This is a list of the 108 members of the first Northern Ireland Assembly, the unicameral devolved legislature of Northern Ireland established by the Good Friday Agreement. Members (fully Members of the Legislative Assembly, MLAs) elected in June 1998 are listed,[1] as well as those subsequently co-opted to replace those who had resigned or deceased.[2] MLAs are grouped by party, and changes in party affiliation are noted.[2]
| 1st Northern Ireland Assembly | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||
| Overview | |||||||||||||
| Legislative body | Assembly | ||||||||||||
| Jurisdiction | Northern Ireland | ||||||||||||
| Meeting place | Parliament Buildings, Stormont | ||||||||||||
| Term | 1 July 1998 – 14 October 2002 | ||||||||||||
| Election | 1998 assembly election | ||||||||||||
| Government | Executive of the 1st Assembly | ||||||||||||
| Members | 108 | ||||||||||||
| Speaker | Lord Alderdice | ||||||||||||
| First Minister | David Trimble — Reg Empey until 6 November 2001 — David Trimble until 1 July 2001 | ||||||||||||
| Deputy First Minister | Mark Durkan — Seamus Mallon until 6 November 2001 | ||||||||||||
| Sessions | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
Party strengths
edit| Party | Designation | Jun 1998 election |
Oct 2002 end | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ● | Ulster Unionist Party | Unionist | 28 | 27 |
| ● | Social Democratic and Labour Party | Nationalist | 24 | 23 |
| ● | Democratic Unionist Party | Unionist | 20 | 20 |
| ● | Sinn Féin | Nationalist | 18 | 18 |
| Alliance Party | Other | 6 | 5 | |
| UK Unionist Party | Unionist | 5 | 1 | |
| Progressive Unionist Party | Unionist | 2 | 2 | |
| Northern Ireland Women's Coalition | Other | 2 | 2 | |
| United Unionist Coalition | Unionist | - | 3 | |
| Northern Ireland Unionist Party | Unionist | - | 3 | |
| Independent | Nationalist | 0 | 1 | |
| Independent | Unionist | 3 | 2 | |
| Speaker | None | 0 | 1 | |
| Totals by designation | Unionist | 58 | 58 | |
| Nationalist | 42 | 42 | ||
| Other | 8 | 5 | ||
| None | 0 | 1 | ||
| Total | 108 | |||
| ● = Northern Ireland Executive | ||||
Graphical representation
edit-
At election, 25 Jun 1998 -
1 Jul to 21 Sep 1998 -
18 Oct 2003 to end
This is not the official seating plan.
MLAs by party
editThis is a list of MLAs elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in the 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election, sorted by party.
† Co-opted to replace an elected MLA
‡ Changed affiliation during the term
MLAs by constituency
editThe list is given in alphabetical order by constituency.
