94-521: Official Opposition (8) Other Opposition (3) Speaker (1) The Northern Ireland Assembly ( Irish : Tionól Thuaisceart Éireann ; Ulster Scots : Norlin Airlan Assemblie ), often referred to by the metonym Stormont , is the devolved legislature of Northern Ireland . It has power to legislate in a wide range of areas that are not explicitly reserved to the Parliament of
188-732: A "Transitional Assembly established under the Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006" – to continue to contribute to preparations for the restoration of devolved government. A person who was a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly was also a member of the Transitional Assembly, with the same speaker and deputy speaker as elected for "the Assembly". The Transitional Assembly first met on 24 November 2006 but proceedings were suspended due to
282-425: A bomb threat by loyalist paramilitary Michael Stone . It was dissolved on 30 January 2007 when the election campaign for the next Northern Ireland Assembly started. Subsequently, a new election to the suspended Northern Ireland Assembly was held on 7 March 2007. The DUP and Sinn Féin consolidated their positions as the two largest parties in the election and agreed to enter government together. Peter Hain signed
376-692: A conference, attended the following year by the Democratic Unionist Party , the Alliance Party and the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). (The UUP refused to become involved in protest at a decision to allow discussions on an Irish dimension, discussions which the DUP also boycotted.) Talks between the DUP, Alliance and SDLP took place between 7 January and 24 March 1980, but failed to reach agreement. In July 1980,
470-561: A day chosen by the Secretary of State . After each election the Assembly must meet within eight days. The Assembly can vote to dissolve itself early by a two-thirds majority of the total number of its members. It is also automatically dissolved if it is unable to elect a First Minister and deputy First Minister (effectively joint first ministers, the only distinction being in the titles) within six weeks of its first meeting or of those positions becoming vacant. There have been six elections to
564-478: A devolved administration. Hume did not respond to the letter but Allen sent two further invitations in September and November, assuring Hume of the sincerity of the committee's intentions. After two years of operation there was a growing confidence in the future of the Assembly amongst the members who attended. On 4 December 1984 the new Secretary of State, Douglas Hurd , made his first (and last) appearance before
658-581: A devolved government short of actual seats in Cabinet (i.e. no power-sharing). However, in response Thatcher simply restated the British Government's position. The Assembly quickly adapted these proposals in October after reconvening. Set against a backdrop of the new Secretary of State Tom King visiting Dublin before meeting Unionist leaders, it could be interpreted as a last attempt to shore up
752-553: A field of competences known as "transferred matters". These matters are not explicitly given in the Northern Ireland Act 1998. Rather they include any competence not explicitly retained by the Parliament at Westminster. Powers reserved by Westminster are divided into "excepted matters", which it retains indefinitely, and "reserved matters", which may be transferred to the competence of the Northern Ireland Assembly at
846-549: A future date. A list of transferred, reserved and excepted matters is given below. While the Assembly was in suspension, its legislative powers were exercised by the UK Government, which governs through procedures at Westminster. Laws that would have normally been within the competence of the Assembly were passed by the UK Parliament in the form of Orders-in-Council rather than Acts of the Assembly. Further, when
940-641: A majority within both blocs in order to pass. The Assembly is one of two "mutually inter-dependent" institutions created under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement , the other being the North/South Ministerial Council with the Republic of Ireland . The Agreement aimed to end Northern Ireland's violent 30-year Troubles . The first Assembly election was held in June 1998. Lowercase "d" per here . From June 1921 until March 1972,
1034-550: A new attempt to involve the SDLP, let me sound a note of caution. Anyone who thinks that to introduce the SDLP into that cauldron of sectarianism would be to produce agreement, rather than chaos, should be sentenced to watching a few years of TV confrontation Later that year the UUP published their policy document on local administration, arguing the "rolling devolution" envisioned by Jim Prior had failed. The UUP opposed power-sharing, citing
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#17327982364301128-544: A new election. Northern Ireland Assembly Opposition Lowercase "d" per here . The role of official opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly can be taken by larger political parties who do not participate in Northern Ireland's consociational power-sharing Executive . Forming an Assembly Opposition empowers opposition parties to scrutinise the work of government, giving them financial assistance, enhanced speaking rights in
