114-403: Lowercase "d" per here . The Northern Ireland Executive ( Irish : Feidhmeannas Thuaisceart Éireann , Ulster Scots : Norlin Airlan Executive ) is the devolved government of Northern Ireland , an administrative branch of the legislature – the Northern Ireland Assembly , situated in Belfast . It is answerable to the assembly and was initially established according to the terms of
228-469: A Green New Deal . One trend over time with Alliance's vote is that in contrast to 1973, when Alliance support was dispersed across Northern Ireland, Alliance has increasingly polled best in the Greater Belfast hinterland. For example, the 1977 elections, while representing an overall increase for Alliance, masked a sharp decline in vote share in many Western councils. In the 12 councils covering
342-613: A Vanguard -style Ulster republic would lead to disaster for all our people." The party's prominence increased in 1972 when three members of the Northern Ireland House of Commons defected to Alliance. The MPs were drawn from across Northern Ireland's political divide and included Bertie McConnell , an independent Unionist , the Ulster Unionist Phelim O'Neill and Tom Gormley who sat as an independent Nationalist . In 1973, Lord Dunleath joined
456-611: A caretaker capacity until January 2020, when the parties signed the New Decade, New Approach agreement and an Executive was subsequently established. When Democratic Unionist Party First Minister Paul Givan resigned in line with his party's protest over the Northern Ireland Protocol , The Northern Ireland Executive collapsed again. No agreement on power-sharing was made after the 2022 Assembly election , and from October 2022 to February 2024, Northern Ireland
570-408: A cross-community vote , under consociational principles. That process was changed following the 2006 St Andrews Agreement , such that the first minister now is nominated by the largest party overall, and the deputy first minister is nominated by the largest party from the next largest community block (understood to mean "Unionist", "Nationalist", or "Other"). On 17 June 2021, despite a letter from
684-466: A basis that can be used to manage the conflict whilst working to ultimately create a non-sectarian political system for Northern Ireland. It believes that the consociational power-sharing structure established by the agreement may not be capable of providing long-term stability, citing various reservations such as the entrenchment of pre-existing divisions as well as the inability to adapt to demographic changes. Its 2022 manifesto stated "Alliance supports
798-620: A bridge between the Protestant and Catholic sections of the community and heal the divisions in Northern Ireland society. The Party's founding principles were expressly in favour of Northern Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom, although, in contrast to other unionist parties, that was expressed in socio-economic rather than ethnic terms. On 5 February 1973, prior to the 1973 Northern Ireland border poll ,
912-567: A by-election for Coleraine Borough Council . In the 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly elections , Alliance put in a strong media campaign and polled 5.2%, up from 3.6% in the previous election and gaining a seat in Belfast South following the successful candidature of Anna Lo , the first ethnic Chinese public representative in a national assembly anywhere in Western Europe. In an election cycle where many pundits had predicted that
1026-646: A capital 'D'). This was also adopted in 1999 for the logo of the OFMDFM. Several weeks after Martin McGuinness took up office as Deputy First Minister in 2007, civil servants in his department began asking the Assembly's Hansard team to replace the capital 'D' with a lower-case 'd', pointing out that the title was rendered that way in the Northern Ireland Act 1998 , the legislation which established
1140-603: A child poverty strategy in March 2011. The wider anti-poverty strategy was carried over from direct rule in November 2006. As of November 2011, neither an Irish language strategy nor an Ulster Scots strategy had been adopted. The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure states that a Strategy for Indigenous or Regional Minority Languages "will be presented to the Executive in due course". The original Northern Ireland Executive
1254-499: A civil partnership under the Civil Partnership Act 2004 . The council adopted his recommendation, although it was later reversed on legal advice. His position ran against Alliance policy, which had been strongly supportive of the introduction of civil partnership laws, and he was publicly criticised by other senior party members. The then party chair and future MLA, Lisburn councillor Trevor Lunn , who had also opposed
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#17327873909731368-654: A common language, sharing some form of Christianity, and not separated by distinguishable racial or physical characteristics. Alliance does not view unionism and nationalism as distinct communities, but as "political positions". Furthermore, Alliance sees identity as an individual matter, one that is fluid and open to change over time. In a 2014 document, the Alliance stated: We acknowledge that people identify with and belong to religious, ethnic, cultural and regional communities. These however are not permanent or stable but are open and fluid. People...can belong to many groups, have
1482-496: A complex identity, and have loyalties to different structures and levels of government. Because of this stance, Alliance is at times referred to as representing a "third tradition" or "third force" within Northern Irish politics that is outside of Nationalism and Unionism. As Alliance have moved to an ideologically liberal perspective, and Northern Ireland society has become more diverse, support for diversity has become
1596-738: A cross-community vote. Following the Northern Ireland Assembly election held on 5 May 2011, a third Executive was formed on 16 May 2011 with the same five parties represented. Alliance for the first time gained administration of a department under the D'Hondt system, in addition to the Department of Justice. Peter Robinson of the DUP and Martin McGuinness of Sinn Féin were nominated by their parties and appointed as First Minister and deputy First Minister on 12 May 2011. Traditional Unionist Voice leader Jim Allister opposed
