Council row over 'Support our troops' sticker
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
FOLLOWING a Newtownabbey Council worker was told to remove sticker expressing support for our troops there are calls for the council to make their stance on the war official.
The sticker contained the phrase, save our troops and when the council employee placed it on his council van last week he was told by council officials it must be removed.
Alderman Nigel Hamilton told the Gazette that he thinks now is the time for the council to state their official stance on troops overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan, he said: "Up to this point however the council have not made a corporate decision as to whether or not they are supporting our troops in these conflicts.
He added: "Abbots cross, Territorial A group have a considerable number of the group serving overseas, and many are residents of the borough. The council need to make a stance, I have made my position clear with that I fully support our troops. I have attended various functions for troops in the area.
“I will draft to the council that the council pledges it support to the acting troops serving. The issue needs to be debated publicly and my view is that the majority will pledge their support to the troops."
The employee appeared on Radio Ulster last week, where he raised the question of whether the council supports the troops, he said: "I put it on last Thursday and the next day I was phoned by the council to say to get it off. I asked: does the council not support our troops? I had to take it off because it was a council van." However a spokesperson for the council said: "No member of staff should put any sort of sticker onto a Council vehicle without Council approval. The member of staff was asked to remove the sticker once the Council became aware that it had been placed on the Council vehicle."
Nigel said: "I sympathise with the particular council worker in question. I fully respect his decision to support our troops as many people do. However, the corporate rules must be adhered to, the sticker was removed because it was not an official sticker and I agree with this course of action. I support the corporate policy that is currently in place. I feel it is the time for the council to make their position on the war official that is why I will put it to the council for public debate."
