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Stormont election: Flags remain hot topic on candidate's website

Loyalists protesting in 2012 at Belfast City Hall against a council vote on the union flag
Loyalists protesting in 2012 at Belfast City Hall against a council vote on the union flag Loyalists protesting in 2012 at Belfast City Hall against a council vote on the union flag

IT was sparked by the botched Renewable Heat Incentive, led to crocodile-costumed protests and fuelled debate on voting transfers, but in this election it appears an overly familiar topic is still exercising people – flags.

An assembly candidate has revealed that 'flags' was the second most viewed topic on his election campaign website.

The issue came second only to the economy.

Of the 595 page views on 16 individual topics over the past three weeks, the economy received 92 views (15 per cent) followed by flags with 71 hits (12 per cent).

Abortion was third with 68 (11 per cent), closely followed by parades with 61 (10 per cent) and Brexit with 55 page views (nine per cent).

Flags has continued to be a divisive political issue in the years since serious loyalist protests over Belfast City Council's decision in 2012 to no longer fly the union flag at city hall every day.

A 15-member panel to examine the issue of flags, culture and identity was set up last year as part of the 'Fresh Start' agreement.

Web developer Adam McBride, an independent assembly candidate for North Antrim, collated the figures from his election campaign website.

The 24-year-old from Ballymoney expressed disappointment that flags ranked so highly in the snapshot results.

"It's quite surprising – not what I would have expected. I thought it would have been education or health or something," he said.

"You can't eat a flag, as the saying goes."