1222-502: A plan for the re-introduction of devolved government in Northern Ireland. The UUP proposed an amendment to focus solely on getting devolution established and neglect the Assembly. The Alliance Party proposed their own amendment, insisting that devolution must involve power-sharing between Unionists and Nationalists. All three proposals were voted down, with the UUP and DUP voting against each other and both Unionist parties uniting to defeat Alliance's power-sharing amendment. The following month
1316-535: A power-sharing government with the SDLP or "other representatives of Republicanism" his party wouldn't hesitate in opting for the former. In June 1983 the Assembly passed a motion, supported by the DUP and UUP, demanding that British authorities "crack down" on the flying of the Irish tricolour in Northern Ireland. The motion called for stringent enforcement of the Flags and Emblems Act and deplored recent incidents where
1410-814: A powerless Assembly: The fact that the Unionist Party regards the State education system, paid for by the taxes of the entire community as the exclusive property of one section of the community underlines more starkly than ever the totally sectarian nature of Northern Ireland. The SDLP later instead concentrated on the New Ireland Forum hosted in Dublin by the Irish government. Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald speaking in January 1983 opined that in retrospect
1504-831: A preliminary to the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive. Multi-party talks in October 2006 resulted in the St Andrews Agreement , wherein Sinn Féin committed to support the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the mechanism for nominating First and deputy First Ministers was changed. In May 2006, Ian Paisley , leader of the DUP, had refused Sinn Féin's nomination to be First Minister alongside Sinn Féin's chief negotiator, Martin McGuinness , as deputy First Minister; after
1598-725: A restoration order on 25 March 2007 allowing for the restoration of devolution at midnight on the following day. An administration was eventually established on 10 May with Ian Paisley as First Minister and Martin McGuinness as deputy First Minister. This third Assembly was the first legislature in Northern Ireland to complete a full term since the Northern Ireland Parliament which convened between 1965 and 1969 and saw powers in relation to policing and justice transferred from Westminster on 12 April 2010. Peter Robinson succeeded Ian Paisley as First Minister and DUP leader in 2008. A five-year term came into effect with
1692-469: A total of 15 parties have held seats in the Assembly since 1998: Unionist: Nationalist: Other: The course of the Assembly saw a marked shift in party allegiance among voters. At the 2003 election, the DUP and Sinn Féin displaced the more moderate UUP and SDLP as the largest parties in the unionist and nationalist blocks. The parties only agreed to share power after four years of negotiations and
1786-662: Is found to: A transferred matter is defined as "any matter which is not an excepted or reserved matter". There is therefore no full listing of transferred matters but they have been grouped into the responsibilities of the Northern Ireland Executive ministers: Reserved matters are outlined in Schedule 3 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998: Excepted matters are outlined in Schedule 2 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998: The Assembly has three primary mechanisms to ensure effective power-sharing: The Assembly has
1880-656: The Assembly Members (Reduction of Numbers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 the number of MLAs per constituency was reduced from 6 to 5, leaving a total of 90 seats. This took effect at the March 2017 election. The constituencies used are the same as those used for elections to the United Kingdom Parliament at Westminster. The Northern Ireland Act 1998 provides that, unless the Assembly is dissolved early, elections should occur once every four years on
1974-641: The British Government published a discussion document, "The Government of Northern Ireland: Proposals for Further Discussion" which suggested creating a devolved Assembly either with compulsory power sharing or Majority Rule. The power sharing option proved unacceptable to Unionists while Nationalists and the Alliance Party were reluctant to return to the Majority Rule model. Consequently, on 27 November 1980, Humphrey Atkins, reported to
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#17327982364302068-606: The House of Commons that there was little prospect for a devolved government in Northern Ireland due to a lack of consensus amongst the parties. With 1981 dominated by the Hunger Strikes and the Prisons issue, constitutional initiatives took a back seat to the security situation. However, on 5 April 1982, Atkins' successor James Prior published a white paper "Northern Ireland: A Framework for Devolution" which proposed what
2162-668: The May 2016 assembly election , and has once again been taken by the SDLP since the May 2022 assembly election . Northern Ireland was governed from 1921 to 1972 by a bicameral Parliament , where in the lower House of Commons the largest and therefore the governing party was consistently the Ulster Unionist Party . It could have been expected, following the Westminster system, that the role of official Opposition would be taken by largest party outside of government, which
