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In the Scottish Government’s flag flying guidance 2021 approved by the First Minister, it was requested that the EU flag be flown on a daily basis. The guidance said: “The First Minister has instructed that the European flag is flown from Scottish Government buildings on a daily basis except for specific flag flying dates.”<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Alongside this, the post-Brexit guidance states the Union flag may only be flown once a year on Remembrance Sunday.<\/p>\n
The EU flag, however, had only previously been flown from Government buildings on Europe Day, which is May 9.<\/p>\n
Scottish Government buildings include the HQ at St Andrews House in Edinburgh and Victoria Quay in Leith.<\/p>\n
However, the Scottish Tories branded the move as a “token gesture” claiming the Scottish First Minister was obsessed with flags.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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Dean Lockhart MSP, Scottish Conservative Constitution spokesman told Express.co.uk: “The UK has left the EU so Nicola’s Sturgeon’s personal decision to order the flying of the EU flag on Scottish Government buildings makes no sense.<\/p>\n
“It reconfirms the SNP’s refusal to accept referendum results and their ongoing focus on constitutional issues at the expense of more important priorities.<\/p>\n
“But we should not be surprised. Like all Nationalists, Sturgeon is obsessed with flags.<\/p>\n
“This reflects an ongoing pattern of behaviour.”<\/p>\n
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Douglas Ross MP, Scottish Conservative leader, added: “Most Scots will shake their heads in disbelief at an SNP First Minister issuing an official diktat about flags when her entire focus should be on dealing with the [COVID-19] pandemic.<\/p>\n
“Token gestures such as this serve no purpose other than to distract from the extreme challenges facing Scotland.<\/p>\n
“Only the Scottish Conservatives have the strength to stand up to the SNP’s damaging and divisive agenda and their 14 years of failed government.”<\/p>\n
It comes almost a year after the pro-EU SNP Government narrowly won a vote to keep the EU flag flying over the Holyrood parliament building in January 2020.<\/p>\n
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