01 December 2008

Devolved Parliament

Posted by Scottish Unionist at 5:26 PM. There are 12 comments.
Photo of the day, showing the main entrance to the Holyrood Parliament, and which I shamelessly lifted from Chekov’s excellent blog. No prizes for guessing why the image particularly appeals!

12 comments
  1. Advanced Media Watch December 1, 2008 5:52 PM  

    Lovely picture SU, would have been better if you had removed the tack, oh well!!

  2. Scottish Unionist December 1, 2008 6:26 PM  

    Tack? Hmm. We all know the building had some snagging issues, but that's overstating it!

  3. sm753 December 1, 2008 8:55 PM  

    Nice pic.

    Nice flags.

    Building looks OK now.

    But for how long?

    I did the public tour a few months ago and it is already apparent that the architecture and design errors of the 50s and 60s have not been learned from.

    Grey concrete and blond wood do not last. The building is already looking tired and shabby.

  4. Nikostratos December 1, 2008 9:52 PM  

    I think you will find the union flag as the superior flag should be in the centre




    http://www.culture.gov.uk/flagflying/faqs.html#2


    Q. Which is the superior position?

    The Union flag must always be flown in a superior position ie:

    i) the highest flagpole
    ii) where there is an odd number of poles of the same height: the centre flag pole
    iii) where there are two flag poles of the same height: the left flag pole viewed from the front of the building
    iv) where there is an even number in a row and no other flags are being flown: the nearest centre left flag pole viewed from the front of the building.

  5. DG December 2, 2008 12:01 AM  

    I don't know why you find it pleasing, it's a blot on the landscape. It looks even more tatty than ever recently.

    There's only two parts I like about it: the Royal Arms at the reception desk, and those little snippets of poetry up the side of the wall.

  6. DG December 2, 2008 12:08 PM  

    Nikos: I think the 'national flag to the left' (then right by order of precedence) practice is perhaps a variant standard with American origins. It's certainly quite widely used. It also perhaps makes sense in the context of the Scottish Parliament as there are actually five flagpoles available: two are detached and saved for occasions - visiting heads of state, flying the Royal Standard etc - so there is no set 'middle' to the arrangement. It is stated in the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body's policy on flag flying that the Union Flag should always be in the superior position.

    What riles me, however, is Jack McConnell's ridiculous idea - which is carried on today - of flying the saltire every day of the year from Scottish Executive buildings, yet not the Union flag (which flies on the 18 or so designated days). It looks frankly stupid to have multiple poles with only one carrying a flag, which can be seen in the two main S.E. buildings here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/judgedredd76/1877764502/sizes/l/
    and http://www.flickr.com/photos/martinq/2574981029/

    What possible justification is there for this state of affairs?

  7. Conan the Librarian™ December 2, 2008 6:02 PM  

    DG, I like the thought of flagpoles reserved for heads of state.

    Our headhunting celtic forbears would approve.

  8. Juankerr December 3, 2008 2:00 AM  

    These unionists of yours arent too bright. They think you mean the parly I know you mean the Red White and Blue flag that has caused and been in many wars.

    Just shows. It takes a Nationalist to inject sense and intelligence into your ramblings

  9. DG December 3, 2008 1:30 PM  

    I assume you mean in opposition to that blue and white flag that has never been used in battle?

    But last time I checked, flags didn't start wars. People did.

  10. Advanced Media Watch December 3, 2008 10:20 PM  

    Scottish Unionist said...
    Tack? Hmm. We all know the building had some snagging issues, but that's overstating it!

    SU the building is on par with the St James shopping centre and most people dislike the building, hence it rides well with the Union tack.

    Mind you the building is okay inside but outside, its sh#t.

  11. Chekov December 4, 2008 9:26 AM  

    Confession time (prompted by Mick's blogburst on Slugger). This isn't my photo. I in turn lifted it from this site:

    http://robertarood.wordpress.com/

  12. Scottish Unionist December 5, 2008 4:48 PM  

    Shameless, Chekov! Who would do such a thing? ;-)