A Guide to Northern Irish Politics

On 14 September 2026, the leaders of the SNP, Plaid Cymru and Sinn Féin signed a memorandum of understanding. “The United Kingdom in its current form is unjust and unsustainable,” the document read. In effect, it reinstated a shared commitment by Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to leave the United Kingdom. This marked a significant moment for the Union - the governing parties in three of the four nations advocating for its breakup. 

Northern Ireland is one of the four home nations which make up the United Kingdom. During the 17th century, James I wished to unite England, Scotland and Ireland. From 1609 onward, he encouraged masses of Protestants to move from Britain to Ulster, a province in the north of Ireland. In 1801, Ireland joined the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. This led to dissatisfaction among Catholics and nationalists in Ireland. Home Rule, a movement to secure self-governance for the Irish within the United Kingdom, developed in the late 19th century. A bitter parliamentary process ensued in which legislation for Home Rule failed twice before passing in 1914. Although Prime Minister William Gladstone supported the movement, the debate fragmented the Liberal Party. In April 1916, the Easter Uprising led to a shift in public opinion to favour Irish independence. Ultimately Ireland was partitioned in May 1921. The Protestant north remained a part of the United Kingdom, becoming Northern Ireland, whilst the Catholic south established an independent Republic of Ireland. 

In the late 1960s, a conflict emerged between the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), a group advocating for Irish reunification, and the British government. Around 3,700 people died in The Troubles, a conflict defined by terrorist bombings, shootings and riots. In 1998, Tony Blair’s government resolved the war with the Good Friday Agreement. Today, discourse over whether Northern Ireland’s future lies in the United Kingdom or Irish Republic is at the centre of politics in the province. 

Northern Ireland will next elect its developed legislature on 6 May 2027. Sinn Féin have experienced a slump in the opinion polls - due to competition from smaller parties - whilst the unionist DUP remain riddled with scandal. Unlike other governments, Northern Ireland’s was designed to ensure co-operation between all parties. This means no single party has control of the government’s policy. Therefore John Swinney, Rhun ap Iorwerth and Michelle O'Neill attended the signing of the Cardiff Agreement in their capacity as party leaders, not the heads of devolved governments. 

In this article, I’ll explain the politics of Northern Ireland by exploring its structure of government, political parties and upcoming assembly elections.

Government

Northern Ireland has a population of 1.9 million people. When the United Kingdom withdrew from the EU’s Customs Union, a regulatory border was imposed for goods crossing from Britain to Northern Ireland. This avoided British participation in the Single Market and Customs Union and a regulatory border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, which the government avoided due to the history of conflict on the island. Products in “Green lanes,” intended for goods travelling from Britain to Northern Ireland, are subject to minimal paperwork whilst products in “red lanes”, intended for goods from Britain to Ireland, require the usual EU border checks. Border issues in Ireland were one of the cornerstones of Brexit negotiations. 

The Northern Ireland Assembly, commonly referred to as Stormont, is the nation’s legislature. It was established in accordance with the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. The Northern Ireland Executive is the executive branch of the province’s government. Northern Ireland’s political system is consociationalist, where power is collaborative to quell divisions in disunited areas. The leaders of the largest and second largest political parties in Stormont become First Minister and Deputy First Minister, respectively. This means the executive cannot function when one or both of the two largest parties refuse to “power share.” 

Northern Ireland’s government is responsible for health, social care, housing, education, justice and policing and social security in the province, whilst the territory’s foreign affairs, defence, immigration and monetary policy are determined by the UK government. 

Stormont is a unicameral legislature, meaning it consists of only one chamber. It comprises 90 members, who are elected every five years. Voters elected five Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) per constituency. The Single Transferrable Vote system is used. This means voters rank candidates based on preference. Although voters can rank all candidates, they do not have to. 

First-preference votes are counted and a quota is calculated. The quota is the minimum number of votes a candidate must win to be elected. Any candidate with a number of first preference votes equal to or higher than the quota is elected straight away. If no candidate exceeds the quota, then the excess votes from those elected are moved to second preference candidates. The process is repeated until all seats are filled. 

Besides the government of Northern Ireland, the North South Ministerial Council was established in the Good Friday Agreement. Its purpose is to develop consultation, cooperation and action across the island of Ireland. It is composed of ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive and Irish government. The Council is responsible for 12 “areas of cooperation.” In 6 of them, policy must be agreed together and then implemented by the separate governments. In the other 6, the policy must be agreed together and then implemented together by an “implementation body.” These are responsible for internal trade, promotion of the native languages and food safety awareness, among other issues.

The Good Friday Agreement establishes the legal framework in which Northern Ireland could reunite with the Republic of Ireland. It mandates a referendum held at the same time in both the North and South. A majority on both sides of the border must vote in favour of a United Ireland. In 1973, a referendum was held which resulted in a resounding victory for the Unionists, although it was boycotted by Nationalists. 

