Direct rule (Northern Ireland) facts for kids
In Northern Ireland, direct rule is when the UK government in London directly manages Northern Ireland. This happened for 26 years straight, from 1972 to 1998, during a difficult time known as the Troubles. Since then, direct rule has been used for short periods when Northern Ireland's own government wasn't working.
The last time direct rule ended was on 8 May 2007. That's when the Northern Ireland Assembly got its powers back after elections and a special agreement between the main political parties.
Even during direct rule, everyday things in Northern Ireland were handled by local government departments. But big decisions and new laws were made by the British Government's Northern Ireland Office. This office was led by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, a top government minister. New laws were often made using something called an Order in Council.
Direct rule didn't mean people in Northern Ireland had no say at all. Like other parts of the UK, they still elected Members of Parliament (MPs) to the Parliament of the United Kingdom in London. The Northern Ireland Office had to answer to this Parliament. However, it did mean that Northern Ireland had a government that wasn't chosen directly by the people of Northern Ireland themselves.
How Direct Rule Started
The system of direct rule began on 28 March 1972. This happened because of a special law passed by the UK government. This law also stopped the Parliament of Northern Ireland, which was known as "Stormont," from meeting.
At the time, the Northern Irish government, led by Brian Faulkner, didn't want to give control of security (like policing and keeping order) to London. Because of this, the British government, led by Prime Minister Edward Heath, announced on 24 March 1972 that Northern Ireland's local government would be paused.
Before this, the person in charge of Northern Ireland within the UK government was the Home Secretary. But now, a new job was created: the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. This new Secretary of State led the Northern Ireland Office. Several new junior ministers were also created to help run the government departments in Northern Ireland.
Efforts to Restore Local Government
The British government tried several times to bring back a local government for Northern Ireland.
- In 1973, they tried to set up a new Northern Ireland Assembly under the Sunningdale Agreement. But this plan failed because many Unionists (people who want Northern Ireland to stay part of the UK) didn't agree with it.
- Another attempt was made in 1982, but this time, Nationalists (people who want Northern Ireland to join the Republic of Ireland) refused to take part.
- The most successful attempt came with the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. This agreement aimed for the Assembly to take over running Northern Ireland, ending direct rule for good.
The Good Friday Agreement worked well for a while. However, the Assembly was still paused (and direct rule started again) several times:
- For over three months starting in February 2000.
- Briefly twice in August and September 2001.
- Again from October 2002 until spring 2007.
Both Unionists and Nationalists often didn't like direct rule. They felt it meant the people of Northern Ireland had less say in how they were governed. However, some Unionists accepted it because it showed Northern Ireland was a strong part of the UK. Some Nationalists accepted it too, believing that politicians in London might be fairer to Northern Ireland's Catholic community than a local government chosen mostly by the Protestant majority.
A few smaller political parties supported direct rule. For example, the UK Unionist Party wanted Northern Ireland to be fully "integrated" into the UK, meaning it would be governed exactly like other parts of the UK. This party had some success but eventually lost its representatives by 2007.
Since the St Andrews Agreement in 2006, the UK Parliament in London can no longer just stop the Northern Ireland Assembly without passing a new main law.
Times Direct Rule Returned After the Good Friday Agreement
The Northern Ireland Assembly has been paused five times since the Good Friday Agreement was signed. This happened under the rules of the Northern Ireland Act 2000. The times direct rule was brought back were:
- 11 February – 30 May 2000
- 10 August 2001 (for 24 hours)
- 22 September 2001 (for 24 hours)
- 14 October 2002 – 7 May 2007