2256-503: The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention report of 1975 and also rejected the "Irish dimension" sought by the SDLP. The UUP instead proposed that there would be no devolved government and the Assembly would make decisions within the areas of power granted to it by an enabling legislation, but not actually pass legislation. The DUP also published a policy document on devolution in 1984. In it
2350-476: The Northern Ireland Executive after Sinn Féin's offices at Stormont were raided by police, who were investigating allegations of intelligence gathering on behalf of the IRA by members of the party's support staff. The Assembly, already suspended, was dissolved on 28 April 2003 as scheduled, but the elections due the following month were postponed by the UK Government and were not held until November that year. Although
2444-463: The Secretary of State , the UK Government minister with responsibility for Northern Ireland. It was not supported by Irish nationalists and was officially dissolved in 1986. The Northern Ireland (Elections) Act 1998 formally established the Assembly in law under the name New Northern Ireland Assembly , in accordance with the Good Friday (or Belfast) Agreement . The first election of members of
2538-575: The fourth Assembly elected in 2011 . The subsequent period was dominated by issues of culture and dealing with the past which culminated in the Fresh Start Agreement in 2014. The first Official Opposition in the Assembly was formed by the UUP in the closing months of the fourth term. Following the election of the fifth Assembly in 2016, the DUP and Sinn Féin formed the fourth Executive , with Arlene Foster as First Minister and Martin McGuinness continuing deputy First Minister. In
2632-399: The partition of the island . Nationalist Party members refused to take their seats in the legislature until 1924, and resumed the abstentionist policy in the 1930s to protest the abolition of proportional representation . From 1937, Thomas Joseph Campbell and Richard Byrne were the only Nationalist MPs to take their seats until Byrne's death in 1942 and Campbell's resignation in 1945. It
2726-496: The 2016 and 2017 elections, and met the second criteria after the 2022 election, choosing to join the opposition for the fifth and seventh terms. Alliance fulfilled the second criteria in the 2017 election and both criteria after the 2022 election but have not elected to join the Opposition. Meanwhile, the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin would currently be excluded from entering opposition if they wished to, because as
2820-443: The Assembly since 1998. The Assembly uses a consociational system. Each MLA is free to designate themselves as "Nationalist", "Unionist", or "other", as they see fit, the only requirement being that no member may change their designation more than once during an Assembly session. The system has been criticised by some, in particular the cross-community Alliance Party , as entrenching sectarian divisions. Alliance supports ending
2914-492: The Assembly Opposition was established by the Assembly and Executive Reform (Assembly Opposition) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016. Under section 2, a party may join the official Opposition if it both has no minister in government, and it meets one or both of two criteria: The UUP have consistently fulfilled both criteria, however only elected to join the Opposition in the fifth term. The SDLP met both criteria after
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3008-453: The Assembly after Harold McCusker allegedly told the Alliance Party's John Cushnahan he could not support him as chairman of the education committee because he was Catholic . John Hume said it was no surprise to the SDLP that the UUP, through "its allegedly most liberal spokesman" would not have a Catholic, even one who accepts the Union , as the "powerless chairman of powerless committee" in
3102-554: The Assembly altogether. This left only forty-nine of the seventy-eight elected members actually attending the Assembly. From January to March 1986 the functioning of the Assembly deteriorated further as Unionists resigned from committees and efforts from Tom King to initiate dialogue with the rump Assembly were rejected by Unionist politicians. On 13 March at the recommendation of the "Grand Committee" established in November all scrutiny Committees were effectively abolished. From then on
3196-447: The Assembly before the 4 July recess was marked by disorder and two Alliance politicians were ordered to leave the chamber for referring to DUP members as "thugs" and "gangsters". The growing anxiety of Unionists was highlighted when during the summer recess James Molyneaux and Ian Paisley sent a letter to Margaret Thatcher signaling their readiness to consider any "reasonable" proposal for safeguarding Catholic/Nationalists interests in
3290-421: The Assembly believed the move spelled the end of any chance of the party participating. The SDLP's representatives were by this time demoralised, unsure of what role constitutional nationalism had in Northern Ireland and seriously considered a mass resignation of their Assembly seats, even with the risk that Sinn Féin might take them in the ensuing by-election. The SDLP felt further vindicated in abstaining from
