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2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election

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The 2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election was held on Thursday, 2 March 2017. The election was held to elect members (MLAs) following the resignation of deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness in protest over the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal. McGuinness' position was not filled, and thus by law his resignation triggered an election.

2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election
← 2016 2 March 2017 2022 →
All 90 seats to the Northern Ireland Assembly[n 1]
Turnout64.78% (Increase9.8%)
  First party Second party Third party
 
MLA Arlene Foster.jpg
Michelle O'Neill (cropped from Martin McGuinness, Michelle O'Neill, Mary Lou McDonald and Gerry Adams).jpg
Colum Eastwood MLA.JPG
Leader Arlene Foster Michelle O'Neill Colum Eastwood
Party DUP Sinn Féin SDLP
Leader since 17 December 2015 23 January 2017[n 2] 14 November 2015
Leader's seat Fermanagh and South Tyrone Mid Ulster Foyle
Last election 38 seats, 29.2% 28 seats, 24% 12 seats, 12%
Seats won 28 27 12
Seat change Decrease10 Decrease1 Steady
Popular vote 225,413 224,245 95,958
Percentage 28.1% 27.9% 11.9%
Swing Decrease1.1% Increase3.9% Decrease0.1%
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Mike Nesbitt.png
Naomi_Long_MLA.jpg
Steven Agnew MLA 2016.png
Leader Mike Nesbitt Naomi Long Steven Agnew
Party UUP Alliance Green (NI)
Leader since 31 March 2012 26 October 2016 January 2011
Leader's seat Strangford Belfast East North Down
Last election 16 seats, 12.6% 8 seats, 7.7% 2 seats, 2.7%
Seats won 10 8 2
Seat change Decrease6 Steady Steady
Popular vote 103,314 72,717 18,527
Percentage 12.9% 9.1% 2.3%
Swing Increase0.3% Increase2.1% Decrease0.4%
  Seventh party Eighth party
 
JimAllister (cropped).jpg
Eamonn_McCann.jpg
Leader Jim Allister Eamonn McCann
Party TUV People Before Profit
Leader since 7 December 2007 N/A
Leader's seat North Antrim Foyle (Defeated)
Last election 1 seat, 3.4% 2 seats, 2.0%
Seats before 1 2
Seats won 1 1
Seat change Steady Decrease1
Popular vote 20,523 14,100
Percentage 2.6% 1.8%
Swing Decrease0.8% Decrease0.2%
Election results. Voters elect 5 assembly members from the 18 constituencies.
First Minister and
deputy First Minister before election

Arlene Foster (DUP) &
Martin McGuinness (SF)

 First Minister and
deputy First Minister after election

Arlene Foster (DUP) &
Michelle O'Neill (SF)

Eight parties elected MLAs in the sixth assembly: the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Sinn Féin, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland, the Greens, People Before Profit (PBP), and Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV). There was also one Independent Unionist MLA.

It was the sixth election since the Assembly was re-established in 1998, and the first to implement a reduction in size to 90 MLAs (versus the previous 108).

1,254,709 people were registered to vote in the election (26,886 fewer, or a 2.1% decrease, compared to the 2016 Assembly election).[2] 64.78% of registered voters turned out to vote in the 2017 Assembly election, up 9.8 percentage points from the previous Assembly election held in 2016, but 5 percentage points less than in the first election to the Assembly held in 1998.[3]

Background

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Theresa Villiers, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, announced in 2013 that the next Assembly election would be postponed to May 2016, and would be held at fixed intervals of five years thereafter.[4] Section 7 of the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 specifies that elections will be held on the first Thursday in May in the fifth calendar year following that in which its predecessor was elected,[5] which after 2016 was to be 6 May 2021. However, by virtue of section 31(1) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, there are several circumstances in which the Assembly can be dissolved before the date scheduled.

Martin McGuinness (Sinn Féin), the deputy First Minister, resigned on 9 January 2017 in protest at the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal (RHI) and other issues, such as the DUP's failure to support funding for inquests into killings during The Troubles and for an Irish language project. The First Minister, Arlene Foster (DUP), had been in charge of the RHI scheme in her previous ministerial position, but had refused to temporarily stand down as First Minister while an enquiry took place. Under the power-sharing arrangement, McGuinness' resignation as deputy First Minister meant that Foster automatically lost office as First Minister. The DUP condemned his resignation.

