This article is part of
a series within the Politics of the United Kingdom on the |
Political parties in Northern Ireland lists political parties in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Assembly is elected by single transferable vote and the composition of the Northern Ireland Executive is by power sharing determined by the D'Hondt system, among the members elected to the Assembly. Party affiliation is generally based on religious and ethnic background.
Although Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom, it has a quite distinct party system from the rest of the country, as the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats do not contest elections there (though the Liberal Democrats have links with the Alliance Party), and the Conservative Party has received only limited support in recent elections.
Some parties, such as Sinn Féin and the Workers' Party, are organised on an all- Ireland basis. Others such as the Conservative Party are organised on an all-United Kingdom basis. There are many Northern Ireland-specific parties and these, on the whole, predominate.
The distinction between " unionist/ loyalist", " nationalist/ republican" and "other" is not always easy with some parties and individuals. Some have defined themselves less by their position on the " Border Question" than on other political issues.
For example, the former Republican Labour Party/ Social Democratic and Labour Party MP Gerry Fitt's career suggests he was first and foremost a socialist rather than a nationalist and he eventually left the SDLP claiming it had drifted from its founding intentions. Similarly the Workers' Party has its roots in the republican Official IRA but nowadays is considered to be a non-violent socialist and nationalist party. Several parties strive to be avowedly non- sectarian and would not consider themselves to be either unionist or nationalist. The Northern Ireland Assembly requires MLAs to designate themselves either "Unionist", "Nationalist" or "Other." This is a designation that is particularly resented by those who designate as "Other", as they have no input on who becomes First or Deputy First Minister.
There are some who see the terms "Unionist"/"Loyalist" and "Nationalist"/"Republican" as being of more relevance to the community that the party seeks to represent rather than the position on the border question. Several of the "Other" parties strive to be non-sectarian but have a clear position on the border.
Party | Representation (as of 3 October 2023) [31] | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK Parliament | Assembly | Local councils | |||||
House of Commons | House of Lords | ||||||
Sinn Féin | 7 | 0 | 27 | 144 | |||
Democratic Unionist Party | 8 | 6 | 25 | 122 | |||
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland | 1 | 0 [nb 1] | 17 | 67 | |||
Ulster Unionist Party | 0 | 2 | 9 | 54 | |||
Social Democratic and Labour Party | 2 | 0 [nb 2] | 8 | 39 | |||
Traditional Unionist Voice | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | |||
People Before Profit | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |||
Green Party Northern Ireland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |||
Progressive Unionist Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
Aontú | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
Northern Ireland Conservatives | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Party | Founded | Political position |
Ideology | Leader(s) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Heritage Party |
2020 | Right-wing |
Euroscepticism British unionism British nationalism Social conservatism Right-wing populism |
David Kurten |
Party | Founded | Political position |
Ideology | Leader(s) | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cross-Community Labour Alternative |
2015 | Left-wing |
Democratic socialism Anti-capitalism Nonsectarianism |
— | Owen McCracken | — | |
Labour Party in Northern Ireland |
1900 | Centre-left |
Social democracy Democratic socialism |
— | Erskine Holmes | UK Labour has historically had a policy not to stand in Northern Ireland. Until recently it was not possible for residents to even join the party; however this was changed on legal advice. An officially recognised branch party was set up in 2003. SDLP MPs unofficially take the Labour whip. | |
Northern Ireland Liberal Democrats |
1988 | Centre-left |
Liberalism Social liberalism Nonsectarianism Pro-Europeanism |
— | Stephen Glenn | The Liberal Democrats currently have a policy not to stand in Northern Ireland but to support their sister party, the Alliance Party, with many holding dual-membership, and Alliance peers take the Liberal Democrat whip. | |
Socialist Party |
1996 | Left-wing to far-left |
Democratic socialism Political radicalism [48] Trotskyism [49] Euroscepticism [50] |
— | Collective leadership | — |
Candidates for unregistered parties may choose either to be listed as "Non-Party", or to leave the section blank on the ballot paper, in the same manner as independent candidates.
Party leaders serving 10 years or more are
This could be achieved by, for example, adopting a more conservative position than Alliance's centre-left liberalism...
Both Prof Murphy and Prof Regan pointed out that Sinn Féin would have trouble trying to do business with any of the far-left parties such as People Before Profit.
Right2Water involves a number of small trade unions (Unite, Mandate, the Communications Worker's Union, the CPSU and OPATSI), as well as the Left parties of Sinn Fein and the united front organisations of two Trotskyist parties (People Before Profit and the Anti Austerity Alliance), and the Workers' Party........The 'Campaign against the Household and Water Taxes' involved socialists from the far left Trotskyist parties
a loose historically-trotskyist alliance called "Solidarity – People Before Profit" (S-PBP), some affiliated to the Committee for a Workers International's successor International Socialist Alternative, and others to the Cliffite International Socialist Tendency
a loose historically-trotskyist alliance called "Solidarity – People Before Profit" (S-PBP), some affiliated to the Committee for a Workers International's successor International Socialist Alternative, and others to the Cliffite International Socialist Tendency
The exception was People Before Profit, a small all-Ireland, pro-unity, Trotskyist party that aligned with the Lexit (left-wing Brexit) position of a section of the British left.
