Politics, Political Parties and Elections

The following links provide information about the political process, political parties, and elections in Northern Ireland. Additional material will be added to this section as it becomes available. Users should also look at information contained in the section on the Peace Process.

• selected reading list

• Information on the Devolved Government in Northern Ireland including the Northern Ireland Assembly, Executive and other institutions

• House of Commons Information Office. (2000) Northern Ireland Business and Legislation House of Commons Factsheets - L No 8 (Previously Factsheet 15) Revised July 2000 [PDF 39k]

UK-Ireland Summit Meeting:

• British and Irish Governments. (2025). Joint Statement released by Keir Starmer, then British Prime Minister, and Micheal Martin, then Taoiseach, on 6 March 2025, following a UK-Ireland Summit meeting, [PDF; 114KB]. Dublin: Taoiseach's Office. ... [31759] - [Statement]

• politics in Northern Ireland

  • Alcock, Antony. (1994) 'The Unloved, Unwanted Garrison - The Unionist Community in Northern Ireland', in, Understanding Ulster. Lurgan: Ulster Society (Publications) Limited.

  • Arthur, Paul. (2000) 'The Endogenous and the Exogenous', in, Special Relationships: Britain, Ireland and the Northern Ireland problem. Belfast: Blackstaff Press.

  • Elliott, Sidney., and Flackes, W.D. (1999) 'Systems of Government', in, Northern Ireland: A Political Directory, 1968-99. Belfast: Blackstaff Press.

  • Connolly, Michael. (1990) 'Political Groupings in Northern Ireland', in, Politics and Policy Making in Northern Ireland. Basingstoke: Macmillan Press Ltd.

  • Cochrane, Feargal. (1997) 'The Unionists of Ulster: An Ideological Analysis', in, Unionist Politics and the Politics of Unionism since the Anglo-Irish Agreement. Cork: Cork University Press.

  • Lynn, Brendan. (1997) '1964-1969: Eclipse', in, Holding the Ground: The Nationalist Party in Northern Ireland, 1945-1972. Aldershot: Ashgate Publishing Ltd.

  • McEvoy, Joanne. (2008). Towards Rrestored Devolution, in, The Politics of Northern Ireland. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

  • Porter, Norman. (1996) 'Interpreting Unionism', in, Rethinking Unionism. Belfast: Blackstaff Press.

  • O Connor, Fionnuala. (1993) 'Shifting, complex and ambiguous' Political Allegiance, in, In Search of a State: Catholics in Northern Ireland. Belfast: Blackstaff Press.

  • O'Doherty, Malachi. (1998) 'The Trouble with Guns', in, The Trouble with Guns. Belfast: Blackstaff Press.

  • Shirlow, Peter., and McGovern, Mark. (eds) (1997) 'Who are 'the People'? Unionism, Protestantism and Loyalism in Northern Ireland', in, Who are 'the People'? Unionism, Protestantism and Loyalism in Northern Ireland. London: Pluto Press.

  • Wilford, Rick., and Wilson, Robin. (2006) The Trouble with Northern Ireland: the Belfast agreement and democratic governance, (April 2006), [PDF; 523KB]. Dublin: TASC at New Island.

• details of Westminster Governments, Prime Ministers, and Secretaries of State for Northern Ireland, 1968 to the present

• contact details for the 26 Local Councils in Northern Ireland

• chronological list of the main political initiatives

• an outline of the main political 'solutions' to the conflict

• political parties

  • rough guide to the political parties

  • web sites of the political parties
    

• Double Jobbing and Family Connections in politics:

  • The list of Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) who employ relatives using public funds (as at 26 November 2009)

  • List of Family Connections in Northern Ireland Politics, and People who held Multiple Elected Positions (as at 1 December 2003)

  • List of People who were Northern Ireland Assembly Members (MLAs) and Serving Councillors (as at 1 December 2003)

• Reports by the Independent Monitoring Commission (IMC)

Elections in Northern Ireland

• Elections menu page

  • Introduction to the Electoral System in Northern Ireland

• Election Results

  • Summary of election results 1968 to the present

  • Details of election results 1968 to the present

• Other Information

  • A Selection of political party manifestos

  • Electoral maps and charts

  • List of the 18 Westminster Constituencies, including details of wards and size of the electorate (1995)

  • Population, number of wards, and average ward electorates for the 26 District Councils (1992)

  • Guide to information on elections on the Internet

  • Polls of Opinion and Attitude in Northern Ireland, 1973-2004

  • an outline of the electoral system

• All Election Results 1968 to the Present

  • Details of election results 1968 to the present

• see also political cartoons about Northern Ireland

• lists of source documents

  • Source Materials (1) - chronological listing of key reports

  • Source Materials (2) - general source material

  • List of source material on the 'peace process'

  • See also: Government Reports, and Acts of Parliament, about Northern Ireland