1710-583: A department shall at all times be exercised subject to the direction and control of the Minister". Ministerial powers can be conferred by an Act of the Assembly and ministers can also exercise executive powers which are vested in the Crown . Ministers are also subject to several limitations, including the European Convention on Human Rights , European Union law , other international obligations of
1824-611: A deputy First Minister. In 2018, Arlene Foster stated that the ongoing political deadlock was caused by Sinn Féin's insistence on an Irish Language Act that would grant legal status to the Irish language in Northern Ireland, which Foster's party refuses to allow. The Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2019 was passed by the UK parliament on 10 July 2019 and became law on 24 July. The main purpose of
1938-559: A desire for the reform of the political system towards a non-sectarian future and, in the Northern Ireland Assembly, it is designated as neither Unionist nor Irish nationalist , but "Other" or "United Community". The Alliance Party won its first seat in the UK House of Commons in the 2010 general election , unseating the former East Belfast MP Peter Robinson , First Minister of Northern Ireland and leader of
2052-486: A key Alliance platform, with Anna Lo MLA elected as the first ethnically East Asian parliamentarian in Northern Ireland and the party promoting a number of openly gay spokespeople. In July 2005, Seamus Close , then an MLA and Lisburn councillor for the party and its former deputy leader, proposed that the Lisburn Council deny gay couples access to the council's designated wedding facility if they were seeking
2166-682: A letter "... voicing no confidence in her leadership", Foster resigned as party leader on 28 May 2021, and as First Minister in June 2021. Her successor as the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , Edwin Poots , said he would not become the First Minister. Instead, DUP MLA Paul Givan was nominated for First Minister by Poots. Despite concerns by Sinn Féin that an Irish Language Act would not pass, following talks with
2280-460: A new executive was announced (three weeks after assembly election). For the first time in the assembly's history, parties that were entitled to ministries (i.e. UUP, SDLP and Alliance) chose instead to go into opposition following a recent bill providing parties with this choice. This meant that the executive was formed only by the two major parties, the DUP and Sinn Féin, and thus giving them more seats in
2394-481: A non-communal candidate in a European election since 1979. In the early years of the peace process, the centre ground was relentlessly squeezed in Northern Ireland politics. The support for Gilliland's candidature, which was also supported by parties such as the Workers' Party and Northern Ireland Conservatives, reflected a desire to reunite the fragmented and weakened non-communal bloc in Northern Ireland politics. In
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#17327873909732508-412: A three-way marginal. Alliance was seriously damaged by the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike , which deeply polarised Northern Ireland politics, and led to the emergence of Sinn Féin as a serious political force. The party supported the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement , and despite claims that this would fatally damage its soft unionist support, Alliance rebounded to pick up 10.0% of the vote in Northern Ireland in
2622-674: Is a member of the Liberal International and Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe , and is aligned with the Liberal Democrats in Great Britain . The party was formed in April 1970 as an alternative to the established parties. In the context of a rapidly worsening political crisis, it aimed not only to present an alternative to what they perceived as sectarian parties and expressly aimed to act as
2736-696: Is also responsible for overseeing Alliance Societies at Northern Ireland universities. Young Liberals Northern Ireland does not organise in any of Northern Ireland's Universities, encouraging members to become active within Alliance Youth societies. Alliance Youth actively campaign on issues affecting young people, and aim to shape policy of the main party in these areas. Previous campaigns have focused on racism, child poverty, and human trafficking, as well as specific domestic issues facing young people, such as mental health care, tuition fees, sustainable transport , LGBT rights and homelessness. Alliance Youth
2850-527: Is the chief legal advisor to the Executive, appointed by the First Minister and deputy First Minister, and may also attend Executive meetings. First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland#Capitalisation of ⁘deputy⁘ The first minister and deputy first minister of Northern Ireland are the joint heads of government of Northern Ireland , leading the Northern Ireland Executive and with overall responsibility for
2964-612: The 1987 United Kingdom general election . John Alderdice polled 32.0% of the vote in East Belfast , while Alliance came within 15,000 votes of both the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin across Northern Ireland. He would go on to become leader after the election, replacing John Cushnahan. In 1996 Alderdice accepted a peerage, becoming the Alliance Party's only representation in Parliament. Lord Alderdice took
3078-654: The 2019 general election , from 7.9% to 16.8% of Northern Ireland, over-taking the SDLP and UUP to come third overall. The party re-gained a seat in the House of Commons ( North Down , previously held by the retiring independent Sylvia Hermon ), and was second in another four constituencies. Long became Stormont's justice minister in January 2020, holding the position throughout the COVID-19 pandemic . In March 2022, Long told
3192-527: The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Naomi Long was the first MP from the Alliance Party since Stratton Mills , who joined the party from the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) in 1973. However, the DUP regained the seat at the 2015 general election , following an electoral pact with the UUP. In the 2019 general election , Alliance regained its presence in the House of Commons when Stephen Farry won
