Those of you who followed my Election 2005 Blog may have noticed that I'm not the DUP's biggest fan and disagreed with their new Belfast City councillor Christopher Stalford on a semi-regular basis.

Just to show that there's no hard feelings, it's not personal and that I don't hold a personal grudge I want to commend him on his response to Big Al McDonnell's outburst over the flags erected on the Lisburn Road.

"When Alasdair McDonnell was elected as our MP he claimed that he would be a representative of everyone in south Belfast. His latest public statement belies his earlier remarks. It is clear that when Dr McDonnell was talking about 'everyone', he did not mean those of us who have a pro-Union, pro-British outlook.

When Alasdair described the Union flag and Ulster flags as 'loyalist flags', he was creating a false impression by trying to conjure up images associated with paramilitaries - this is disingenuous in the extreme."

Christopher Stalford, Belfast City Councillor: Laganbank ward

Stalford also said that the flags should be allowed to stay up for the remainder of the marching season and then removed. Something I also agree with.

Well said Chris.