Now Aberdeenshire Council go the same way !

Today in the 21st century who would ever believe that Scotland would have to battle to save her National Flag. Centuries have passed since the battles of Stirling Brig, Bannockburn and Culloden, but yet Scotland finds itself drawn into yet another battle, created by an uncompromising council administration alliance in the county of Angus, Scotland.
Ever since the Battle at Athelstanesford in 832AD the cross of Saint Andrew, or the Saltire has been recognised as Scotland?s national flag world wide, so why would anyone want to do away with such an icon which has been around for centuries?
A Reporter in one of our leading newspapers once wrote, that the day in the year 832AD, when the Scots and Picts defeated the Angles in battle, was the day in which Scotland was born, and that the turning point in the history of Scotland was not Bannockburn, nor Flodden, or Culloden, but that great and glorious day 1165 years ago, when the brave and valiant Scots routed their enemies.
To realise why this campaign took issue and roused the folk of Angus, you need to know the history of the Saltire and what it represents, obviously this is something by intention or ignorance doesn?t seem to exist� within those of the Angus joint administration alliance which consists of labour, liberal democrats, conservative and independent councilors.
A saltire, Saint Andrew's Cross, or crux decussata (though it is never called the latter in heraldry), is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross or letter X. Legend relates it to a diagonal cross that Saint Andrew is said to have been martyred on.
It forms the national Flag of Scotland and Flag of Jamaica, and appears on many other flags, arms and seals. It is also used as a traffic sign and a form of BDSM furniture.
Three saltires couped appear in the arms and flag of Amsterdam, and a saltire is used by a supporter of the royal arms of Scotland. The flag traditionally attributed to the Kingdom of Mercia was a gold saltire on a light blue background. Thus, Azure a saltire or are now the arms of the City and District of St Albans.
Numerous flags are inspired by the saltire and the colours blue and white?mostly connected with Scotland or Russia, where Saint Andrew is the national patron saint. The naval ensign of the Imperial Russian (1696-1917) and Russian navies (1991-present) is a blue saltire on a white field. Prior to the Union the Royal Scots Navy used a red ensign incorporating the St Andrew's cross. This ensign is now commonly flown as part of an unofficial civil ensign in Scottish waters. The blue saltire on white design is featured on the Coat of Arms of Nova Scotia, Canada and its flag (Nova Scotia was originally a Scottish colony), but the blue used for Nova Scotia is generally a light blue. Similarly, the flags of the Spanish island of Tenerife and the remote Colombian islands of San Andr�s and Providencia also use a white saltire on a blue field.
The design of the St Andrew's cross was also a major inspiration for several other flags, including the flag of Jamaica and the Confederate battle flag and Navy Jack used during the American Civil War (see Flags of the Confederate States of America).

The Administration started back-pedalling saying they will fly both flags by erecting new flag poles when and where possible (at extra cost of more than 5000 pounds to the good taxpayers of Angus) and that if planning permission for 2 flagpoles wasn?t possible the new flag will replace the Saltire. It must be asked what kind of people and Administration would want to pull down the flag of such a proud Nation, with little regards for the wishes of its electorates.

�Answers soon came quick enough when 2 campaigners of ?Save Our Saltire? were invited in front of a full, 28 strong, council chambers in Forfar to make a 10minute presentation. The proposed compromise argued by the campaigners was that when only one flagpole is available the Saltire should fly. The new Angus's ?Coat of Arms? could fly on the second flagpole where there was one. The first speaker made a powerful historical account of the Earldom of Angus and how Edward I (hammer of the Scots) gave Angus to D?Umfravill as a gift for being a fighting enemy against Scotland and of the Scots, D?Umfravill?s Arms are part of the New Angus Flag. It explained how the Saltire is a friendly flag not a political one, a flag older than any of the listed buildings it flies above. The second speaker read the proposed compromise the campaigners were ready to accept and explained how this new flag was considered an elitist flag and had no place in today?s society, described how it would alienate people born outside the County and that the campaign would with out doubt continue if the Saltire was not given precedence over the new ?marketing? flag, an act which could actually be illegal in the eyes of the Lord Lyon of Scotland.

As was said at the beginning of the report this is a modern day battle,� a battle perhaps not fought with broadsword or claymore, but like Bannockburn it is a battle we cannot afford to lose, as it would open the gate way for other councils to do the same.

PRESS CUTTINGS

Council forced to fly flag after Saltire fans' petition
A COUNCIL has been forced to back down after replacing the Saltire with a new flag on public buildings.
More than 1000 people objected after Angus Council decided to fly the new flag based on its own coat of arms. The new Labour, Liberal Democrat and Independent coalition - known as the Angus Alliance - had voted to replace the Saltire on ten key buildings.
But residents set up the Save Our Saltire campaign, attracting 1000 signatures in an online petition. The council is now set to spend an estimated �5000 on installing new flagpoles so both flags can be flown at once. Bruce Ogilvie, of Save Our Saltire, reportedly said: "I am obviously very pleased that the Saltire will remain in Angus, but I think it is ridiculous that the council pushed for this in the first place. The council seems to think that the Saltire is an SNP sign, which is not the case. It's a shame so much time and money had to be spent just to keep our national flag."