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 From icWales

The Government was urged tonight to combine the Union Flag with the Welsh flag to represent the country’s “true place in the Union”.

Wrexham’s Labour MP Ian Lucas wants the radical change to reflect the changing status of Wales within the UK.

He wants to combine the Red Dragon or Ddraig Goch, from the Welsh flag, with the red, white and blue pattern of the Union Flag.

In a Commons debate, Mr Lucas said that the Union Flag, only represented three nations within the UK.

He said: “Just as the Union Flag has changed in the past to reflect the new constitutional settlement when Ireland came into the United Kingdom at the start of the 19th century, I believe that the Union Flag should change now to reflect the four nations of the United Kingdom – England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.”

But the MP came under fire from Tory MPs who accused him of wanting to rip up the Union Flag.

Stephen Crabb (Preseli Pembrokeshire) said Mr Lucas was a member of a “party that has governed this country for ten years and engaged in a decade of constitutional vandalism that has left this country with a divisive and unstable devolution settlement that is ultimately going to pull this country apart.”

And Andrew Rosindell (Romford) said: “What he seems to be proposing is actually the ripping up of the current flag of our country and a redesign to incorporate the Welsh dragon.”

But Mr Lucas argued that the UK “did not exist in a constitutional state of grace”.

He said: “Changing an iconic image such as the Union Flag may appear to be more difficult to achieve than 200 years ago, but nonetheless I believe the change is right.

“So let the debate begin, let the rest of the world know that the iconic symbol of the United Kingdom may change and that the reason that it will change is that we have a new constitutional settlement that affords Wales its true place in the Union.”

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The worlds biggest flag news from yahoo

MASADA, Israel - The record for the world’s largest flag now belongs to an Israeli banner produced by a Filipino evangelical Christian.

From the Canadian press MONTREAL - A Montreal man has lost his court battle against the city’s efforts to make him remove the Greek flag his family painted on their home’s garage door.

Theodore Antonopoulos painted the huge blue and white flag on the door to celebrate the country’s 2004 European soccer championship win over host Portugal.

But he was fined $138 when an inspector turned up after a neighbour’s complaint and ordered it removed.

It contravened a bylaw which prohibits residents from installing a sign that is painted or reproduced on a building or a fence.

A municipal court judge ruled today the painted flag had to be removed and upheld the original fine.

Judge Andre Hotte also defended the bylaw, saying if it wasn’t there, everyone would put up flags of different countries, different sports teams and even Mickey Mouse flags.

I wonder what the judge has against Mickey Mouse?

 From IC wales

OUTRAGED republicans have blasted Prince Harry for failing to include Wales on his personal flag.

The 23-year-old heir to the throne was handed the livery on his 18th birthday.

With its own crest, the standard is made up of four quarterings – two for England, one for Scotland and one for Ireland.

The proud Prince, a lieutenant in the army’s Blues and Royals regiment, flew it for the first time when he visited Portsmouth naval base last week.

But he has now come under fire for not featuring Wales on his crest.

And like his great-great-great- great grandmother Queen Victoria, Plaid Cymru AM Leanne Wood is not amused.

She said: “This is just another example of how out of touch the monarchy is with Wales. The sooner we have an elected head of state for Wales the better.

“Prince William is patron of the Welsh Rugby Union, but a firm supporter of the English rugby team. But despite being an England fan, who shows no genuine interest in Wales, he still has a cup named in his honour for which Wales and South Africa will compete.”

Newport West MP Paul Flynn – who is pictured riding a Welsh dragon on his website – said: “The expensive vanity of heraldry should have been buried a century ago.

“The palace of Westminster is littered with symbols of Britain which ignore Wales. If Harry wishes to indulge himself by continuing this ridiculous flummery he should have had the good sense to include Wales instead of continuing with the neglect of the past, where people tended to think of England and Wales as one place.”

Yesterday, Clarence House said Wales was not included on the Prince’s standard due to it’s special place within the Principality.

A Royal spokeswoman said: “Only the Prince of Wales has Wales represented in his coat of arms.

“Prince Harry, like other members of the Royal Family, takes his from the monarch which begs the question ‘Why doesn’t the Queen have Wales represented on the Royal Standard?’

“There are four quarterings, two for England, one for Scotland and one for Ireland. Wales is not represented because of its special position as a Principality.”

Royalist campaign group Monarchy Wales says Prince Harry does enough for Wales.

Spokesman Neil Welton said: “Prince Harry has many connections to Wales, whether through his birth as a Prince of Wales, his numerous visits to the Principality or, indeed, his charity work. Prince Harry puts Wales on the map far better than any flag or Royal standard ever could.

“Did you know that in March, Prince Harry became the first ever Royal patron of the Welsh charity Dolen Cymru?

“This charity aims to promote friendship and understanding between the people of Wales and the people of Lesotho, South Africa.

“Friendship and understanding is something the people of Wales treasure and value highly. It is always better to be outward-looking, open and friendly than narrow-minded, short-sighted and parochial.”

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