3306-433: The Democratic Unionist Party chairman and other senior party members, DUP leader Edwin Poots nominated Paul Givan as First Minister and Sinn Féin re-nominated Michelle O'Neill as Deputy First Minister. On 4 February 2022, Givan resigned as First Minister, which led to O'Neill automatically ceasing to hold office as Deputy First Minister. The offices remained vacant until the appointment of O'Neill as First Minister,
3420-567: The Liberal Democrat whip on wider UK and European issues but remained free from the whip's control on issues impacting Northern Ireland. In 1988, in Alliance's keynote post-Anglo Irish Agreement document, Governing with Consent , Alderdice called for a devolved power-sharing government. Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, Alliance's vote stabilised at between 7% and 10%. After the IRA and loyalist ceasefires in 1994, Alliance became
3534-499: The Northern Ireland Act 1998 , the First Minister was elected by the Assembly on a joint ticket with the deputy First Minister through a cross-community vote . It was created to enable the leaders of the main unionist and nationalist parties to work together, with guaranteed joint representation of both main communities. For the purposes of a cross-community vote, MLAs were designated as unionist, nationalist, or other. The nominees for First Minister and deputy First Minister required
Northern Ireland Executive - Misplaced Pages Continue
3648-675: The Northern Ireland Act 1998 , which followed the Good Friday Agreement (or Belfast Agreement). The executive is referred to in the legislation as the Executive Committee of the assembly and is an example of consociationalist ("power-sharing") government. The Northern Ireland Executive consists of the First Minister and deputy First Minister and various ministers with individual portfolios and remits. The main assembly parties appoint most ministers in
3762-678: The Northern Ireland Assembly , which followed the Sunningdale Agreement , the party polled 9.2% and won eight seats. After the elections, Alliance entered the power sharing Northern Ireland Executive . Oliver Napier became Legal Minister and Head of the Office of Law Reform and Bob Cooper took the junior role of Minister for Manpower Services. In its manifesto for the elections to the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention in 1975,
3876-822: The St Andrews Agreement in October 2006, the appointment procedure was changed to allow for: This procedure, which removed the need for a joint ticket between the unionist Democratic Unionist Party and the nationalist Sinn Féin party, was used to appoint Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness on 8 May 2007. It was again used to appoint Peter Robinson (DUP) alongside McGuinness on 5 June 2008 and again on 12 May 2011, and to appoint Arlene Foster (DUP) alongside McGuinness on 11 January 2016, also to appoint Foster alongside Michelle O'Neill on 11 January 2020, as well as to appoint Paul Givan alongside O'Neill on 17 June 2021. The new rules from 2006 also state that, if
3990-513: The St Andrews Agreement of that year. On 9 May 2016, the number of ministries and departments of the Northern Ireland Executive was reduced, leaving the following departments: At the same time, various departments were renamed as follows: The following departments were dissolved: In contrast with Westminster system cabinets, which generally need only be backed by a majority of legislators, ministerial positions in
4104-533: The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland and some Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) members favour a move towards voluntary coalition in the longer term but this is currently opposed by Sinn Féin . The executive cannot function if either of the two largest parties refuse to take part, as these parties are allocated the First Minister and deputy First Minister positions. However, other parties are not required to enter
4218-635: The Windsor Framework . Sinn Féin was the largest party in the Assembly after the 2022 Assembly Election , but the Unionist parties were the largest designation in the assembly. The Minister of Justice is now the only Northern Ireland Executive minister elected by cross-community vote. All other ministers are party appointees, with parties taking turns using the D'Hondt method . The First Minister or deputy First Minister may also appoint another Northern Ireland Executive Minister to exercise
4332-404: The 5 May 2005 United Kingdom general election , they contested 12 seats and polled 3.9% of the vote. In the simultaneous elections to Northern Ireland's local authorities, they polled 5.0% of first preference votes and had 30 Councillors elected, a gain of two seats relative to the previous elections. The 2006–2007 period saw some signs of an Alliance upturn, topping the poll and gaining a seat in
4446-553: The Alliance Party conference in Belfast that the DUP and Sinn Féin were "addicted to crisis and conflict", and hoped that her party could bring an end to the "binary system" at Stormont. The Alliance Party fought the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election on a platform of reforming the Stormont institutions, health transformation, integrated education , a Green New Deal and tackling paramilitarism . Alliance would go on to win
4560-439: The Alliance Party stated "Alliance supports the constitutional position of Northern Ireland as an integral part of the United Kingdom. We know that this belief is shared by the overwhelming majority of our people and that provocative debate about it has been the primary cause of all our most fundamental troubles. The link is in the best economic and social interests of all the people of Northern Ireland, and we will maintain that only
4674-496: The Alliance Party would struggle to hold on to the six seats it won in the 2003 election, the party pulled off a credible performance which included Deputy Leader Naomi Long doubling her share of the vote in Belfast East. In 2008, during the deadlock between Sinn Féin and the DUP over the devolution of policing, the two parties came to an agreement that the Minister of Justice would not come from either party. The Alliance Party
Northern Ireland Executive - Misplaced Pages Continue
4788-402: The Assembly must consult political party leaders in the Assembly (who are often also ministers) before deciding whether the subject is a matter of public importance. Successful petitions will then be considered by the Executive. The number of ministers and their responsibilities can be changed when a department is being established or dissolved. The proposal must be made by the First Minister and