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link)
This article is part of
a series within the Politics of the United Kingdom on the |
Political parties in Northern Ireland lists political parties in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Assembly is elected by single transferable vote and the composition of the Northern Ireland Executive is by power sharing determined by the D'Hondt system, among the members elected to the Assembly. Party affiliation is generally based on religious and ethnic background.
Although Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom, it has a quite distinct party system from the rest of the country, as the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats do not contest elections there (though the Liberal Democrats have links with the Alliance Party), and the Conservative Party has received only limited support in recent elections.
Some parties, such as Sinn Féin and the Workers' Party, are organised on an all- Ireland basis. Others such as the Conservative Party are organised on an all-United Kingdom basis. There are many Northern Ireland-specific parties and these, on the whole, predominate.
The distinction between " unionist/ loyalist", " nationalist/ republican" and "other" is not always easy with some parties and individuals. Some have defined themselves less by their position on the " Border Question" than on other political issues.
For example, the former Republican Labour Party/ Social Democratic and Labour Party MP Gerry Fitt's career suggests he was first and foremost a socialist rather than a nationalist and he eventually left the SDLP claiming it had drifted from its founding intentions. Similarly the Workers' Party has its roots in the republican Official IRA but nowadays is considered to be a non-violent socialist and nationalist party. Several parties strive to be avowedly non- sectarian and would not consider themselves to be either unionist or nationalist. The Northern Ireland Assembly requires MLAs to designate themselves either "Unionist", "Nationalist" or "Other." This is a designation that is particularly resented by those who designate as "Other", as they have no input on who becomes First or Deputy First Minister.
There are some who see the terms "Unionist"/"Loyalist" and "Nationalist"/"Republican" as being of more relevance to the community that the party seeks to represent rather than the position on the border question. Several of the "Other" parties strive to be non-sectarian but have a clear position on the border.
Party | Representation (as of 3 October 2023) [31] | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
UK Parliament | Assembly | Local councils | |||||
House of Commons | House of Lords | ||||||
Sinn Féin | 7 | 0 | 27 | 144 | |||
Democratic Unionist Party | 8 | 6 | 25 | 122 | |||
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland | 1 | 0 [nb 1] | 17 | 67 | |||
Ulster Unionist Party | 0 | 2 | 9 | 54 | |||
Social Democratic and Labour Party | 2 | 0 [nb 2] | 8 | 39 | |||
Traditional Unionist Voice | 0 | 0 | 1 | 10 | |||
People Before Profit | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |||
Green Party Northern Ireland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | |||
Progressive Unionist Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |||
Aontú | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
Northern Ireland Conservatives | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Party | Founded | Political position |
Ideology | Leader(s) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Heritage Party |
2020 | Right-wing |
Euroscepticism British unionism British nationalism Social conservatism Right-wing populism |
David Kurten |
Party | Founded | Political position |
Ideology | Leader(s) | Notes | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cross-Community Labour Alternative |
2015 | Left-wing |
Democratic socialism Anti-capitalism Nonsectarianism |
— | Owen McCracken | — | |
Labour Party in Northern Ireland |
1900 | Centre-left |
Social democracy Democratic socialism |
— | Erskine Holmes | UK Labour has historically had a policy not to stand in Northern Ireland. Until recently it was not possible for residents to even join the party; however this was changed on legal advice. An officially recognised branch party was set up in 2003. SDLP MPs unofficially take the Labour whip. | |
Northern Ireland Liberal Democrats |
1988 | Centre-left |
Liberalism Social liberalism Nonsectarianism Pro-Europeanism |
— | Stephen Glenn | The Liberal Democrats currently have a policy not to stand in Northern Ireland but to support their sister party, the Alliance Party, with many holding dual-membership, and Alliance peers take the Liberal Democrat whip. | |
Socialist Party |
1996 | Left-wing to far-left |
Democratic socialism Political radicalism [48] Trotskyism [49] Euroscepticism [50] |
— | Collective leadership | — |
Candidates for unregistered parties may choose either to be listed as "Non-Party", or to leave the section blank on the ballot paper, in the same manner as independent candidates.
Party leaders serving 10 years or more are
This could be achieved by, for example, adopting a more conservative position than Alliance's centre-left liberalism...
Both Prof Murphy and Prof Regan pointed out that Sinn Féin would have trouble trying to do business with any of the far-left parties such as People Before Profit.
Right2Water involves a number of small trade unions (Unite, Mandate, the Communications Worker's Union, the CPSU and OPATSI), as well as the Left parties of Sinn Fein and the united front organisations of two Trotskyist parties (People Before Profit and the Anti Austerity Alliance), and the Workers' Party........The 'Campaign against the Household and Water Taxes' involved socialists from the far left Trotskyist parties
a loose historically-trotskyist alliance called "Solidarity – People Before Profit" (S-PBP), some affiliated to the Committee for a Workers International's successor International Socialist Alternative, and others to the Cliffite International Socialist Tendency
a loose historically-trotskyist alliance called "Solidarity – People Before Profit" (S-PBP), some affiliated to the Committee for a Workers International's successor International Socialist Alternative, and others to the Cliffite International Socialist Tendency
The exception was People Before Profit, a small all-Ireland, pro-unity, Trotskyist party that aligned with the Lexit (left-wing Brexit) position of a section of the British left.
{{
cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link)