By Gary Cooper

CONTROVERSIAL PLANS to tear down Scotland’s national flag from key Angus Council buildings and replace it with a county symbol were sensationally passed by a single vote last night.

The banner barney was settled by the casting vote of Provost Ruth Leslie Melville, who defeated a bid by the SNP opposition to put the matter to a public test.

It took more than an hour of fierce debate for the flag-fluttering wind of change to blow through the council as the ruling Angus alliance administration and opposition became entrenched in the chamber at Town and County Hall in Forfar.

Mrs Leslie Melville was forced into the deciding vote after councillors were split at 14-14 on whether or not to have the flag, based on the authority’s coat of arms, go out to public consultation.

The alliance, which holds a slim balance of power on the council, found that trimmed even further when Councillor David Lumgair decided not to vote over his concerns about the emblem.

He said he had a number of calls about the replacement flag and added, “My conscience has been bothered with this for a long time.”

Administration leader Councillor Bob Myles said going out to public consultation “on such a minor budget matter would be a ridiculous state of affairs” and a waste of money.

“We take public consultation on major issues,” he told the meeting of the full council, which earlier heard 10 of the county flags would cost £4500 to buy, including design fees.

His deputy, Councillor Ian Mackintosh, highlighted the former SNP administration’s lack of consultation over the controversial naming of William Wallace House as the council’s new housing office in Forfar and adoption of a slogan promoting Angus as Scotland’s Birthplace.

SNP councillor Glennis Middleton proposed giving the public its say on the flag owing to the number of letters in the press, phone calls she had received, an internet petition and people talking about the issue.

“We are here to represent the people,” she continued. “If this is a democratic council…then there is only one answer.”

Her party colleague Councillor Ralph Palmer backed her and said the flag was expensive, unrecognisable, and, he believed, unwanted by the people of Angus.

Their intervention came after fellow SNP councillors Rob Murray and Helen Oswald lost out in their effort to persuade the council the flag was inappropriate as it did not fully represent Angus Council or the county of Angus.

Independent councillor Bob Spink admitted he did not know what the four-quartered crest, although colourful and attractive, meant and questioned how it related to ordinary folk.

He felt a flag bearing a smokie, bridie, strawberry and jar of jam might be better understood.

Mr Spink added, “The £4500 cost of the flag will be a drop in the bucket in terms of what it will cost to educate people about its meaning.”

His feelings echoed Councillor Oswald, who said, “The saltire, this wonderful flag, is universally recognised as representing Scotland. It is symbolic of Scotland and all things Scottish.”

SNP Councillor Alex King suggested the number of flag poles on council buildings be doubled so the new ensign can be flown alongside the saltire.

Tory councillor Jim Millar spoke out in favour of the emblem and recalled a visit to Normandy last year, where the Norman flag was flown.

“The Norman use of their regional flag evidently does not make them any less French, just as the use of the Angus flag will not make us any less Scottish,” he said.

“Indeed, flying the Angus flag will bring us into line with other regions throughout Europe where the practice seems to becoming more common.”

SNP councillor Bill Middleton said before the vote which passed the flag, “If this goes ahead today, I will be extremely ashamed of this administration.”

Councillors, however, agreed that the saltire will fly on buildings where there is more than one flagpole and on St Andrew’s Day.