This article is part of a series within the
Politics of the United Kingdom on the
Politics of Northern Ireland
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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.

Political parties with elected representation at a local, national, UK or European level

Party details

Party Founded Political
position 		Ideology Designation Leader(s) Local
government 		Northern Ireland Assembly House of Commons
(NI Seats) 		House of Lords

Sinn Féin
English: We ourselves[Note 1] 		1905
1970 (current form)
[Note 2] 		Centre-left[1] to
left-wing[2] 		Irish republicanism
Democratic socialism
Left-wing nationalism 		Nationalist Michelle O'Neill[Note 3]
144 / 462
27 / 90
7 / 18
(abstentionist) 		—

Democratic Unionist Party 		1971 Right-wing[3][4] British unionism
British nationalism
National conservatism
Right-wing populism
Euroscepticism 		Unionist Jeffrey Donaldson
122 / 462
25 / 90
8 / 18
6 / 779

Alliance Party of Northern Ireland 		1970 Centre-left[5] Liberalism[6][7][8]
Nonsectarianism[9][10]
Pro-Europeanism[11] 		Other Naomi Long
67 / 462
17 / 90
1 / 18
0 / 779
[Note 4]

Ulster Unionist Party 		1905 Centre-right[12]
Unionist Doug Beattie
54 / 462
9 / 90
 —
2 / 779

Social Democratic and Labour Party 		1970 Centre-left[15][16]
Nationalist Colum Eastwood
39 / 462
8 / 90
2 / 18
0 / 779
[Note 5]

Traditional Unionist Voice 		2007 Right-wing[18]
Unionist Jim Allister
9 / 462
1 / 90
 — —

People Before Profit 		2005 Left-wing[21] to far-left[22] Trotskyism[23]
Socialism[24]
Anti-capitalism[25]
Irish reunification[26] 		Other[Note 6] — Collective leadership
2 / 462
1 / 90
 — —

Green Party NI 		1985 Centre-left to left-wing Green politics[13]
Nonsectarianism
Pro-Europeanism[11] 		Other — Malachai O'Hara
5 / 462
 — — —

Progressive Unionist Party 		1985 Centre-left[27][28] to
left-wing[28] 		British unionism
Ulster loyalism
Democratic socialism[29][30]
Social democracy 		Unionist — Russell Watton
1 / 462
 — — —

Northern Ireland Conservatives 		1989 Centre-right British unionism
Conservatism
Economic liberalism 		Unionist — Paul Leeman — — —
3 / 779

Party representation

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 9
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
Militant Left 0 0 0 0
Northern Ireland Conservatives 0 3 0 0
  1. ^ Lord Alderdice, leader of the Alliance from 1987–98, has sat in the Lords since 1996, taking the Lib Dem whip.
  2. ^ Margaret Ritchie, leader of the SDLP from 2010–11, has sat in the Lords since 2019, resigning from the party to do so.

Other registered parties

Unionist and loyalist

Party Founded Political
position 		Ideology Leader(s)

Heritage Party 		2020 Right-wing Euroscepticism
British unionism
British nationalism
Social conservatism
Right-wing populism
 David Kurten

Nationalist and republican

Party Founded Political
position 		Ideology Leader(s)

Aontú
English: Unity 		2019 — Anti-abortion[32]
Irish republicanism[33]
Social conservatism[34]
Soft Euroscepticism[35] 		Peadar Tóibín

Communist Party of Ireland
Irish: An Páirtí Cumannach na hÉireann 		1933
1970 (refoundation) 		Far-left Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Irish reunification 		— Jimmy Corcoran (General Secretary)

Fianna Fáil
English: Warriors of Fál or
Soldiers of Destiny[Note 7] 		1926 Centre[38][39][40] to
centre-right[41][42][43] 		Irish republicanism
Conservatism
Christian democracy
Populism 		Micheál Martin

Irish Republican Socialist Party 		1974 Far-left Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Irish republicanism
Dissident republicanism
Hard euroscepticism 		— Ard Chomhairle
English: National Executive

Republican Network for Unity 		2007 Left-wing Irish republicanism
Dissident republicanism
Socialism 		— —

Saoradh
English: Liberation 		2016 Far-left[44][45] Irish republicanism
Dissident republicanism[46]
Revolutionary socialism
Hard Euroscepticism[47]
Anti-imperialism 		— Stephen Murney

Workers' Party
Irish: An Páirtí na nOibrithe 		1905 Far-left Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Irish republicanism 		— Collective leadership

Others

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 —

Unregistered parties

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.