4902-472: The British government they agreed to renominate Michelle O'Neill for deputy First Minister. However, 24 of the DUP's 28 MLAs voted against Givan, leading to Poots' resignation as party leader. Separately, between 12 February 2000 and 30 May 2000, and 15 October 2002 and 8 May 2007, however, devolution was suspended, and along with it the offices of First Minister and deputy First Minister. The Office of
5016-718: The DUP Jeffrey Donaldson announced that the DUP would restore an executive government on the condition that new legislation was passed by the UK House of Commons. On 8 May 2024, Conor Murphy stepped down as Minister for the Economy . First Minister Michelle O'Neill said that Deirdre Hargey will serve as an interim Minister for the Economy . Ministers are assisted by backbench "Assembly private secretaries" (equivalent to parliamentary private secretaries ). The non-political Attorney General for Northern Ireland
5130-485: The DUP denounced the term as "republican speak" and it is not used in legislation. Jim Allister , the leader of the Traditional Unionist Voice , long called Robinson and McGuinness "the joint first ministers", to highlight the joint nature of the office and to demonstrate his opposition to the power-sharing arrangements. With the restoration of power-sharing in 2020, Sinn Féin started describing
5244-461: The DUP in 2010. The party lost the seat to the DUP by 2,500 votes, after a Unionist pact, whilst the Alliance vote increased by 6% across the constituency. The 2019 Northern Ireland local elections saw a substantial increase in the Alliance vote and resulted in 53 councillors being elected, with the only council not having any Alliance representation being in Mid Ulster. The balance of power in
5358-493: The Executive (with the exception of the Department of Justice which was given to an Independent Unionist MLA, Claire Sugden , due to this appointment needing cross-community support). The Executive is co-chaired by the First Minister and deputy First Minister. Its official functions are: Executive meetings are normally held fortnightly, compared to weekly meetings of the British Cabinet and Irish Government . Under
5472-586: The Executive and formed the Official Opposition for the first time. Ministerial positions were proportionally allocated between the DUP and Sinn Féin, with independent unionist Claire Sugden serving as Minister of Justice. The government collapsed on 16 January 2017, after Martin McGuinness resigned in protest over the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal . His resignation sparked a snap election as Sinn Féin refused to re-nominate
5586-480: The Executive was re-formed with Arlene Foster as First Minister and Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill as deputy First Minister following the New Decade, New Approach agreement. All five parties joined the government; other ministers include Edwin Poots (DUP); Robin Swann (UUP), Nichola Mallon (SDLP), Gordon Lyons (DUP), and Declan Kearney (SF). Alliance Party leader Naomi Long was appointed justice minister. At
5700-437: The Executive will "seek to agree each year, and review as necessary" a Programme for Government incorporating an agreed budget. The following programmes for government have been published to date: The following budgets have been published to date: Under the St Andrews Agreement , the Executive is obliged to adopt strategies on the following policy matters: The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister published
5814-557: The Executive's Ministerial Code, ministers are obliged to: The Ministerial Code allows any three ministers to request a cross-community vote. The quorum for voting is seven ministers. The current system of devolution has succeeded long periods of direct rule (1974–1999 and 2002–2007), when the Northern Ireland Civil Service had a considerable influence on government policy. The legislation which established new departments in 1999 affirmed that "the functions of
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#17327873909735928-420: The Executive. The ministers' policy responsibilities include: Two junior ministers assist the First Minister and deputy First Minister in carrying out the work of Executive Office . They are jointly accountable to the First Minister and deputy First Minister. The incumbent junior ministers are Aisling Reilly ( Sinn Féin ) and Pam Cameron ( Democratic Unionist Party ). As originally established under
6042-612: The First Minister and deputy First Minister became the responsibility of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland . There were also two 24-hour periods of suspension on 11 August 2001 and 22 September 2001. to allow timetables for negotiation to restart. Devolution was suspended from 10 January 2017 to 10 January 2020. Ulster Unionist Party Social Democratic and Labour Party Democratic Unionist Party Sinn Féin During
6156-739: The Good Friday Agreement, along with the Northern Ireland Assembly. Various ways of translating the titles "First Minister and deputy First Minister" into the Ulster Scots dialects have been attested in official communications, including Heid Männystèr an tha Heid Männystèr depute , First Meinister an First Meinister depute , First Meenister an First Meenister depute and First Minister an First Minister depute . The second position has been written as "Deputy" or "deputy" First Minister, due to differing preferences by civil servants (and potentially ministers), although
6270-473: The Good Friday Agreement, and endorses its underlying principles, its structures, and its interlocking relationships. However, we have always supported reform of the structures of government and, in light of recent developments, the case for reform is stronger than ever." The Alliance Party was founded by moderate Unionists in the New Ulster Movement in April 1970 in response to the emergence of
6384-556: The North Down seat vacated by the independent unionist, Sylvia Hermon . Earlier that year, the party's leader, Naomi Long , won the party's first seat in the European Parliament in the last European election before Brexit . Under Long's leadership, the Alliance Party exceeded expectations in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election and gained numerous seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly. The Alliance Party