Sinn Féin had seven days, until 5 pm on 16 January 2017, in which to nominate a new deputy First Minister, but refused to do so in the Assembly plenary on 16 January.[6] As a result, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, confirmed the same day that a snap election would be held on 2 March.[7][8][9]

McGuinness subsequently announced that, owing to ill-health, he would not be seeking re-election to the Assembly; he then stepped down from leading the Sinn Féin group. He was replaced by Michelle O'Neill as leader of Sinn Féin in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Nineteen days after the election, McGuinness died.

Candidates

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Nominations opened on 27 January 2017 for the assembly election and closed on 8 February 2017.[2]

A total of 228 candidates contested the 90 available seats in the Assembly, a reduction from the 276 who contested the 108 seats available in 2016.[10] The seats were spread over 18 districts, with each district having five seats. The election was conducted using the single transferable vote system.

The table below lists all of the nominated candidates.[11] Candidates for the same party in a constituency are listed in alphabetical order, which is the order they appeared on the ballot paper.

  • * indicates an incumbent MLA
  • ** indicates the candidate was the incumbent MLA for a different constituency
  • ^ indicates a former MLA who was not a member at the dissolution of the 2016–17 Assembly
  • Leaders of parties represented in the assembly at dissolution are shown in bold text.
Constituency DUP SF SDLP UUP Alliance TUV Green Con Others
Belfast East
Mairéad O'Donnell Séamas de Faoite Andy Allen*
Andrew Girvin Georgina Milne Sheila Bodel
Belfast North
Nichola Mallon* Robert Foster Nuala McAllister Malachai O'Hara
  • Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston (PUP)
  • Fiona Ferguson (PBP)
  • Adam Millar (Ind.)
  • Gemma Weir (WP)
Belfast South
Máirtín Ó Muilleoir*
Michael Henderson
John Hiddleston Clare Bailey* George Jabbour
  • Seán Burns (CCLA)
  • Lily Kerr (WP)
  • Pádraigín Mervyn (PBP)
Belfast West Frank McCoubrey
Alex Attwood* Fred Rogers Sorcha Eastwood Ellen Murray
East Antrim
Oliver McMullan* Margaret Anne McKillop
Ruth Wilson Dawn Patterson Alan Dunlop
East Londonderry
John Dallat^ William McCandless Chris McCaw Jordan Armstrong Anthony Flynn David Harding
Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Richie McPhillips* Rosemary Barton* Noreen Campbell Alex Elliott Tanya Jones Richard Dunn Donal Ó Cófaigh (CCLA)
Foyle Gary Middleton*
Julia Kee Colm Cavanagh Shannon Downey Stuart Canning
Lagan Valley
Peter Doran Pat Catney
Trevor Lunn* Samuel Morrison Dan Barrios-O'Neill Matthew Robinson
Mid Ulster Keith Buchanan*
Patsy McGlone* Sandra Overend* Fay Watson Hannah Loughrin Stefan Taylor
  • Hugh McCloy (Ind.)
  • Hugh Scullion (WP)
Newry and Armagh William Irwin*
Justin McNulty* Danny Kennedy* Jackie Coade Rowan Tunnicliffe Emmet Crossan (CISTA)
North Antrim
Philip McGuigan* Connor Duncan Robin Swann* Patricia O'Lynn
Mark Bailey
  • Monica Digney (Ind.)
  • Adam McBride (Ind.)
North Down
Kieran Maxwell Caoímhe McNeill
Stephen Farry* Steven Agnew* Frank Shivers
  • Chris Carter (Ind.)
  • Melanie Kennedy (Ind.)
  • Gavan Reynolds (Ind.)
South Antrim
Declan Kearney* Roisin Lynch
David Ford* Richard Cairns Eleanor Bailey Mark Logan
  • Ivanka Antova (PBP)
  • David McMaster (Ind.)
South Down Jim Wells*
Harold McKee* Patrick Brown Lyle Rea Hannah George Gary Hynds Patrick Clarke (Ind.)
Strangford
Dermot Kennedy Joe Boyle
Kellie Armstrong* Stephen Cooper Ricky Bamford Scott Benton
Upper Bann
Dolores Kelly^
Tara Doyle Roy Ferguson Simon Lee Ian Nichols Colin Craig (WP)
West Tyrone Thomas Buchanan*
Daniel McCrossan* Alicia Clarke Stephen Donnelly Charlie Chittick Ciaran McClean Roger Lomas
  • Barry Brown (CISTA)
  • Corey French (Ind.)
  • Sorcha McAnespy (Ind.)
  • Roisin McMackin (Ind.)
  • Susan-Anne White (Ind.)

