiration to become the best district council in England has taken a massive leap forward by continuing to fly the cross of St George and abandon the flying of the EU flag."