3384-721: The Assembly held a special adjournment debate at which the members, bar Alliance, voted to request a referendum in Northern Ireland on the Agreement. On 5 December the DUP proposed a motion to set up a "Committee on the Government of Northern Ireland" with a remit "to examine the implication of the Anglo-Irish Agreement for the government and future of Northern Ireland and the operation of the Northern Ireland Constitution Act in 1973 and
3478-602: The Assembly is suspended, certain devolved matters revert to the remit of the British–Irish Intergovernmental Conference (BIIGC). The BIIGC guarantees the Government of Ireland a say in areas of bilateral co-operation and on those matters not yet devolved to the Assembly or the North/South Ministerial Council . Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly as with other subordinate legislatures are subject to judicial review. A law can be struck down if it
3572-510: The Assembly rather than the total elected membership, meaning a devolved government could be created without a role for Nationalist politicians. The Amendment was unsuccessful. The UUP returned to the Assembly in May 1984. Writing in December 1983 on a possible new political initiative to entice the SDLP into participating in the Assembly, Belfast Telegraph columnist Barry White said: If it's
3666-503: The Assembly remained suspended from 2002 until 2007, the members elected at the 2003 Assembly election were called together on 15 May 2006 under the Northern Ireland Act 2006 to meet in an Assembly to be technically known as "the Assembly established under the Northern Ireland Act 2006" for the purpose of electing a First Minister and deputy First Minister and choosing the members of an Executive before 25 November 2006 as
3760-512: The Assembly was only a platform for Unionist opposition to the Anglo-Irish Agreement. On 15 May, six months after its signing, fourteen DUP members commandeered the telephone switchboard at Parliament Buildings and lectured all callers about the iniquities of the Agreement. On 23 June the Speaker read out a letter from the private secretary to the Secretary of State stating that he had ordered
3854-634: The Assembly's history. The Executive of the Sixth Assembly was formed on 11 January 2020. Unlike the United Kingdom Parliament and the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament), the Assembly had no provision for an official opposition to hold governing parties to account until legislation was passed in 2016. A party may now form or join an Assembly Opposition , granting it additional speaking, scrutiny and funding rights, if it
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3948-477: The Assembly. After speaking on anti-terrorism efforts and economic efforts, Hurd also restated British government policy on the necessity of devolved government with the widest possible support. But his speech ended with a warning which was not lost on some of the audience - that if the Government's plans for the Assembly did not pan out, the British Government would continue its search for new "structures and processes" in Northern Ireland and also continue dialogue with
4042-780: The DUP and the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) . The former had pulled ahead in the European election of 1979 and the Local Council Elections of 1981 but had suffered a setback in the 1982 Belfast South by-election which followed the murder of Robert Bradford . The results were seen as a positive step for the new electoral strategy of Sinn Féin which gained 5 seats on an abstentionist ticket and narrowly missed winning seats in Belfast North and Fermanagh and South Tyrone . The SDLP, also campaigning on abstentionism, were disappointed with their 14 seats; one of these
4136-418: The DUP resigned. Due to the power-sharing arrangements, this also caused the deputy First Minister to lose her position. Elections were held for a seventh assembly in May 2022. Sinn Féin emerged as the largest party, followed by the Democratic Unionist Party . The newly elected assembly met for the first time on 13 May 2022 and again on 30 May. However, at both these meetings, the DUP refused to assent to
4230-512: The DUP, like the UUP, rejected power-sharing with the SDLP but in contrast argued for the restoration of a majority rule government led by a Prime Minister of Northern Ireland, albeit with a nod to "safeguards" for minorities. On 19 June 1984, Jack Allen, Chairman of the Devolution Report Committee, wrote to SDLP leader John Hume asking for a submission on the views of the SDLP as to how progress might be achieved towards
4324-818: The Deputy Leader of the Opposition. Following the Assembly Opposition Act, the standing orders which regulate how the Assembly conducts its business were amended on 14 March 2016 to provide the Assembly Opposition with: The Assembly Opposition Act also required standing orders to grant: and amended the Financial Assistance for Political Parties Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 to give Assembly Opposition parties additional funding (section 11). Northern Ireland Assembly (1982) The Northern Ireland Assembly established in 1982 represented an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to restore