The Northern Ireland Office is the UK government department responsible for Northern Irish affairs. Its role is to maintain and support the Good Friday Agreement in the areas of electoral law, human rights and national security. If ⅔ of MLAs vote to dissolve Stormont, then the Northern Ireland Secretary is obliged to propose a date for the election. Since July 2026, Chris Bryant has served as Northern Ireland Secretary. Northern Ireland is represented by 18 MPs in the House of Commons.

Northern Ireland has its own independent judiciary, court system and common law distinct from those of England and Wales and Scotland. The nation is more socially conservative than Britain - legalising abortion and same-sex marriage as recently as 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Politics

British political parties, such as Labour, the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats, do not compete in elections in Northern Ireland. Fundamentally, Northern Irish politics is divided on the line of unionists or nationalists, rather than the traditional left wing or right wing. Unionists support the continuation of the United Kingdom, whilst nationalists support Irish reunification. 

Smaller political parties describe themselves as “cross-community.” Ulster nationalism is a fringe position which supports Northern Ireland leaving the UK without joining the Republic of Ireland.

Sinn Féin is the largest political party in Northern Ireland. It is active in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. The party advocates for Irish reunification. It was closely associated with Republican paramilitary organisations during The Troubles. Elsewhere, the party supports democratic socialism. Sinn Féin MPs follow an abstentionist policy of not taking their seats in the House of Commons. Sinn Féin holds seven seats in Parliament. Its name translates to “Ourselves Alone.”

The Democratic Unionist Party, or DUP, is the second largest political party in Northern Ireland. It advocates for unionism. The socially conservative party opposes abortion and same-sex marriage. In the early 2000s, the DUP overtook the UUP to become Northern Ireland’s largest unionist party. Until 2010, the party was engaged in a fierce rivalry with the British Conservatives. David Cameron eased relations when he proposed an electoral pact, then the parties agreed a co-operation agreement during the 2015-17 Parliament. As a result of Theresa May’s snap election, the Conservatives lost their majority and formalised a confidence and supply deal with the DUP. In the agreement, the DUP would support the Tories in exchange for some policy shifts and an additional £1 billion in funding for Northern Ireland. The deal ended in disaster when the DUP refused to vote for the Tory withdrawal bills on three occasions. Currently, the DUP hold five seats in the House of Commons. 

The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) is Northern Ireland’s other unionist party. They are a centre-right alternative to the DUP. From 2009 until 2012, the party participated in an electoral alliance with the Conservatives. The Alliance Party is a centrist liberal party associated with the Liberal Democrats. They are a cross-community party. Currently, the Alliance holds one seat in the House of Commons. 

At the last Stormont election in 2022, Sinn Féin won 27 seats; the DUP won 25; the Alliance won 17 and the UUP won 9. Due to their opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, which governed post-Brexit trading relations, the DUP refused to enter the Northern Ireland Executive. This meant the government of Northern Ireland was suspended for the sixth time in its history. The province is governed by the UK Civil Service when its government is suspended. 

Following a deal between the UK Government and DUP, which simplified domestic imports, the party agreed to return to power sharing. In February 2024, Michelle O'Neill was appointed as First Minister whilst Emma Little-Pengelly was appointed Deputy First Minister.

The Programme for Government is a document that establishes the shared priorities and targets that the Executive hopes to achieve during its mandate. In February 2025, the Executive established nine key priorities in its Programme for Government. Among them were more affordable childcare, lower health waiting lists and a more competitive and sustainable economy.

Since then, the O’Neill government committed to the delivery of 80% of Northern Ireland’s electricity as renewable. It also proposed the Good Jobs bill, which would introduce greater benefits for workers. 

Opinion polls suggest that if a referendum on Irish reunification were held, then Northern Ireland would vote to remain in the United Kingdom. Nonetheless, south of the border the Republic of Ireland would resoundingly vote for a United Ireland. Under the Good Friday Agreement, the Northern Ireland Secretary must be held if it is likely that a majority of people would vote for Irish reunification. There is no detail in the agreement regarding the conditions for a referendum to be held. 

In May 2027, Northern Ireland will elect its Assembly. Michelle O’Neill aspires to win a second term as First Minister, although the environmentalist Green Party and eco-socialist People Before Profit parties are shedding Sinn Féin’s popularity in the opinion polls. A flurry of scandals have punished the DUP. In June 2026, the party’s former leader Jeffrey Donaldson was found guilty of 18 offences of rape, indecent assault and gross indecency. Earlier in the year, one DUP MP was charged with common assault of a woman and another for failing to declare an overseas trip. Under the leadership of Jon Burros, polls show a rise in support for the UUP. The party hopes to regain its position as Northern Ireland’s largest unionist party, although it is unclear whether they can translate polling success into extra seats. If they can, then that could be the story of election night. 

Perhaps the greater one will be the continued disintegration of the United Kingdom. Sinn Féin first won a Stormont election in 2022. A second separatist win, following a quick succession of victories for nationalists in Scotland and Wales, is one step closer to the Cardiff Agreement becoming reality.