4th Northern Ireland Assembly facts for kids

The Fourth Northern Ireland Assembly was a group of elected representatives who made laws for Northern Ireland. It was like a parliament for Northern Ireland. This Assembly started on 12 May 2011 after an election. Its meetings took place in the Parliament Buildings at Stormont. The Assembly served for its full term.

In the 2011 election, 18 areas in Northern Ireland each chose six people to be Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), led by Peter Robinson, was the biggest party. Sinn Féin, led by Gerry Adams, was the second biggest.

To make sure everyone worked together, the DUP, Sinn Féin, the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland formed a special government. This is called a power-sharing coalition. William Hay was chosen as the Speaker. He was like the chairperson of the Assembly. Later, Mitchel McLaughlin became the Speaker in October 2014.

The UUP and SDLP won fewer seats than before. The Alliance Party, led by David Ford, gained more seats. Some parties were not part of the main government. These included the Green Party in Northern Ireland, the Traditional Unionist Voice, NI21, and the United Kingdom Independence Party.

Many members from the previous Assembly were re-elected. About three-quarters of the MLAs from the 3rd Assembly returned. This included 83 people who had been MLAs before. Twenty of the MLAs elected in 2011 were women. There were 25 new MLAs, which was about 23% of all members.

How Many Members Did Each Party Have?

This table shows how many members each political party had in the Assembly.

How the Seats Looked

• 

  As elected, 5 May 2011

• 

  12 May 2011 to 27 Jan 2012

• 

  12 Jan 2015 to end

This is not the actual seating plan.

Who Were the Leaders?

• The Speaker was Mitchel McLaughlin (from Sinn Féin). Before him, it was William Hay (from the Democratic Unionist Party) until October 2014. The Speaker runs the Assembly meetings.
• The Principal Deputy Speaker was Robin Newton (Democratic Unionist Party).
• Other Deputy Speakers included John Dallat (Social Democratic and Labour Party) and Roy Beggs Jr (Ulster Unionist Party).

Leaders of the Government

• The First Minister was Peter Robinson, who also led the Democratic Unionist Party.
• The Deputy First Minister was Martin McGuinness.
  • The main leader for Sinn Féin in the Assembly was Raymond McCartney.
• The leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party was Alasdair McDonnell.
• The leader of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland was David Ford.

Leaders of the Opposition Parties

• The leader of the Ulster Unionist Party was Mike Nesbitt.
• The leader of the Green Party in Northern Ireland was Steven Agnew.
• The leader of NI21 was Basil McCrea.
• The leader of Traditional Unionist Voice was Jim Allister.
• The leader of UKIP in the Assembly was David McNarry.

Members of the Assembly (MLAs) by Party

This is a list of all the MLAs elected in 2011, grouped by their political party.

Important Note: Paul Girvan and Paul Givan are two different people, even though their names sound similar. Also, Roy Beggs, Jr. is the son of another politician named Roy Beggs. Mark H. Durkan is the nephew of a former SDLP leader, Mark Durkan.

† Co-opted to replace an elected MLA

‡ Changed affiliation during the term

Members of the Assembly (MLAs) by Area

This list shows the MLAs for each area, in alphabetical order by the area's name.

† Co-opted to replace an elected MLA ‡ Changed affiliation during the term

New Members Elected in 2011

After the election in May 2011, 25 members from the previous Assembly were replaced by new ones. Some members chose not to run again, and others lost their seats. One member was re-elected but with a different party.

Changes in Membership Since the Election

Sometimes, an MLA might leave their seat before the next election. When this happens, a new person is chosen to take their place. This is called "co-option."

When Did Members Change Parties?

Sometimes, an MLA might change which political party they belong to. This is called changing their "affiliation."

More to Explore

• Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly elected in 2007
• 2011 Northern Ireland Assembly election
• Executive of the 4th Northern Ireland Assembly