† Co-opted to replace an elected MLA ‡ Changed affiliation during the term
Changes since the election
edit† Co-options
edit| Date co-opted | Constituency | Party | Outgoing | Co-optee | Reason | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 December 2000 | Foyle | SDLP | John Hume | Annie Courtney | Resignation of John Hume. | |
| 22 January 2001 | Strangford | UUP | Tom Benson | Tom Hamilton | Death of Tom Benson. | |
| 9 September 2002 | East Londonderry | SDLP | Arthur Doherty | Michael Coyle | Death of Arthur Doherty. | |
‡ Changes in affiliation
edit| Date | Constituency | Name | Previous affiliation | New affiliation | Circumstance | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 September 1998 | Belfast North | Fraser Agnew | Ind. Unionist | United Unionist Coalition | Fraser Agnew established a new political party to access facilities provided to Assembly parties. | ||
| 21 September 1998 | East Londonderry | Boyd Douglas | Ind. Unionist | United Unionist Coalition | Boyd Douglas established a new political party to access facilities provided to Assembly parties. | ||
| 21 September 1998 | Upper Bann | Denis Watson | Ind. Unionist | United Unionist Coalition | Denis Watson established a new political party to access facilities provided to Assembly parties. | ||
| 4 January 1999 | Strangford | Cedric Wilson | UK Unionist | Ind. Unionist | Cedric Wilson left the UKUP in response to proposals from Robert McCartney to resign their Assembly seats in opposition to Sinn Féin participating in the Executive. | ||
| 4 January 1999 | South Antrim | Norman Boyd | UK Unionist | Ind. Unionist | Norman Boyd left the UKUP in response to proposals from Robert McCartney to resign their Assembly seats in opposition to Sinn Féin participating in the Executive. | ||
| 4 January 1999 | Lagan Valley | Patrick Roche | UK Unionist | Ind. Unionist | Patrick Roche left the UKUP in response to proposals from Robert McCartney to resign their Assembly seats in opposition to Sinn Féin participating in the Executive. | ||
| 4 January 1999 | East Antrim | Roger Hutchinson | UK Unionist | Ind. Unionist | Roger Hutchinson left the UKUP in response to proposals from Robert McCartney to resign their Assembly seats in opposition to Sinn Féin participating in the Executive. | ||
| 24 March 1999 | Strangford | Cedric Wilson | Ind. Unionist | NI Unionist | Cedric Wilson established the NIUP having recently left the UKUP. | ||
| 24 March 1999 | South Antrim | Norman Boyd | Ind. Unionist | NI Unionist | Norman Boyd established the NIUP having recently left the UKUP. | ||
| 24 March 1999 | Lagan Valley | Patrick Roche | Ind. Unionist | NI Unionist | Patrick Roche established the NIUP having recently left the UKUP. | ||
| 24 March 1999 | East Antrim | Roger Hutchinson | Ind. Unionist | NI Unionist | Roger Hutchinson established the NIUP having recently left the UKUP. | ||
| 1 December 1999 | East Antrim | Roger Hutchinson | NI Unionist | Ind. Unionist | Roger Hutchinson expelled from the NIUP for sitting on Assembly committees against party policy. | ||
| 5 July 2000 | Upper Bann | Denis Watson | United Unionist Coalition | DUP | Denis Watson joined the DUP. | ||
| 2 November 2001 | East Londonderry | Pauline Armitage | UUP | Ind. Unionist | Pauline Armitage suspended from the UUP for voting against the party whip. | ||
| 9 November 2001 | North Down | Peter Weir | UUP | Ind. Unionist | Peter Weir expelled from the UUP for refusing to support the re-nomination of David Trimble as First Minister. | ||
| 1 April 2002 | East Antrim | Roger Hutchinson | Ind. Unionist | DUP | Roger Hutchinson joined the DUP. | ||
| 30 April 2002 | North Down | Peter Weir | Ind. Unionist | DUP | Peter Weir joined the DUP. | ||
| 11 November 2002 | North Antrim | Gardiner Kane | DUP | Ind. Unionist | Gardiner Kane resigned from the DUP. | ||
| 1 April 2003 | Foyle | Annie Courtney | SDLP | Ind. Nationalist | Annie Courtney resigned from the SDLP after not being re-selected by the party as a candidate for the 2003 Assembly election. | ||
| 12 June 2003 | East Londonderry | Pauline Armitage | Ind. Unionist | UK Unionist | Pauline Armitage resigned her membership of UUP and joined the UKUP. | ||
| 18 October 2003 | East Antrim | Roger Hutchinson | DUP | Ind. Unionist | Roger Hutchinson resigned from the DUP to contest the 2003 Assembly election as an independent unionist. | ||
References
edit- ^ "Northern Ireland Elections: Candidates in the 1998 NI Assembly Election". www.ark.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 14 February 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ^ a b Northern Ireland Assembly Information Office. "The Northern Ireland Assembly - Chronology (1998–2003)". archive.niassembly.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 1 April 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2017.