Dudley North MP Ian Austin shares his thoughts on the town, life in Parliament, football and everything in between! Writing exclusively every week, this is your chance to hear his views and share your opinions with him by clicking on the Comment button.

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THIS week one of the Dudley News campaigns got given the official government seal of approval.

Last year, the paper and I launched a campaign to fly the Union Jack above all public buildings.

Lord Chancellor Jack Straw announced on Tuesday that an ancient law that said the standard must be flown on national government buildings on 18 'special days' is being overturned.

We've been campaigning in Dudley for the Union Jack to be flown on public buildings all year round as a sign of national confidence and pride. We conducted a huge local petition and submitted thousands of names to the government consultation.

I'm convinced the paper's campaign and the support local people showed helped persuade ministers that flying the flag all year round was the right thing to do so I'm really grateful to everyone who showed their support.

I believe that our national flag is a symbol of unity around the great British values of democracy, equality, freedom, fairness and tolerance.

We live in the greatest country on earth and that the Union Jack is a great symbol of the great British values that British people have fought for so many times.

I've often thought it strange that our public buildings do not have the flag of our country flying proudly. Other countries fly their national flags on Town Halls, schools, and government buildings, and they are comfortable with their flag as a symbol of their nation and want it to be flown. They find it strange when they discover we don't. They understand their flags to be a sign of unity and pride in their country.

For me our national flag is a symbol of inclusion. Extremists have tried to make our flag a symbol of division, but I believe it is a source of national pride and a symbol of national unity showing how the British people stand for the values of democracy, liberty for all, responsibility by all and fairness to all. And I believe it is a flag that every citizen of our country can fly with pride, whatever their own backgrounds and heritage.

Although local authorities are not covered by the 18 day guideline, Dudley Council bosses had argued that they would not fly the flag all year round until the government guidance was published. Now that the government is scrapping the 18 day guideline, I'm calling on the council to fly the flag on all official buildings all year round.

I really hope the council will now change its mind and fly the flag on official buildings every day of the year.

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