4418-583: The Flags and Emblems Act, and described the tricolour as the flag of a "state which harboured murderers" and called on the RUC and British Army not to ignore the flying of the flag. DUP member George Seawright described the tricolour as a "provocative rebel rag". When the Assembly reconvened in November 1983, Prior held a press conference during which he asserted that the Unionists could have done more to encourage
4512-487: The Irish Government was considering how it could support the SDLP. He said he wished to sustain the SDLP as a moderate nationalist party because an undermining of its position FitzGerald feared would be "highly dangerous" for the stability of the entire island. In May 1983, the Assembly debated a DUP motion calling for the continuation of the Assembly as a scrutinising body and proposed a new committee to outline
4606-559: The Irish government. Throughout 1985 the idea of the Irish Government having input in Northern Ireland's internal workings gained traction in the public space as Hurd admitted such arrangements were being actively discussed. Unionist alarm at the seeming involvement of the Irish Government intensified during the summer marching season as the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) banned or restricted several Orange Order marches through Catholic areas. The final meeting of
4700-494: The New Northern Ireland Assembly was on 25 June 1998 and it first met on 1 July 1998. However, it only existed in "shadow" form until 2 December 1999 when full powers were devolved to the Assembly. Since then the Assembly has operated with several interruptions and has been suspended on six occasions: Attempts to secure its operation on a permanent basis were initially frustrated by disagreements between
4794-603: The Northern Ireland Act 1982." All normal meetings of the Assembly and its scrutiny Committees were also suspended except for the Finance and Personnel Committee, which was directed to investigate the implications of the Agreement for Northern Ireland's civil service. Only the Speaker would be allowed to reconvene the Assembly, after consultation with the Business Committee. In response the Alliance party withdrew from
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#17327982364304888-509: The SDLP to participate in the Assembly and restated his opinion that the Assembly could not move beyond the initial phase without buy-in from Nationalists, stating "if Unionists want devolved government they have to show they are prepared to meet the SDLP and make statements that will encourage them to take their places." Days later republican paramilitaries opened fire on churchgoers at a Pentecostal Church in Darkley, County Armagh; in protest
4982-415: The SDLP's decision to abstain was a "wise judgement". FitzGerald believed the move prevented an even larger proportion of the "frustrated minority population" voting for Sinn Féin and added that "There is no point in the SDLP attending the Assembly, in which the parties of the vast majority of seats are committed against any possibility of power-sharing... That's, just a dead-end, a cul-de-sac." Fitzgerald said
5076-404: The Secretary of State which he will lay before Parliament." An executive could be formed consisting of not more than 13 members. However, powers could be gradually devolved to the Assembly if 70 per cent of Assembly members agreed. These powers would be transferred back to the Secretary of State if that consent was later withdrawn. Furthermore, some functions such as Law and Order would remain with
5170-425: The Secretary of State, James Prior, made his second appearance before the Assembly and stressed that it was an "essential precondition" for devolved government to operate successfully in Northern Ireland that any proposals must have substantial support from "both sides of the community". The DUP's Jim Allister stated in a speech responding to Prior that if the DUP had to decide between having no devolved government and
5264-509: The Secretary of State, even if full devolution was achieved. The British government was clear that it was an "essential precondition" for a devolved administration to successfully function that any proposals needed the support of both Unionists and Nationalists in Northern Ireland. Cross border issues would remain the prerogative of the Westminster Parliament. The electoral system proved to be hugely controversial. While there
5358-567: The St Andrews Agreement, these positions were now chosen by larger parties only, while the holders of other positions were elected by sitting MLAs. Eileen Bell was appointed by the Secretary of State , Peter Hain , to be the interim speaker of the Assembly, with Francie Molloy and Jim Wells acting as deputy speakers. The Northern Ireland (St Andrews Agreement) Act 2006 repealed the Northern Ireland Act 2006 and disbanded "the Assembly". The St Andrews Agreement Act provided for
5452-732: The UK) and the Republic of Ireland. Talks eventually succeeded under a third Secretary of State Julian Smith . The sixth Assembly resumed on 11 January 2020, shortly before the UK's exit from the European Union . In February 2021, DUP MLAs threatened to bring down the Assembly and force an early election in protest at Boris Johnson 's Brexit deal , which would put a border in the Irish Sea . On 3 February 2022, First Minister Paul Givan of