6498-551: The Northern Ireland Executive are allocated to parties with significant representation in the Assembly. With the exception of justice, the number of ministries to which each party is entitled is determined by the D'Hondt system . In effect, major parties cannot be excluded from participation in government and power-sharing is enforced by the system. The form of government is therefore known as mandatory coalition as opposed to voluntary coalition where parties negotiate an agreement to share power. The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP),
6612-490: The Troubles. As Alliance viewed the situation, the major problem of Northern Ireland was the division between Protestants and Catholics. It contended that the turmoil had its origins in that division and not in the partition of Ireland . The party's founding members resolved to change the "traditional mould" of sectarian politics in Northern Ireland, by launching a party deliberately set out to win support from both sections of
6726-555: The UK, a requirement not to discriminate on religious or political grounds, and having no power over reserved and excepted matters (which are held by the United Kingdom Government ). Ministerial decisions can be challenged by a petition of 30 Northern Ireland Assembly members. This action can be taken for alleged breaches of the Ministerial Code and on "matters of public importance". The Speaker of
6840-512: The UUP (11.4%) for the first time. During the 2016 elections to the Assembly , in spite of initially confident predications from David Ford that Alliance would see a surplus of up to 11 seats, the party's share of the popular vote stagnated somewhat, from 7.7% in 2011 to 7.0%. Ultimately, its 8 MLAs from their original respective constituencies were returned to Stormont for the fifth Assembly term. Ford later resigned as Alliance Party leader on 6 October 2016, on his 15th anniversary as leader of
6954-501: The UUP and SDLP protested that Alliance was not entitled, under the rules of the Good Friday Agreement , to fill the portfolio and refused to support this move. However, Alliance leader David Ford was elected Minister with the support of the DUP and Sinn Féin. On 26 August 2015, the UUP announced it would withdraw from the Executive and form an opposition after all, in response to the assassination of Kevin McGuigan . On 25 May 2016
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#17327873909737068-496: The absence of a political settlement. The current Executive was provided for in the Belfast Agreement , signed on 10 April 1998. Designates for First Minister and deputy First Minister were appointed on 1 July 1998 by the UUP and SDLP, respectively. A full Executive was nominated on 29 November 1999 and took office on 2 December 1999, comprising the UUP, SDLP, Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin . Devolution
7182-449: The agreement between their two parties on 26 March 2007. Paisley stated his intention to resign on 4 March 2008. His Deputy as DUP leader, Peter Robinson was ratified as Democratic Unionist Party leader designate on 17 April 2008 and became First Minister on 5 June 2008. Arlene Foster succeeded Peter Robinson as DUP leader on 18 December 2015, and as First Minister on 11 January 2016. After more than 20 DUP MLAs and four DUP MPs signed
7296-399: The bill was to prevent another election and keep Northern Ireland services running in the absence of a functional devolved government. However, two Labour MPs, Conor McGinn and Stella Creasy , added amendments that would legalize same-sex marriage and liberalize abortion law (both devolved issues) if the DUP and Sinn Féin could not come to an agreement before 21 October. On 11 January 2020,
7410-408: The capital 'D' still appears in some places, and a spokesman confirmed on 20 March 2008 that the office had "no plans" to change the OFMDFM logo. However, the Assembly committee that scrutinises their work is now listed as the "Committee for the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister". Ultimately it was decided that McGuinness should be referred to as the deputy First Minister, unless all
7524-496: The capital of Belfast , is held by the party after an increase to 10 seats and becoming the 3rd party, at Belfast City Hall. Several Alliance members have held the position of Lord Mayor of Belfast , including Long and (from 2021 to 2022), Kate Nicholl . Alliance Youth is the youth and student movement of the Alliance Party. Alliance members who are under 25 years old automatically become members of Alliance Youth if they choose to share their details at registration. Alliance Youth
7638-519: The capitalisation of the title has no constitutional consequences in practice. The first two holders of the office, Seamus Mallon and Mark Durkan , were both referred to during their periods of office as "Deputy First Minister", with a capital 'D'. In the Good Friday Agreement, also known as the Belfast Agreement, which established the executive in Northern Ireland, the two positions are spelt "First Minister and Deputy First Minister" (with
7752-474: The deputy First Minister and be carried by a cross-community vote in the Assembly. The number of departments was initially limited to 10 but this increased to 11 upon the devolution of justice. Ministers are disqualified from holding office if appointed to the Government of Ireland or as the chairman or deputy chairman of an Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) committee. The Good Friday Agreement states that
7866-454: The election campaign, the party had urged a break from "orange and green politics" and was vocal in its opposition to Brexit using the slogan "Demand Better". In the 2019 European election , Naomi Long became the Alliance Party's first ever MEP , receiving the second of three seats allocated to Northern Ireland and securing the best ever result for Alliance with 18.5% of first-preference votes. The party greatly increased its vote share at
7980-466: The executive even if they are entitled to do so; instead, they can choose to go into opposition if they wish. There were some calls for the SDLP and the UUP to enter opposition after the 2007 Assembly elections , but ultimately the two parties chose to take the seats in the Executive to which they were entitled. In 2010, an exception to the D'Hondt system for allocating the number of ministerial portfolios