Gerry Mullan, who was an MLA for the SDLP before the dissolution, stood as an independent after having been deselected by the party.[12] Jonathan Bell, who was suspended from the DUP, was also standing as an independent.[13] Both failed to get elected.[14]

Members not seeking re-election

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MLA Party Constituency
Sydney Anderson DUP Upper Bann[15]
Sammy Douglas DUP Belfast East[16]
Alastair Ross DUP East Antrim[17]
Martin McGuinness Sinn Féin Foyle[18]
Caitríona Ruane Sinn Féin South Down[19]
Catherine Seeley Sinn Féin Upper Bann[20]
Ross Hussey UUP West Tyrone[21]

Campaign

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The Renewable Heat Incentive scandal remained central in the campaign.[22] Sinn Féin said they would not return to government with the DUP while questions over RHI remain over the DUP's leader, Foster.[23] There were concerns about deteriorating cross-community relationships.[24] If the two parties emerged as the largest in their communities and could not resolve the issue, direct rule by the UK government could be imposed.

The UUP leader, Mike Nesbitt, promoted the possibility of a UUP/SDLP administration.[25] He said he would give his voting preference after the UUP candidates to the SDLP, although he said he would not tell UUP voters what to do with their later preferences.[26] Other UUP candidates opposed the action, saying they will give later preferences to other unionist candidates over the SDLP,[27] and one UUP councillor resigned from the party in protest.[28]

The DUP criticised Nesbitt's position and campaigned arguing that splitting the unionist vote could help Sinn Féin come out as the largest party.[29]

Brexit was also an issue. In the UK-wide referendum on EU membership on 23 June 2016, 56% of voters in Northern Ireland voted to "Remain" a member of the European Union while 44% voted to "Leave". The DUP supported the UK leaving the EU, while nationalist parties and most others opposed, fearing among other things the possibility of a hard border resulting with the Republic of Ireland.[22][30] It became known during the campaign that the DUP spent £282,000 on a pro-Brexit advert in a newspaper that did not appear in Northern Ireland. The money came from the Constitutional Research Council, a minor pro-union group chaired by the former vice-chair of the Scottish Conservative Party Richard Cook.[31]

Position on
European Union
membership referendum 		Political parties Ref
Remain Alliance Party of Northern Ireland [32][33]
Green Party Northern Ireland [34]
Sinn Féin [35]
Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) [36]
Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) [37]
Leave
Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) [38][39]
People Before Profit Alliance (PBP) [40]
Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) [41]

The Alliance Party campaigned on their opposition to sectarianism.[23] People Before Profit focused on their opposition to austerity.

Opinion polling

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Graphical summary

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Pollster Client Date(s)
conducted 		Sample
size 		DUP (U) SF (N) UUP (U) SDLP (N) Alliance (O) TUV (U) Green (O) PBP (O) Others Lead
2017 Assembly Election 2 Mar 2017 – 28.1% 27.9% 12.9% 11.9% 9.1% 2.6% 2.3% 1.8% 3.7% 0.2%
Lucid Talk N/A 24–26 Feb 2017 1,580 26.3% 25.3% 13.9% 12.2% 9.5% 4.4% 3.4% 2.4% 2.7% 1.0%
Lucid Talk N/A 26–28 Jan 2017 1,580 25.9% 25.1% 13.9% 12.4% 8.9% 4.3% 3.9% 2.7% 3.1% 0.8%
2016 Assembly Election 5 May 2016 – 29.2% 24.0% 12.6% 12.0% 7.0% 3.4% 2.7% 2.0% 7.1% 5.2%

