Councillor's flag photo breached council code of conduct

Padraig McShane was pictured alongside the flags in the council chamber

An independent member of Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has been found to have breached the councillors' code of conduct, following a row about Irish and Palestinian flags.

The controversy began in June last year, when photos emerged of an Irish tricolour and Palestinian flag at the council headquarters in Coleraine.

The flags were draped over a bench in the debating chamber.

Ballycastle councillor Padraig McShane was pictured alongside them.

The image appeared in several newspapers, showing Mr McShane with Derry City and Strabane District Council members Gary Donnelly and Darren O'Reilly, as well as a visitor from Gaza - Mohammed Al-Halabi - who was sitting in the mayor's chair.

A Local Government Commissioner for Standards adjudication hearing was launched in Coleraine, following a DUP complaint about Mr McShane's conduct.

Mr McShane did not attend the hearing, in which he was found to have committed four breaches of the code.

Acting Commissioner Ian Gordon was told that the mayor at the time, Michelle Knight McQuillan of the DUP, gave permission for Mr McShane to tour the council chamber with guests, and to look inside her parlour.

Mr McShane questioned objections to the tricolour flag in the chamber, when a union flag flies outside the council building

She said the issue of flags was never raised.

When she was made aware of the photograph via social media, she said: "I felt let down. My trust and position had been abused."

Flags had previously never been displayed inside the chamber of the council, which was established in 2015.

The hearing was told that the council was "grappling" with its policy on flags in the days before the picture appeared in the press.

The council's chief executive, David Jackson, said he found Mr McShane's actions "unacceptable" given "the fledgling nature of the new council and the sensitivities in regards to flags".

Mr Jackson said other councillors were very angry about the flag incident. but viewed it as "so extreme, it was almost funny".

The hearing was told that the council had written to Mr McShane about the incident on several occasions, but that he had failed to respond.

'Freedom of speech'

He was alleged to have said in a phone call to a member of commission staff: "This is simply an example of the DUP playing party politics and should not be taken seriously."

A statement from Mr McShane stated: "I was elected to articulate the views and opinions of my constituents, and I have been found guilty of doing just that.

"Any sanction imposed upon me will be challenged on the basis of the European Convention on Human Rights in the appropriate forum. The European Convention protects Freedom of Speech rights in particular those of elected politicians, and I expect to be vindicated on that basis."

Mr McShane is only the second councillor on Northern Ireland found to have breached the local government code of conduct.

The hearing was adjourned.

The commission will decide on what sanctions to take against Mr McShane at a later date.