5546-445: The UUP agreed to serve on the Committees, with the previously agreed exception of their leader and deputy leader, Molyneaux and Harold McCusker . UUP member for Mid-Ulster William Thompson publicly appealed to the party to enter the Assembly, stating that the party was "totally opposed" to power-sharing with the SDLP. In contrast, the DUP and Alliance were enthusiastic advocates for the Assembly and eagerly applied themselves to working
5640-406: The UUP withdrew from the Assembly citing what they regarded as inadequate security. In the following months four UUP representatives (John Carson, Raymond Ferguson, James Kirkpatrick and William Thompson) defied the party line and returned to the Assembly. Westminster UUP MP Ken Maginnis attempted to amend the 1982 Act by altering the 70 per cent requirement so that it only applied to those attending
5734-482: The Unionist position of a Unionist-controlled local government for Northern Ireland. The Anglo-Irish Agreement was signed by Margaret Thatcher and Garret FitzGerald on 15 November 1985 at Hillsborough Castle and gave the Irish government for the first time a consultative role in the affairs of Northern Ireland through an "Inter Governmental Conference". Unionists were angry and felt bitterly betrayed, and months of protests and street violence followed. On 16 November
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#17327982364305828-413: The United Kingdom , and to appoint the Northern Ireland Executive . It sits at Parliament Buildings at Stormont in Belfast . The Assembly is a unicameral , democratically elected body comprising 90 members known as members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). Members are elected under the single transferable vote form of proportional representation (STV-PR). In turn, the Assembly selects most of
5922-453: The centre Alliance consolidated with 10 seats including unexpected wins in North and West Belfast. The Workers Party failed to make a breakthrough despite respectable vote shares in places like North and West Belfast. The UUP under James Molyneaux had attempted to block moves towards devolution earlier in 1982 and after the election tried frustrating the creation of the new Assembly with a number of diversionary moves. However, by Spring 1983
6016-431: The chamber and the right to chair certain committees . While the Assembly and Executive had been in operation since 1998 and 1999, respectively (following the Good Friday Agreement ), the Assembly Opposition was only established in 2016, as part of the Fresh Start Agreement . The opportunity was first taken by the Ulster Unionist Party and Social Democratic and Labour Party for the Assembly's fifth term , following
6110-435: The devolution to Northern Ireland which had been suspended 10 years previously. The Assembly was dissolved in 1986. The Assembly emerged as a result of initiatives by the then Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland , Humphrey Atkins and James Prior . The first step in this process was a white paper called The Government of Northern Ireland: A Working Paper for a Conference, published on 20 November 1979. This established
6204-495: The devolved legislature for Northern Ireland was the Parliament of Northern Ireland , established by the Government of Ireland Act 1920 and meeting from 1932 at Stormont , outside Belfast. Due to gerrymandering practices, the Parliament always had an Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) majority and always elected a UUP administration . For its first two elections it used proportional representation ( Single transferable voting ) but switched to First-past-the-post voting in 1929. It
6298-565: The dissolution the Assembly. Twenty-one Unionist representatives refused to leave the Assembly chamber until they were forcibly evicted by the RUC at the request the clerk of the chamber in the early hours of the following morning. A crowd of demonstrators gathered outside attempted to break into the building and threw stones and other missiles at police. As he was dragged out Ian Paisley warned RUC officers "don't come crying to me when your homes are attacked... because you'll reap what you sowed" (referring to widespread attacks by militant loyalists on
6392-405: The election of a speaker as part of a protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol , which meant that the assembly could not continue other business, including the appointment of a new Executive . The incumbent speaker and incumbent ministers continued in office in caretaker roles. After the deadline set by Westminster for restoring devolved government was missed, the Northern Ireland secretary
6486-408: The first Thursday in May. The Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 was passed to bring the Northern Ireland Assembly into line with the other devolved legislatures and to extend each Assembly term to five years instead of four. The second election to the Assembly was delayed by the UK government until 26 November 2003. The Assembly is dissolved shortly before the holding of elections on
6580-489: The hands of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, and a budget for the ongoing 2017–18 financial year was passed by the UK Parliament. Over time, further legislation was passed for Northern Ireland at Westminster, repeatedly extending the deadline for Executive formation although no direct rule ministers were appointed during this suspension. In 2019, the UK Parliament enacted one such Bill to legalise same-sex marriage and liberalise abortion, in line with Great Britain (the rest of
