Northern Ireland

Article Outline

Introduction; Land and Resources; Population; Economy; Government; History

Government

Northern Ireland, an integral part of the United Kingdom, elects members (currently 18) to the lower house of the British parliament, the House of Commons. In recent years some of those elected—usually from Sinn Féin—have chosen not to go to London, usually in order to protest against the domestic situation and because they have refused to be sworn in, that is, to swear the oath of allegiance to the British monarch. At the 2005 general election the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) gained 9 seats, Sinn Féin 5, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) 3, and the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) 1.

Executive and Legislature

Stormont Parliament

The Government of Ireland Act, passed by the British parliament in 1920 and modified by several subsequent agreements between Northern Ireland and Great Britain, is the country’s basic constitutional document. It provided for Northern Ireland to have its own devolved parliament, which met at Stormont Castle in Belfast for 50 years from 1921, and was dominated during that period by the Protestant Unionists (that is, those supporting continued union with Great Britain). In 1972, however, because of political and religious strife, the British government decided to take over responsibility for law and order. The Northern Ireland government resigned in protest, and direct rule from London began.

A 1973 act gave Northern Ireland much local autonomy as part of attempts to restore devolved rule; London retained control over defence, foreign policy, currency, tariffs, and communications.

Direct Rule

In May 1974, following the collapse of the power-sharing agreement between the political parties in Northern Ireland, direct rule was reimposed. The office of governor and the Northern Ireland Parliament were suspended, and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in the British government became the head of government in the province.

Anglo-Irish Agreement

In 1985 the Anglo-Irish Agreement created an intergovernmental conference as a forum for joint discussion of issues such as cross-border security and cooperation. The agreement also provided for the Irish government to put forward views and proposals on matters relating to Northern Ireland, provided these would not be the responsibility of a devolved Northern Ireland administration. Each government retained full sovereignty over decisions and administration within its own jurisdiction.

In September 1993 the British government began bilateral discussions with three of the four Northern Irish parties, to explore a basis for a dialogue on the future of the province. In December of that year, the prime ministers of Britain and Ireland issued a joint declaration as a basis for all-party talks to achieve a political settlement. In late May 1996 elections were held for a 110-member forum to discuss issues pertaining to the promotion of understanding in the province; it had no formal or legislative function.

The Northern Ireland Peace Agreement of April 10, 1998 (the Good Friday or Belfast Agreement), which was accepted by 71 per cent of the Northern Ireland electorate in a referendum held on May 22, 1998, established the basis for a new 108-member assembly, elected by proportional representation, based on UK parliamentary constituencies. Elections occurred in June 1998, and the assembly was inaugurated on July 1, when it elected a first minister and deputy first minister. It had its first sitting in September 1998, and in February 1999 it endorsed a blueprint for the devolution of powers from the UK parliament. However, negotiations between nationalist and Unionist parties over the issue of decommissioning paramilitary weapons delayed the formation of an executive. The International Independent Commission on Decommissioning (IICD) confirmed in September 2005 that the IRA had put all of its arms beyond use and on May 15, 2007, power was devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly and a power-sharing executive headed by Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness took office.

Political Parties

The Ulster Unionist Party governed Northern Ireland from 1921 to 1972. In 1971 the party split into two groups—the Official Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP); the latter, founded and led by the Reverend Dr Ian Paisley, was traditionally the most hostile to any compromise on Northern Ireland’s future within the United Kingdom, and most hostile to the Republic of Ireland.

The other main political parties are the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), which supports peaceful reunification with the Republic of Ireland; Sinn Féin, the generally acknowledged political wing of the IRA; and the Alliance Party.

Sinn Féin was excluded from discussions on the future of Northern Ireland until 1994, because of its links with the IRA and its refusal to denounce violence, although its candidates could stand in local and national elections. It steadily increased its share of the vote. Sinn Féin’s participation in the peace process was thrown into doubt in the first half of 1996, following the ending of the IRA ceasefire in February and the bombing of Manchester’s city centre in June 1996.