Holyrood ditches EU flag as call to keep it flying is rejected by bosses
● Nationalist MSP suggests decision was made by opposition parties
The Scottish Parliament is to stop flying the EU flag outside the building prompting criticism from a former minister who wanted it to be kept.
Holyrood bosses have decided to stop flying the Council of Europe flag from 31 January as a result of the UK’S decision to leave the European Union.
But Nationalist MSP Alasdair Allan suggested that it was a political decision taken by the Tory, Labour and Liberal Democrat members of Holyrood’s corporate body.
Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh revealed the decision in an email to MSPS yesterday.
“I am writing to inform you that, following the UK’S decision to leave the EU, the SPCB agreed at its meeting this morning that from 11pm on 31 January, the Scottish Parliament will no longer fly the EU flag on a daily basis,” he said.
“The SPCB (Scottish Parliament Corporate body) decided that on Europe Day we shall fly the Council of Europe flag as a mark of our continued ties with that body and that our flag-flying policy should be amended to reflect these decisions.”
The EU flag has been flown alongside the St Andrews flag and Union flag outside the Scottish Parliament.
Mr Allan, a former Scottish Government Europe minister, had been campaigning to keep the flag flying to mark the EU referendum outcome in Scotland where a majority voted to Remain.
He voiced concerns over the decision. “Arithmetic would suggest that Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Labour representatives on the corporate body voted for this,” he told fellow MSPS. “Given that the corporate body is accountable to Parliament, can you
EU trade commissioner advise what means exist for members, or indeed the chamber as a whole to challenge any decision of the corporate body or indeed to take such a decision into their own hands.”
But Mr Macintosh insisted that the corporate body acts in the “interests of the Parliament, not in the interests of any party.”
The news came as Boris Johnson’s hopes of securing a full free trade deal with Brussels by the end-of-year deadline were dealt a fresh blow.
EU trade commissioner Phil Hogan warned that goal was “just not possible”, insisting negotiators were “certainly” not going to be able to tie up everything on the future relationship between the bloc and the UK in the timeframe.
The comments of the EU’S top trade negotiator came after European Commission president met with the Prime Minister in Downing Street last week.
“By the end of the year we are not going to get everything that’s in the 36-page document on the future relationship agreed ...”
PHIL HOGAN