8094-643: The executive, except for the Minister of Justice who is elected by a cross-community vote . It is one of three devolved governments in the United Kingdom , the others being the Scottish and Welsh governments. In January 2017, the then deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness resigned in protest over the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal and the Northern Ireland Executive consequently collapsed. The governing of Northern Ireland fell to civil servants in
8208-412: The first Irish nationalist to be appointed to the position, and DUP's Emma Little-Pengelly as Deputy First Minister, on 3 February 2024. Lowercase "d" per here . The First Minister and deputy First Minister share equal responsibilities within government, and their decisions are made jointly. The First Minister is, though, the first to greet official visitors to Northern Ireland and shares
8322-486: The first non-nationalist party to enter into talks with Sinn Féin, as an active participant in the Northern Ireland peace process negotiations leading to the Good Friday Agreement , which it strongly supported. Alliance polled poorly in the 1996 elections for the Northern Ireland Forum , and the 1998 election for the Northern Ireland Assembly winning around 6.5% of the vote each time. This did enable
8436-459: The first session of the assembly, Foster stated that it was "time for Stormont to move forward". The new speaker of the Assembly was a member of Sinn Féin. The collapse of this Executive led to the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election . On 3 February 2022, Paul Givan resigned as first minister, which automatically resigned Michelle O'Neill as deputy first minister and collapsed the executive of Northern Ireland. On 30 January 2024, leader of
8550-526: The former counties of Londonderry, Tyrone, Armagh and Fermanagh their vote only rose in Omagh, it remained static in Magherafelt and fell in the other ten councils (these being Fermanagh, Dungannon, Cookstown, Strabane, Londonderry, Limavady, Coleraine, Newry & Mourne, Armagh and Craigavon.) Overall in these 12 councils the number of Alliance councillors fell from 18 in 1973 to ten in 1977. In contrast, in
8664-569: The functions of the office during a vacancy; currently for a continuous period up to six weeks. Vacancies have occurred on four occasions to date: In the Irish language, the literal translation of these positions is "Céad-Aire agus an leas Chéad-Aire". The titles appear in both English and Irish in published literature by the North-South Ministerial Council, one of the "mutually inter-dependent" institutions laid out in
8778-543: The importance of parties such as Alliance which are not aligned to either of these two blocs. In the 2003 Assembly elections , Alliance held all their seats, while the Women's Coalition lost both of theirs. Alliance's vote fell to just 3.7%. In the European Parliament Elections in 2004 , Alliance gave strong support to Independent candidate John Gilliland who polled 6.6% of the vote, the highest for
8892-467: The joint appointment. On 16 May 2011, 10 other Executive ministers (with the exception of the Minister of Justice) and two junior ministers were appointed by their political parties. The Minister of Justice was then elected by the Assembly via a cross-community vote. On 26 August 2015, the UUP withdrew from the Executive in protest over the alleged involvement of members of the Provisional IRA in
9006-410: The largest party of the largest designation happens not to also be the largest party in the assembly overall, then the appointment procedure would be as follows: This method of selection was first used in 2024, after the DUP ended its Stormont boycott following agreed changes with the UK government regarding post-Brexit trading relations affected by the Northern Ireland protocol and the implementation of
9120-578: The lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Founded in 1970 from the New Ulster Movement , the Alliance Party originally represented moderate and non-sectarian unionism . However, over time, particularly in the 1990s, it moved towards neutrality on the Union , and came to represent wider liberal and non-sectarian concerns. It supports the Good Friday Agreement but maintains
9234-508: The murder of Kevin McGuigan Sr. Danny Kennedy MLA's position as Minister for Regional Development was later taken over by the DUP, thereby leaving four Northern Irish parties in the power sharing agreement. On 10 September 2015 Peter Robinson stepped down as First Minister, although he did not officially resign. Arlene Foster took over as acting First Minister. Robinson resumed his duties as First Minister again on 20 October 2015. Following
9348-558: The office. Some believe that the case change was advocated to highlight the fact that the position holds the same power as the position of First Minister, but a spokesman for McGuinness said that neither McGuinness nor his advisers had asked for the change. Speaker William Hay ordered the change and the capital 'D' was no longer used in Hansard references. Officials edited the department's archive of press releases to make that change (despite its use by Mallon and Durkan when in office) but
9462-473: The other letters in the title are in capitals. Confusion isn't completely resolved however; if McGuinness wrote to the Assembly committee that scrutinised his work, his note would have a letterhead that comes from the "Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister", but he would get a reply back from the Committee for the "Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister". In official language,
9576-535: The party had councillors in only half of Northern Ireland's 18 constituencies. However, this rose to 13 in 2011 after gains in Coleraine, Craigavon, Down and elsewhere. Having had around 30 councillors for a decade, the party won 44 seats in 2011. In the 2010 elections, the Alliance gained the Westminster seat of Belfast East, and gained a 22.6% swing there; in 2011 it re-emphasised that result, winning two out of
9690-531: The party in the House of Lords . Stratton Mills , who had been elected as an Ulster Unionist / Conservative MP at Westminster for North Belfast also joined that year, becoming the party's sole MP between 1973–74 and did not have another MP until 2010. Its first electoral challenge was the District Council elections of May 1973 when they managed to win 13.6% of the votes cast. In the elections to