* (U): Unionist, (N): Nationalist, (O): Other

Results

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Result by constituencies
 
Map showing turnout and change in turnout from 2016

Overall results

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PartyVotes%+/–Seats
Assembly+/–Executive+/–
Democratic Unionist Party225,41328.06-1.128-105–
Sinn Féin224,24527.91+3.927-14–
Ulster Unionist Party103,31412.86+0.310-61+1
Social Democratic and Labour Party95,95811.95-0.112–1+1
Alliance Party of Northern Ireland72,7179.05+2.18–1+1
Traditional Unionist Voice20,5232.55-0.91–––
Green Party Northern Ireland18,5272.31-0.42–––
People Before Profit Alliance14,1001.76-0.21-1––
Progressive Unionist Party5,5900.70-0.2––––
Northern Ireland Conservatives2,3990.30-0.1––––
Cross-Community Labour Alternative2,0090.25––––
UK Independence Party1,5790.20-1.3––––
Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance1,2730.16-0.2––––
Workers' Party1,2610.16––––
Independent14,4071.79-1.51––-1
Total803,315100.00–90-18122
Valid votes803,31598.84
Invalid/blank votes9,4681.16
Total votes812,783100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,254,70964.78
Source: [42]

Seat changes compared to a notional result from 2016 with a 90-seat Assembly

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Psephologist Nicholas Whyte estimated the likely result in the 2016 election had it been fought with 5-seat constituencies rather than six-seat constituencies. This table shows the different result, and compares the actual result in 2017 to this notional result.[43]

Party MLAs elected in 2016 Notional 2016 MLAs elected in 2017 Change from
notional 2016 result 		Designation
DUP 38 33 28   5 Unionist
Sinn Féin 28 23 27   4 Nationalist
UUP 16 11 10   1 Unionist
SDLP 12 11 12   1 Nationalist
Alliance 8 8 8   Other
Green (NI) 2 2 2   Other
People Before Profit 2 1 1   Other
TUV 1 1 1   Unionist
Independent 1 0 1   1 Unionist
Total 108 90 90  

Distribution of seats by constituency

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Party affiliation of the five Assembly members returned by each constituency. The first column indicates the party of the Member of the House of Commons (MP) returned by the corresponding parliamentary constituency in the general election of 7 May 2015 (under the "first past the post" method).

2015 MP Constituency Candi-
dates
 Total
seats
PBP
 Green
 Sinn
Féin
 SDLP
 Alli-
ance
 UUP
 DUP
 TUV
 Ind.
 Seat
gained
by 		Seat
formerly
held by
1 DUP North Antrim – 5 – – 1 – – 1 2 1 – – DUP
2 DUP East Antrim – 5 – – – – 1 2 2 – – UUP
SF
DUP
3 UUP South Antrim – 5 – – 1 – 1 1 2 – – – DUP
4 DUP Belfast North – 5 – – 2 1 – – 2 – – – DUP
5 SF Belfast West – 5 1 – 4 – – – – – – – SDLP
6 SDLP Belfast South – 5 – 1 1 1 1 – 1 – – – DUP
7 DUP Belfast East – 5 – – – – 2 1 2 – – – DUP
8 Ind. North Down – 5 – 1 – – 1 1 2 – – – DUP
9 DUP Strangford – 5 – – – – 1 1 3 – – – UUP
10 DUP Lagan Valley – 5 – – – 1 1 1 2 – SDLP
UUP
DUP
11 DUP Upper Bann – 5 – – 1 1 – 1 2 – – SDLP
UUP
SF
12 SDLP South Down – 5 – – 2 2 – – 1 – – – UUP
13 SF Newry and Armagh – 5 – – 3 1 – – 1 – – – UUP
14 UUP Fermanagh & South Tyrone – 5 – – 3 – – 1 1 – – SF
DUP
SDLP
15 SF West Tyrone – 5 – – 3 1 – – 1 – – – UUP
16 SF Mid Ulster – 5 – – 3 1 – – 1 – – – UUP
17 SDLP Foyle – 5 – – 2 2 – – 1 – – – PBP
18 DUP East Londonderry – 5 – – 1 1 – – 2 – 1 – DUP
18 Total – 90 1 2 27 12 8 10 28 1 1
  Change since dissolution – –18 –1 0 –1 – – −6 −10 – – – –
  Assembly at dissolution – 108 2 2 28 12 8 16 38 1 1 – –
  Change during Assembly term – – – – – – – – – – – – –
  Elected on 5 May 2011 218 108 2 2 28 12 8 16 38 1 1 – –
  Elected on 7 March 2007 256 108 – 1 28 16 7 18 36 – 1 1 Prog. U. –
  Elected on 23 November 2003 108 – – 24 18 6 27 30 – 1 1 Prog. U. 1 UKUP
  Elected on 25 June 1998 108 – – 18 24 6 28 20 – 4 2 Prog. U. 5 UKUP, 2 NIWC

