Mayor’s disappointment at St George’s ‘snub’

Photo: Lambourne Images

Mayor Robin Parker

The Mayor of Rochdale, Councillor Robin Parker, has expressed his disappointment after he was not invited to the raising of the St George’s flag yesterday at the Town Hall.

The leader of Rochdale Council, Councillor Alan Taylor, raised the flag alongside other Liberal Democrat councillors and members of the public yesterday morning (Thursday 23 April).

"It does seem sad that I have been invited to every other flag raising event during my Mayoral year, but have been left out of the event to raise my own flag," said Councillor Parker.

"The irony of it is that the flag would have had to be taken down to be raised in the first place, because it was at my instigation when Leisure Portfolio Holder, responsible for the Town Hall, that the St George’s flag should be flown permanently as the flag of England."

The Mayor found the 'snub' even more disappointing given that he is hosting a charity event in the Town Hall to celebrate St George this weekend, the first Mayor in recent years to do so.

The event, ‘The Best of English’, is on Saturday and will feature two choirs, an organ recital and Rochdale Borough Youth Band as well as a pie and pea supper. A few tickets, at £10.00 each, are still available from the Tourist Information Centre in Touchstones.