9804-482: The party joined the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party as an associate member. Alliance increased its vote share by 5 percentage points in the 2019 local elections and broke out of its traditional Greater Belfast heartlands by taking seats on Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council and Derry City & Strabane District Council where the party had not previously been represented. During
9918-399: The party still gained 14 seats overall, increasing its councillor total to 67. Over the past 40 years (and particularly since the mid-1990s), Alliance's political philosophy has veered away from non-sectarian unionism towards a more liberal, neutral position on the question of either a united Ireland or continued union with Great Britain. Alliance supports the Good Friday Agreement as
10032-479: The party to win six seats in the Assembly, although this was somewhat of a let-down given that it had been expected to do much better. John Alderdice resigned as party leader in 1998 to take up the post of the Assembly's Presiding Officer . He was replaced by Seán Neeson , who himself resigned as party leader in September 2001. Neeson was replaced by David Ford , a member of the Assembly for South Antrim . It
10146-401: The party's chairman, Jim Hendron , stated that: "Support for the position of Northern Ireland as an integral part of the United Kingdom is a fundamental principle of the Alliance Party, not only for economic reasons but also because we firmly believe that a peaceful solution to our present tragic problems is only possible within a United Kingdom context. Either a Sinn Fein all-Ireland republic or
10260-554: The party. On 26 October 2016, Naomi Long officially became the new leader of the Alliance Party. In the snap 2017 Assembly election , Alliance increased its vote share to 9.1% and retained all eight of their MLA seats in a reduced Assembly. For the 2017 general election , the party advocated a confirmatory referendum on the Brexit withdrawal agreement and remaining in the European Single Market . In April 2018,
10374-458: The people of Northern Ireland have the right to decide any change by voting in a referendum." Alliance's vote increased significantly in the 1977 local elections , when it obtained 14.4% of the vote and had 74 Councillors elected. In 1979, Party Leader Oliver Napier came closer than Alliance had previously come to electing a Westminster MP, polling just 928 votes short of Peter Robinson 's winning total in East Belfast , albeit placing third in
10488-465: The periods of suspension, the Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland assumed the responsibilities of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. Alliance Party of Northern Ireland The Alliance Party of Northern Ireland ( APNI ), or simply Alliance , is a liberal and centrist political party in Northern Ireland . Following the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election , it
10602-435: The population. The party's founding principles were an attempt to address the "fundamental fears" of Protestants being coerced into a united Ireland, and of Catholics being condemned to second-class citizenship within Northern Ireland. The distinguishing feature of Alliance is its belief in the legitimacy of a distinctive Northern Irish community, one that has more in common than what divides it, with most inhabitants speaking
10716-560: The position as "joint head of government". Following a referendum on the Belfast Agreement on 23 May 1998 and subsequent the Northern Ireland Act 1998 , the Northern Ireland Assembly was established in 1998 with a view to assuming devolved powers from the Westminster Parliament . On 1 July 1998, David Trimble (UUP) and Seamus Mallon (SDLP) were nominated and elected First Minister and deputy First Minister designates respectively. Eventually, on 2 December 1999, power
10830-568: The positions are sometimes abbreviated to FM/dFM . Sinn Féin started using the phrases "Joint First Minister" and "Co-First Minister" in 2009 to describe the deputy First Minister to highlight the fact that the First Minister and deputy First Minister operated in tandem. Martin McGuinness used the term Joint First Minister himself when he arrived for a meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council in February 2009;
10944-538: The rest of the region Alliance increased their number of councillors from 45 to 60. The party won eight council seats across Belfast in 1985. Although that has now recovered to six (from three in 2001), the six are entirely from South and East Belfast. Both seats in the Falls Road area of West Belfast were lost after the death and resignation of their councillors there in 1987 while their seat in North Belfast
11058-467: The running of the Executive Office . Despite the titles of the two offices, the two positions have the same governmental power, resulting in a duumvirate ; the deputy first minister, is not subordinate to the first minister. Created under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement , both were initially nominated and appointed by members of the Northern Ireland Assembly on a joint ticket by
11172-510: The same title as their counterparts in Scotland and Wales . Specifically, they are tasked with co-chairing meetings of the Northern Ireland Executive , "dealing with and co-ordinating" the work of the Executive, and the response of the administration to external relationships. The First Minister and deputy First Minister agree the agenda of Executive meetings and can jointly determine "significant or controversial matters" to be considered by
11286-548: The signing of the Fresh Start Agreement , Peter Robinson announced his intention to stand down as leader of the DUP and First Minister of Northern Ireland. He subsequently resigned as DUP leader on 18 December 2015, being succeeded by Arlene Foster . Foster then took office as First Minister on 11 January 2016. The fourth Executive was formed following the May 2016 election . The SDLP , UUP and Alliance Party left
11400-626: The six MLA seats available. In 2014, the party gained one seat in the Belfast Council area, this coming in North Belfast when Nuala McAllister ousted Sinn Féin. Outside of the capital the party's vote held up, and with the exception of Patrick Brown winning in Rowallane, there were no outstanding results. In the 2015 Westminster elections, the party directed their resources at retaining the East Belfast seat Naomi Long had gained from