Inactive parties

Unionist and loyalist

Nationalist and Republican

Others

Flowchart of all political parties in Northern Ireland

A flowchart illustrating all the political parties that have existed throughout the history of Northern Ireland and leading up to its formation.

Party leaders

Party leaders serving 10 years or more are

Leader Years Party/Period Constituency
Ian Paisley 42y Protestant Unionist Party 1966–1971
Democratic Unionist Party 1971–2008		 Bannside, North Antrim
Ruairí Ó Brádaigh 36y Sinn Féin 1970–1983
Republican Sinn Féin 1986–2009
Gerry Adams 35y Sinn Féin 1983–2018 West Belfast, Louth
William Norton 28y Irish Labour 1932–1960
Tomás Mac Giolla 26y Sinn Féin 1962–1970
Official Sinn Féin 1970–1977
Sinn Féin The Workers' Party 1977–1982
Workers' Party 1982–1988
Hugh Smyth 23y Progressive Unionist Party 1979–2002
John Hume 22y Social Democratic and Labour Party 1979–2001 Foyle
Albert McElroy 19y Ulster Liberal Party 1956–1975 (?)
Lord Craigavon 19y Ulster Unionist Party 1921–1940 Down, North Down
John Redmond 18y Irish Parliamentary Party 1900–1918 Waterford City
Lord Brookeborough 17y Ulster Unionist Party 1946–1963 Lisnaskea
James Molyneaux 16y Ulster Unionist Party 1979–1995 South Antrim, Lagan Valley
Joseph Devlin 16y Nationalist Party 1918–1934 Belfast Falls, Fermanagh and Tyrone, Belfast Central
Gerry Fitt 15y Republican Labour Party 1964–1970
Social Democratic and Labour Party 1970–1979		 Belfast West, Belfast Dock
James Kilfedder 15y Ulster Popular Unionist Party 1980–1995 North Down
David Ford 15y Alliance Party 2001–2016 South Antrim
Margaret Buckley 13y Sinn Féin 1937–1950
Robert McCartney 13y UK Unionist Party 1995–2008 North Down
James McSparran 13y Nationalist Party 1945–1958 Mourne
Oliver Napier 12y Alliance Party 1972–1984 Belfast East
Thomas Joseph Campbell 11y Nationalist Party 1934–1945 Belfast Central
Sir Edward Carson 11y Ulster Unionist Party 1910–1921 Dublin University, Belfast Duncairn
John Alderdice 11y Alliance Party 1987–1998 Belfast East
David Trimble 10y Ulster Unionist Party 1995–2005 Upper Bann

See also

Notes

  1. ^ A frequent mistranslation is "Ourselves Alone" from Sinn Féin Amháin, an early 20th-Century slogan.
  2. ^ The current party known as Sinn Féin broke from the party then known as Sinn Féin in 1970 and was initially commonly referred to as Provisional Sinn Féin.
  3. ^ Although Mary Lou McDonald is the party president, O’Neill serves as vice-president and as First Minister-designate, functions as the party’s leader in Northern Ireland.
  4. ^ Lord Alderdice, leader of the Alliance from 1987–98, has sat in the Lords since 1996, taking the Liberal Democrat whip.
  5. ^ Margaret Ritchie, leader of the SDLP from 2010–11, has sat in the Lords since 2019 as a Labour peer, resigning from the SDLP to do so.
  6. ^ In the Northern Ireland Assembly, the party's MLAs sign the register as "socialist" when asked if they are "unionist" or "nationalist", resulting in an official designation of "Other". However, People Before Profit is in favour of Irish reunification.
  7. ^ Since 2007, Fianna Fáil has been officially registered in Northern Ireland, but has not formally fielded any election candidates as of yet, despite members passing motions to at successive árdfheiseanna.[36] Ógra Fianna Fáil launched cumainn (branches) at QUB and UU in the same year. From 2019 to 2022, it was in partnership with the SDLP.[37]

References

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