Post by earl on Nov 28, 2007 16:37:36 GMT
As an MP’s bid to have Wales represented on the union flag gets under way, reporter Rhodri Clark canvassed the opinions of experts on the issue
ADDING the red dragon to the Union Flag, as a Labour MP has proposed, would force 500 other regions, provinces and countries around the world to update their own flags, an expert said yesterday.
In a Commons debate on Monday, Wrexham MP Ian Lucas said the Union Flag represented only three of the UK’s nations.
He said, “Just as the Union Flag has changed in the past to reflect the new constitutional settlement when Ireland came into the United Kingdom at the start of the 19th century, I believe that the Union Flag should change now to reflect the four nations of the United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
“Changing an iconic image such as the Union Flag may appear to be more difficult to achieve than 200 years ago, but nonetheless I believe the change is right. So let the debate begin, let the rest of the world know that the iconic symbol of the United Kingdom may change and that the reason that it will change is that we have a new constitutional settlement that affords Wales its true place in the union.”
But Swansea flag company Mr Flag.com warned yesterday that changing the union flag would affect hundreds of geographical entities around the world which display it on their own flags.
Owner Charles Ashburner said, “The union flag appears on approximately 500 flags around the world, from Hawaii to the Cayman Islands. It would be mind-bogglingly complicated to change them all, which is really what would be required ultimately if the Union Flag changed.”
He said even Scottish independence would not necessarily result in a change to the Union Flag.
“In 1801 the Irish cross of St Patrick was added to the flag to represent the whole of the island of Ireland. Now it’s only the north-east corner that’s in the union, but the flag didn’t change because of that.”
He has previously supplied Union Flags with Welsh dragons on them to people attending events such as the Olympic games, where Welsh athletes compete as part of the British team.
ADDING the red dragon to the Union Flag, as a Labour MP has proposed, would force 500 other regions, provinces and countries around the world to update their own flags, an expert said yesterday.
In a Commons debate on Monday, Wrexham MP Ian Lucas said the Union Flag represented only three of the UK’s nations.
He said, “Just as the Union Flag has changed in the past to reflect the new constitutional settlement when Ireland came into the United Kingdom at the start of the 19th century, I believe that the Union Flag should change now to reflect the four nations of the United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.
“Changing an iconic image such as the Union Flag may appear to be more difficult to achieve than 200 years ago, but nonetheless I believe the change is right. So let the debate begin, let the rest of the world know that the iconic symbol of the United Kingdom may change and that the reason that it will change is that we have a new constitutional settlement that affords Wales its true place in the union.”
But Swansea flag company Mr Flag.com warned yesterday that changing the union flag would affect hundreds of geographical entities around the world which display it on their own flags.
Owner Charles Ashburner said, “The union flag appears on approximately 500 flags around the world, from Hawaii to the Cayman Islands. It would be mind-bogglingly complicated to change them all, which is really what would be required ultimately if the Union Flag changed.”
He said even Scottish independence would not necessarily result in a change to the Union Flag.
“In 1801 the Irish cross of St Patrick was added to the flag to represent the whole of the island of Ireland. Now it’s only the north-east corner that’s in the union, but the flag didn’t change because of that.”
He has previously supplied Union Flags with Welsh dragons on them to people attending events such as the Olympic games, where Welsh athletes compete as part of the British team.
