Given the Duke of York’s association with a convicted paedophile, and his imminent civil trial, it is completely inappropriate to fly the Union flag from Belfast City Hall or any other council building to mark his birthday next month.

With the renewed and long overdue focus and on men’s violence and abuse against women and girls, honouring the Duke of York in this way would send an atrocious message to victims here and across the world.

This is not about the flying of the union flag, it is about ensuring that a man facing serious allegations about his conduct and his association is not afforded the honour of a flag flying from our civic buildings.

It is also about the attitudes we demonstrate towards men’s violence against women and girls. If we take this issue seriously, as all political parties profess to, then there can be no room for exceptions.