Aberdeenshire council u-turn on Saltire ban

Aberdeenshire Counil sent an email to its libraries ordering that the flags be removed after a complaint was recieved from a member of the public.

The email read: “It is very important that libraries maintain a position of political neutrality especially in the lead up to the upcoming referendum.

“Therefore we need to ensure that nothing we promote in our libraries is of a politically sensitive nature (e.g display of a Saltire).”

The order added that anyone “with any doubts” about the policy should contact a senior member of management.

A complaint had been made that displaying the Saltire in Aberdeenshire’s Newtonhill library could endorse a Yes vote in September’s referendum.

Two flags were installed in the building in 2009 as part of the annual Homecoming celebrations and were recently being used to draw attention to a local history display.

They were removed after the complaint but have since been reinstalled.

Artist Sandy Cheyne from Newtonhill criticised the Council memo.

He said: “I find it quite unacceptable that our national flag can be used in this way.

“The Saltire is the flag of Scotland - not a political symbol.”

An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said: “A member of the public raised concerns that the use of the Saltire could be deemed political, but as it was being used in a historic capacity and not in a political context it was felt the flag’s inclusion in the display was appropriate.”

John Harding, head of lifelong learning and leisure at the local authority, said: “The council has legal responsibilities in terms of political neutrality and libraries, as council properties, were rightly reminded to observe this in a memo.

“The Saltire was incorrectly mentioned in this e-mail as an example of a political symbol- Aberdeenshire Council is quite clear that the Saltire is our national flag first and foremost.”