Share of first-preference votes

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Percentage of each constituency's first-preference votes. Four highest percentages in each constituency shaded; absolute majorities underlined. The constituencies are arranged in the geographic order described for the table above; click the icon next to "Constituency" to see them in alphabetical order.

The totals given here are the sum of all valid ballots cast in each constituency, and the percentages are based on such totals. The turnout percentages in the last column, however, are based upon all ballots cast, which also include anything from twenty to a thousand invalid ballots in each constituency. The total valid ballots' percentage of the eligible electorate can correspondingly differ by 0.1% to 2% from the turnout percentage.

2015
MP
 MP's %
of 2015
vote 		Constituency PBP
 Green
 Sinn
Féin
 SDLP
 Alli-
ance
 UUP
 DUP
 TUV
 Ind.
 Others
 Total
votes
 Eligible
elector-
ate 		Turn-
out
 %
1 DUP 43.2% North Antrim 1.1 15.8 7.3 5.4 12.5 40.6 16.0 1.1 – – 63.2%
2 DUP 36.1% East Antrim 2.1 9.9 4.1 16.0 22.7 35.2 4.1 0.3 5.7 – – 60.1%
3 UUP 32.7% South Antrim 1.3 1.2 16.3 9.5 12.5 20.8 33.7 3.2 1.2 0.5 – – 62.4%
4 DUP 47.0% Belfast North 3.8 1.7 29.4 13.1 8.4 5.8 32.1 0.2 5.5 – – 61.8%
5 SF 54.2% Belfast West 14.9 0.6 61.8 8.6 1.9 1.2 10.1 1.0 – – 66.8%
6 SDLP 24.5% Belfast South 1.8 9.9 17.7 19.4 17.8 9.0 20.8 1.6 2.1 – – 64.0%
7 DUP 49.3% Belfast East 3.6 2.9 0.6 31.4 13.1 37.6 2.3 0.2 8.4 – – 63.0%
8 Ind. 49.2% North Down 13.7 1.6 1.8 18.6 21.5 37.5 3.6 1.7 – – 59.2%
9 DUP 44.4% Strangford 2.4 2.9 7.9 15.0 20.0 39.9 3.4 8.0 0.5 – – 60.9%
10 DUP 47.9% Lagan Valley 2.0 4.0 8.4 13.5 25.2 41.3 3.1 2.1 0.4 – – 62.6%
11 DUP 32.7% Upper Bann 1.1 27.8 9.9 5.3 20.6 32.8 2.0 0.6 – – 62.5%
12 SDLP 42.3% South Down 1.0 38.6 25.2 9.2 8.4 15.8 1.3 0.4 0.2 – – 66.2%
13 SF 41.1% Newry & Armagh 0.5 48.3 16.4 2.6 13.2 17.8 1.3 – – 69.4%
14 UUP 46.4% Fermanagh & S. Tyrone 1.1 42.1 9.8 2.7 11.6 29.8 1.5 1.3 – – 72.6%
15 SF 43.5% West Tyrone 0.9 48.1 14.2 2.8 8.2 20.4 1.9 2.4 0.9 – – 69.9%
16 SF 48.7% Mid Ulster 0.5 52.8 12.9 2.0 9.1 19.3 2.5 0.5 0.4 – – 72.4%
17 SDLP 47.9% Foyle 10.7 0.5 36.6 31.8 2.5 3.7 13.4 0.1 0.6 – – 65.0%
18 DUP 42.2% East Londonderry 1.2 0.7 25.8 7.9 4.4 6.7 33.5 2.5 14.6 2.6 – – 62.7%
18 Northern Ireland 1.8 2.3 27.9 11.9 9.1 12.9 28.1 2.6 1.8 1.8 812,783 1,254,709 64.8%
Change since 2016 –0.2 –0.4 +3.9 –0.1 +2.1 +0.3 –1.1 –0.9 –2.1 –1.5 +109,039 –26,886 +10.0%
Election of May 2016 2.0 2.7 24.0 12.0 7.0 12.6 29.2 3.4 3.9 3.3 703,744 1,281,595 54.9%
Election of May 2011 0.9 26.9 14.2 7.7 13.2 30.0 2.5 2.2 2.3 661,736 1,210,009 55.6%
Election of March 2007 1.7 26.2 15.2 5.2 14.9 30.1 3.8 2.8 690,313 1,107,904 62.9%
Election of Nov. 2003 0.4 23.5 17.0 3.7 22.7 25.7 5.6 2.8 692,026 1,097,526 63.1%
Election of June 1998 0.1 17.6 22.0 6.5 21.3 18.1 10.9 3.5 823,565 1,178,556 69.9%