6674-461: The homes of RUC officers in preceding months) and at a follow-up press conference asserted that Northern Ireland was on the "verge of civil war." Of the twenty-one Unionist politicians removed, only two were members of the UUP, including Jeffrey Donaldson . Alliance party leader John Cushnahan labelled Paisley's remarks as "fascist" and called on the UUP to distance themselves from Paisley's behaviour. The absence of Nationalist parties meant that
6768-472: The largest parties of the largest and second largest Assembly 'block' (understood to mean 'Unionist', 'Nationalist' and 'Other'). The Minister of Justice is appointed by cross-community agreement. The seven other ministerial positions are distributed among willing parties roughly proportionate to their share of seats in the Assembly by the D'Hondt method , with ministers chosen by the nominating officers of each party. The Assembly has authority to legislate in
6862-691: The largest unionist and largest nationalist party they must participate in the Executive. The Assembly Opposition Act recognises the offices of Leader of the Largest Non-Executive Party and Leader of the Second-Largest Non-Executive Party, although these positions may be given alternative names (section 5). Assembly Standing Orders clarifies these roles will be titled the Leader of the Opposition and
6956-472: The ministers of the Northern Ireland Executive using the principle of power-sharing under the D'Hondt method to ensure that Northern Ireland's largest voting blocs, British unionists and Irish nationalists , both participate in governing the region. The Assembly's standing orders allow for certain contentious motions to require a cross-community vote ; in addition to requiring the support of an overall majority of members, such votes must also be supported by
7050-459: The official designation of identity requirement and the taking of important votes on the basis of an ordinary super-majority , as does the largest unionist party, the DUP . Which parties can appoint ministers to the Northern Ireland Executive is determined by a combination of mandatory coalition, the D'Hondt method and cross-community support, depending on the role, as explained above. Coalitions of between three and five parties have governed over
7144-471: The planned devolution never took place, while the UUP also intermittently boycotted proceedings. Following the Anglo-Irish Agreement of November 1985, Unionists insisted on using the debating chamber to protest at the Agreement, resulting in an Alliance walk-out on 5 December 1985 and subsequent boycott. As a result, the government dissolved the Assembly on 23 June 1986, and it would be over
7238-413: The power to call for witnesses and documents, if the relevant responsibility has been transferred to its remit. Proceedings are covered by privilege in defamation law. The Assembly's composition is laid down in the Northern Ireland Act 1998 . It initially had 108 members (MLAs) elected from 18 six-member constituencies on the basis of universal adult suffrage and the single transferable vote . Under
7332-484: The scrutiny Committees, all of which were functioning by March 1983. The SDLP abstained from the Assembly outright because the party did not believe the initiative represented a serious political solution to Northern Ireland's problems, with Unionists declaring their unwillingness to share power with the SDLP before the election was even held and the absence of an "Irish dimension." The SDLP were further discouraged from participating after SDLP Deputy Leader Seamus Mallon
7426-402: The tricolour has been publicly flown. Alliance introduced an amendment to give the RUC a more general power to remove flags which was defeated, although Alliance representative David Cook said in the chamber he deplored the "deliberate and provocative" displaying of the tricolour. UUP elected member Edgar Graham in supporting the motion lamented there had been so few recent prosecutions under
7520-519: The two main unionist parties (the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and the Ulster Unionist Party ) and Sinn Féin . Unionist representatives refused to participate in the Good Friday Agreement's institutions alongside Sinn Féin until they were assured that the IRA had discontinued its activities, decommissioned its weapons, and disbanded. The Assembly's suspension from October 2002 to May 2007 occurred when unionist parties withdrew from
7614-569: The wake of the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal , McGuinness resigned from his post in January 2017, bringing an end to almost a decade of unbroken devolution. Sinn Féin withdrew from the Assembly, and a fresh election was held on 2 March 2017. Negotiations mediated by then Secretary of State James Brokenshire missed the three-week deadline provided in law for the formation of an Executive. The passing of an extended legal deadline of 29 June left decisions on funding allocations in