11514-574: The support of: This procedure was used on 2 December 1999 to elect David Trimble ( Ulster Unionist Party , UUP) and Seamus Mallon ( Social Democratic and Labour Party , SDLP). Following several suspensions of the Northern Ireland Executive, Trimble was not re-elected on 2 November 2001 due to opposition from other unionist parties. He was subsequently re-elected alongside Mark Durkan (SDLP) on 6 November 2001; on that occasion, three Alliance Party of Northern Ireland MLAs redesignated from 'other' to 'unionist' to support Trimble's nomination. Following
11628-506: The third highest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly, 4.5% more of the vote than they did in the 2017 election and also gaining nine seats. In all, the 2022 election saw the party win 17 seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly, more than double the number of seats than what they previously had after the 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election . The 2023 Northern Ireland local elections were, in Long's own words, "a mixed bag", but
11742-592: The use of the wedding facility for civil partnerships, resigned as chair later that year, stating that "I always thought the Alliance Party was a broad enough church that we could support some difference of opinion. But it appears that in terms of equality issues, that we just can't." The party's liberal ideology has also pushed the party towards a general favourable position on abortion, immigration and LGBT rights. The party also supports an integrated education system where Catholics and Protestants are educated together, improving healthcare in Northern Ireland, and legislating
11856-464: The vote. In the 2010 general election , the party won its first seat in Westminster, with Naomi Long taking the seat of sitting First Minister Peter Robinson . The 2011 Northern Ireland Assembly Election resulted in eight Assembly members being returned with a gain in Belfast East . It overtook the UUP on Belfast City Council. In a poll conducted in November 2012, Alliance (on 11.6%) overtook
11970-509: Was devolved and Trimble and Mallon formally took office as joint heads of the Northern Ireland Executive . On 6 November 2001, Mark Durkan (SDLP) became deputy First Minister after Seamus Mallon's retirement. The Executive and the two positions were suspended between 15 October 2002 and 8 May 2007 following a breakdown in trust between the parties. On 8 May 2007, Ian Paisley (DUP) and Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin) were appointed First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively in line with
12084-476: Was established on 1 January 1974, following the Sunningdale Agreement . It comprised a voluntary coalition between the Ulster Unionist Party , Social Democratic and Labour Party and Alliance Party of Northern Ireland , with the UUP's Brian Faulkner in the position of Chief Executive. It was short-lived, collapsing on 28 May 1974 due to the Ulster Workers' Council strike , and the Troubles continued in
12198-595: Was governed by civil servants. On 3 February 2024, Sinn Féin 's Michelle O'Neill was appointed First Minister, the first Irish nationalist to be appointed to the position, with DUP 's Emma Little-Pengelly as deputy First Minister. The Executive (and the Assembly) were established in law by the Northern Ireland Act 1998 that followed the Good Friday Agreement and its basis was revised by the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 that followed
12312-433: Was led by the DUP and Sinn Féin, with the UUP and SDLP also securing ministerial roles. However, the Executive did not meet between 19 June 2008 and 20 November 2008 due to a boycott by Sinn Féin . This took place during a dispute between the DUP and Sinn Féin over the devolution of policing and justice powers. Policing and justice powers were devolved on 12 April 2010, with the new Minister of Justice won by Alliance in
12426-463: Was lost in 1993, regained four years later and lost again in 2001. In the neighbouring areas of Dunmurry Cross (Twinbrook/Dunmurry) and Macedon (Rathcoole) Alliance lost their councillors in 1989 and 1994 respectively; on the other hand, the party won three out of seven seats in Victoria in 2011, the first time since 1977 that the party had won three council seats in the same electoral area. By 2005,
12540-535: Was made under the Hillsborough Castle Agreement to allow the cross-community Alliance Party of Northern Ireland to hold the politically contentious policing and justice brief when most of those powers were devolved to the Assembly. Devolution took place on 12 April 2010. Under D'Hondt, the SDLP would have been entitled to the extra ministerial seat on the revised Executive created by the devolution of policing and justice. Accordingly, both
12654-542: Was predicted that Alliance would suffer electorally as a new centrist challenger established itself in Northern Irish politics, the Northern Ireland Women's Coalition . Another problem for the APNI was that the rules of the Assembly require major votes (such as the election of the First Minister and deputy First Minister ) to have the support of both a majority of unionist and nationalist MLAs, thus diminishing
12768-511: Was suspended for four periods, during which the departments came under the responsibility of direct rule ministers from the Northern Ireland Office : The 2002–2007 suspension followed the refusal of the Ulster Unionist Party to share power with Sinn Féin after a high-profile Police Service of Northern Ireland investigation into an alleged Provisional Irish Republican Army spy ring. The second Executive formed in 2007
12882-448: Was the obvious choice but party leader David Ford said "it's a very definite and a very emphatic no". Ford further stated, "this executive is incompetent, it's time they got on with doing the job that they were set up to do". Following further negotiations, Ford assumed office on 12 April 2010. At the 2009 European elections , Alliance candidate Ian Parsley achieved the party's best European election vote share in 30 years with 5.5% of
12996-479: Was the third-largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly , holding seventeen seats, and broke through by achieving third place in first preference votes in the 2019 European Parliament election and polling third-highest regionally at the 2019 UK general election . The party won one of the three Northern Ireland seats in the European Parliament , and one seat, North Down , in the House of Commons,
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