Incumbents defeated

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MLA[14] Party Constituency
Nelson McCausland DUP Belfast North
Emma Little Pengelly DUP Belfast South
Alex Attwood SDLP Belfast West
Oliver McMullan Sinn Féin East Antrim
Adrian McQuillan DUP East Londonderry
Gerry Mullan Independent East Londonderry
Maurice Morrow DUP Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Richie McPhillips SDLP Fermanagh and South Tyrone
Eamonn McCann People Before Profit Foyle
Brenda Hale DUP Lagan Valley
Jenny Palmer UUP Lagan Valley
Sandra Overend UUP Mid Ulster
Danny Kennedy UUP Newry and Armagh
Phillip Logan DUP North Antrim
Trevor Clarke DUP South Antrim
Harold McKee UUP South Down
Philip Smith UUP Strangford
Jonathan Bell Independent Strangford
Jo-Anne Dobson UUP Upper Bann

Aftermath

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The election marked a significant shift in Northern Ireland's politics, being the first election since Ireland's partition in 1921 in which unionist parties did not win a majority of seats, and the first time that unionist and nationalist parties received equal representation in the Assembly (39 members between Sinn Féin and the SDLP, 39 members between the DUP, UUP, and TUV). However, a plurality of MLAs were unionists, as Independent MLA Claire Sugden designates as such, leaving 40 unionist MLAs and 39 nationalist MLAs. The DUP's loss of seats also prevented it from unilaterally using the petition of concern mechanism, which the party had controversially used to block measures such as the introduction of same-sex marriage to Northern Ireland.[44][45]

UUP leader Mike Nesbitt announced his resignation, following the party's failure to make any breakthrough.[46]

Sinn Féin reiterated that it would not return to a power-sharing arrangement with the DUP without significant changes in the DUP's approach, including Foster not becoming First Minister until the RHI investigation is complete.[47] The parties had three weeks to form an administration; failing that, new elections would likely be called.

While unionism lost its overall majority in the Assembly, the result was characterised by political analyst Matthew Whiting as being more about voters seeking competent local leadership, and about the DUP having less success than Sinn Féin in motivating its traditional voter base to turn out, than about a significant move towards a united Ireland.[48]

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire gave the political parties more time to reach a coalition agreement after the 27 March deadline passed.[49] Sinn Féin called for fresh elections if agreement could not be reached.[50] Negotiations were paused over Easter, but Brokenshire threatened a new election or direct rule if no agreement could be reached by early May.[51] On 18 April, the Conservative Party Prime Minister, Theresa May, then called a snap general election for 8 June 2017. A new deadline of 29 June was then set for power-sharing talks.[52]

The 2017 UK general election saw both the DUP and Sinn Féin advance, with the UUP and SDLP losing all their MPs. The overall result saw the Conservatives losing seats, resulting in a hung parliament. May sought to continue as Prime Minister running a minority administration through seeking the support of the DUP. Various commentators suggested this raised problems for the UK government's role as a neutral arbiter in Northern Ireland, as is required under the Good Friday Agreement.[53][54][55] Talks restarted on 12 June 2017, while a Conservative–DUP agreement was announced and published on 26 June.