7708-403: Was abolished and replaced in 1973 by a unicameral Northern Ireland Assembly . An Executive was formed in which unionist, nationalist and cross-community parties shared power for the first time. However, that government only lasted from January to May 1974, and from then until the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 Northern Ireland was ruled directly by the British Government . The legal basis for
7802-588: Was brought about by legislation in the Westminster Parliament as a result of continued refusal by the DUP to form an executive. On 30 January 2024, leader of 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 . A sitting of the assembly was called for 3 February 2024 at which Edwin Poots
7896-624: Was consistently an Irish nationalist party (jointly Sinn Féin and the Nationalist Party in the Parliament's first term from 1921 to 1925, and thereafter the Nationalist Party). However, during this time members of the Nationalist opposition often practised a policy of abstentionism where they would run for seats in the parliament but refuse to take them if elected, in order not to give legitimacy to British rule or
7990-458: Was disqualified from the Assembly for accepting an appointment to Seanad Éireann , following legal proceedings initiated by UUP deputy leader Harold McCusker. Mallon described his disqualification as a "symbolic disbarment" of the SDLP from political life in Northern Ireland and said that the British Government was guilty of a "complete portfolio of abuses of democracy". Even moderate SDLP representatives who had previously been in favour of entering
8084-431: Was elected as Speaker and a new executive led by Michelle O'Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly was formed, restoring devolved government in Northern Ireland. The Assembly has both legislative powers and responsibility for electing the Northern Ireland Executive. The First and deputy First Ministers were initially elected on a cross-community vote , although this was changed in 2006 and they are now appointed as leaders of
8178-489: Was entitled to Ministerial roles under the D'Hondt method and declined them, or if it wins 8% or more of the seats. This opportunity was qualified for and taken by the UUP and SDLP following the 2016 election. Even within the Executive, however, the parties (which have collectively held large majorities in the Assembly) have frequently voted against each other due to political and/or policy differences. Alongside independents,
8272-613: Was established in 1973 with a power-sharing Executive taking office in January 1974. However, this body was brought down by the Ulster Workers' Council strike in May 1974. Political discussions continued against the continued backdrop of the Troubles . In 1982, another Northern Ireland Assembly was established, initially as a body to scrutinise the actions of the Northern Ireland Civil Service and
8366-501: Was general acceptance that the elections should take part using the Single Transferable Vote system, the decision to use the same 12 constituency boundaries used in 1973 rather than the new 17 constituency boundaries which were later adopted in 1983 was heavily criticised. Great interest centred on the performance of Sinn Féin, fighting its first full election in many decades and on the inter-Unionist rivalry between
8460-408: Was legally required to schedule the election in the following 12 weeks. However, the secretary extended the deadline for the formation of the executive by six weeks, with an option for a further six week extension, so that any Northern Ireland Assembly election that would occur due to a failure to form an executive would happen at some point in 2023. Further extension of the deadline to 8 February 2024
8554-735: Was not until February 1965 that the Nationalist Party agreed to accept recognition as the Official Opposition in the House of Commons. Eddie McAteer served as Leader of the Opposition for the remainder of the tenth term and through the eleventh term until they withdrew from the official Opposition in October 1968 following the Government 's response the RUC 's attack on a NICRA march in Derry . The majority-rule Parliament
8648-495: Was referred to as partial or rolling devolution. Under the proposals, a 78-member assembly would be elected by proportional representation using the Single Transferable vote as in 1973. The Assembly's role at first would only be to scrutinise Government Departments as the white paper stated its role would be "consultative and deliberative, including scrutiny of draft legislation and making reports and recommendations to
8742-539: Was subsequently lost in a by-election to the UUP as Seamus Mallon was disqualified following a successful UUP election petition on the grounds that he was ineligible as he was a member of Seanad Éireann at the time. On the Unionist side the UUP gained a clear lead over the DUP, while the United Ulster Unionist Party (UUUP) failed to make an impact and, as a result, folded two years later. In
8836-506: Was suspended by the UK Government on 30 March 1972 and formally abolished in 1973 under the Northern Ireland Constitution Act 1973 . Northern Ireland was subsequently administered by direct rule until 1999, with a brief exception in 1974. Attempts began to restore on a new basis that would see power shared between nationalists and unionists . To this end a new legislature, the Northern Ireland Assembly ,
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