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DOWNING STREET HAS been accused of failing to understand the North after mistakenly adding an Irish flag to a social media post celebrating the region.
The post on Instagram shows photographs of a showcase of the region’s culture during an event at 10 Downing Street attended by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The initial post included an Irish flag emoticon.
It is understood that the flag was included in error and was quickly deleted.
a hasty edit pic.twitter.com/QMLSf4mmbn
— Adam Payne (@adampayne26) November 21, 2023
Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie said the incident is the latest which shows that Westminster “doesn’t understand” Northern Ireland.
“I’m not one of these people who get all wound up about flags or whether someone has put something on by mistake,” he told the BBC.
“It doesn’t make sense that they would do that – if they felt the need to put a flag up, it should have been the union flag.”
The mistake came after Northern Ireland was left out of the latest round of Levelling Up funding.
Beattie said: “There are people out there who want to hand all of the devolved power we have back to Westminster, and here is what Westminster is doing.
“They got rid of our Levelling Up funding, they brought us the Northern Ireland Protocol, they brought us the Windsor Framework, and now they’re firing out things on Instagram where they are using the wrong flag.
“These people don’t understand us, they don’t know us. We are better served with devolved government.”
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“I’m not one of these people who get all wound up about flags or whether someone has put something on by mistake,”
and yet…
@Colm de: Imagine the uproar, though, if a post celebrating Ireland featured the Union flag. Lots of very angry people in Ireland.
@Brendan O’Brien: Correct, I read it as the DUP. Mea Culpa.
@Brendan O’Brien: Big difference Ireland isn’t in the UK but the north of ireland is part of the island of Ireland,the majority of people in the UK couldn’t careless and rightly think the north is part of Ireland.
@Daniel Roche: Northern Ireland is in the UK.
@Brendan O’Brien: Captain Dense strikes again.
@Brendan O’Brien: When people hold up the Irish flag, it’s the wrong way around, showing the Ivory Coast flag.
@Brendan O’Brien: Celebrating Northern Ireland? And if it was taken down very quickly? Maybe… But my point was that he says he doesn’t get worked up about it and that’s exactly what he does
@Brendan O’Brien: thing is 50% of the people in the north recognise it as their National Flag ‘
Wount be long now despite FFG.s Best efforts
@Kevin O Brien: You are wrong on both counts.well done.
The UK wanted the North so badly in the first place, they can keep it, nothing but a basket case and a headache, which we can do without
@Jim Slip: Thankfully you don’t speak for the majority on our great island of Ireland, together we are stronger.One island,one people together.
@Daniel Roche: needs majority on both sides sunshine and the North is not interested, now here’s your rattle back
@Jim Slip: you must know of a vote taken in the north, that the rest of us know nothing about?
For once the DUP are right, the level of ignorance in Britain regarding the political situation is truly astounding.
@David: This was the UUP, who seem to have dropped out of most people’s consciousness.
@David: It’s unfortunately in the English political interest to keep their people in the dark and mired in ignorance. If their public actually understood their history and the level of damage they’ve inflicted across the world then they’d be much more difficult to manipulate by stoking nationalist sentiment.
@David: Cause they don’t want the confused Irish,the only people that want the confused Irish is the Irish nation but the confused Irish think they are English.
@Daniel Roche: “Irish nation”?
@David: Is it ignorance? It seems more like the Brits are subtly removing themselves from the North and who can blame them. With all the bad stuff going on in the World, the Unionists hold on to trivialities and ignore the serious fact that they haven’t got a ‘ Govt’ and have no shame in going cap in hand to Westminster for yet another bail out.
As much as I would like to see a United Ireland, I could never burden my children with such pettiness and in the name of so called unity. We will spend more time debating the 12th than our health care system. SF will have all debates as gaeilge. Just ignore them until they keep their toys in the pram!
@BarryH: I am glad we are not relying on you for anything. Imagine abandoning fellow Irish people just because it might be inconvenient to have them enjoy the same freedom you enjoy. Shame.
I heard they’re going to scrap the Union Jack and the Tricolor and just go with the Rainbow Flag.
@Patrick Presley: That might solve a lot of problems (with the bonus of annoying people like you).
@Brendan O’Brien: That’s a bit of a leap now Brendan,very judgemental of you ,whatever people like me means. It’s just as well I’m not easily offended.
@Brendan O’Brien: I say you would easily give up our national flag.
@Daniel Roche: If it helped bring us towards an agreed and peaceful all-island state, I certainly would, along with the anthem.
@Patrick Presley: OOOHHHHHHHH .. he’s calling you a bender pal .
@Brendan O’Connor: You are awful but I like you.
@Brendan O’Brien:
We actually should reinstate the Irish Republic standard as our proper flag and abandon the tricolour, which is nothing but an unappreciated and ‘jilted’ sop to orange supremacism!!
Even the U.K. Government is preparing for the future because they know the Union with N. Ireland is over.
Ahh come on down here lads, we’ll look after ye! Never mind that London shower!
Even the nationalists in Northern Ireland don’t want to join the Republic, nobody in their right mind would, a housing crisis, failed health service, flooded with migrants, crime out of control, corruption etc, it’s not going to happen
@ Leo V, regarding the sanctions. It is easy, all you have to do as Taoiseach is implement the binding law that you are compelled to, by the state. Simple!
@David: What law is that?
And the Journal uses “the UK mainland”.
Freudian slip.
When Leo had his “behind closed doors meeting” with the war criminal Boris Johnson, he was given the North and Boris was given his job (he was hours away from being sacked) and this helps the EU. Leo you truly do belong to that EU political party!
@David: drunk before teatime, I tip my hat to you!
@David: Now your comments make sense,you were on the beer, enjoy.
That’s funny
This was no mistake,just a subtle reminder of where they stand and see things
The comments on here would make ya laugh.. You don’t want Northern Ireland but you don’t want to admit you don’t like it’s part of the UK and there all stupid for getting upset over a flag, but they don’t understand how important it is oh and they should know more about Irish politics, how do there not understand blah blah.. Maybe it’s because you lot don’t know your what you want to begin with, Make your mind up?
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