A new deadline was set for 29 June, but it appeared that no agreement would be reached in time, with the main sticking point over Sinn Féin's desire for an Irish Language Act, rejected by the DUP, while Sinn Féin rejected a hybrid act that also covers Ulster Scots.[56] The deadline passed with no resolution. Brokenshire extended the time for talks, but Sinn Féin and the DUP remained pessimistic about any quick resolution.[57]

Negotiations resumed in the autumn but failed, leaving it in the hands of the UK Parliament to pass a budget for the ongoing financial year of 2017–18. The bill, which began its passage on 13 November, would if enacted release the final 5% of Northern Ireland's block grant.[58][59][60] Talks between the DUP and Sinn Féin recommenced on 6 February 2018, only days before the mid-February deadline where, in the absence of an agreement, a regional budget would have to be imposed by Westminster.[61] Despite being attended by Theresa May and Leo Varadkar, the talks collapsed and DUP negotiator Simon Hamilton stated "significant and serious gaps remain between ourselves and Sinn Féin".[62] The stalemate continued into September, at which point Northern Ireland reached 590 days without a fully functioning administration, eclipsing the record set in Belgium between April 2010 and December 2011.[63]

On 18 October the Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley introduced the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Bill, removing the time frame of an Assembly election until 26 March 2019, which could be replaced by a later date by the Northern Ireland Secretary for once only, and during which the Northern Ireland Executive could be formed at any time, enabling civil servants to take a certain degree of departmental decisions that would be in public interest, and also allowing Ministers of the Crown to have several Northern Ireland appointments.[64][65][66] The Bill's third reading was passed in the House of Commons and in the House of Lords on 24 and 30 October respectively.[67] The Bill became the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) Act 2018 and came into effect after it received Royal Assent and was passed on 1 November.[68][69][70]

During a question period to the Northern Ireland Secretary on 31 October, Karen Bradley announced that she would hold a meeting in Belfast the following day with the main parties regarding the implementation of the Bill (which was not an Act yet on that day) and next steps towards the restoration of the devolution and that she would fly to Dublin alongside Theresa May's de facto deputy David Lidington to hold an inter-governmental conference with the Irish Government.[71] No deal was reached at that time.

On 24 July 2019, the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation etc) Act 2019 further extended the deadline for formation of an executive to 13 January 2020. It also introduced measures requiring the Secretary of State to liberalize abortion law and provisionally legalize same-sex marriage. (Both marriage and health are devolved matters, but legislating on these contentious issues was hampered by the lack of a functioning legislature. In relation to abortion, Westminster had a responsibility to act as NI law had been ruled by the European Court of Human Rights to be in breach of human rights, which are a reserved matter.) Unionist MPs attempted to reconvene the Assembly on 21 October to pass legislation to defeat the measures, but no business could be conducted due to a boycott by Sinn Féin. The Act additionally formed part of the 2019 prorogation controversy by requiring the Secretary of State to make regular reports to Parliament, thus preventing prorogation.

In early January 2020, the British and Irish governments announced the text of a deal to restore power sharing in Northern Ireland, and to restore devolution.[72] The Northern Ireland Executive was finally restored on 11 January 2020, with Foster returning as First Minister and Michelle O'Neill of Sinn Féin as deputy First Minister.[73]

Footnotes

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  1. ^ The last election was for an Assembly with 108 seats.
  2. ^ "Party leader in the North".[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Breen, Suzanne (23 January 2017). "Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill poised to be selected as party's new leader in Northern Ireland". Irish Independent. Archived from the original on 5 December 2019. Retrieved 2 December 2019.
  2. ^ a b "Northern Ireland Assembly Election, 2 March 2017". Archived from the original on 1 February 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
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