Statement from TUV Secretary Karen Boal:

“Convicted bomber Kelly may try to dress it up any way he likes but his call for a “new approach to flag flying” is a transparent attack upon the Protestant/Unionist community in the run up to the marching season.

“It is obvious that the expressions of Britishness which add wonderful colour our streets in the Summer time are offensive to Kelly. For all his talk about not discriminating between Union and Ulster flags and tricolors I do not recall any expressions of concern from him – or any other Shinners for that matter – about flags around Easter when foreign flags appeared on many lampposts in Republican areas.

“This outburst, coming hot on the heels of Martin McGuinness’s attack on the Orange Order at the weekend, illustrates that Republicans remain dedicated to a campaign to strip our Province of any vestiges of Britishness”.