In our weekly poll we asked the question: Do you agree with local councils flying the Palestine flag?

A staggering 70 per cent of all those who voted said they would not support the decision while 28 per cent said they would.

A further two per cent said they did not know how they felt about the controversial subject.

Derek Inness of Cross Stobs voted and said: “It’s a tough thing to support either way.

“Flying the flag over here won’t help the people on the ground over there will it?

“That’s why I voted don’t know because I genuinely don’t really know how to feel about it.” However others were more forthright in their support of the council’s decision, with Barrhead resident Derek Young saying: “Would much rather they flew the flag of our country.” Amongst the 30 per cent of the 100 people who did vote yes was Kevin Mcferran Hay, who said: “Why not as it shows that we as a people care about other humans being slaughtered in their thousands and we are a just and fair race.” The debate has been raging since East Renfrewshire Council stated it will not be following the example of two neighbouring local authorities by flying the Palestine flag in a show of support for the citizens of Gaza.

West Dunbartonshire and Glasgow City councils have both raised the Middle Eastern country’s flag over municipal buildings prompting praise and criticism in equal measure.

Last week the Barrhead News’ sister paper the Dumbarton Reporter told how Provost Douglas McAllister took the decision to raise the flag above Dumbarton Municipal Buildings in a display of “solidarity” for victims in Gaza.