Executive of the 2nd Northern Ireland Assembly facts for kids

From 2002 to 2007, Northern Ireland was under what is called Direct Rule. This meant that the local government, known as the Northern Ireland Assembly, was not in charge. Instead, the United Kingdom government in London made the decisions.

This period of direct rule began in October 2002. It lasted until May 2007, when a new agreement helped bring back the local government.

What Happened to the Northern Ireland Assembly?

The Northern Ireland Assembly is a special parliament for Northern Ireland. It allows local politicians to make decisions about things like health, education, and roads. This is called devolution, which means power is given from the central government to a regional one.

However, in October 2002, the Assembly was stopped, or suspended. This happened because of disagreements between the political parties. When the Assembly was suspended, the UK government stepped in to run Northern Ireland directly.

The 2003 Election and Its Outcome

Even though the Assembly was suspended, an election was held in November 2003. The hope was that this election would help restart the local government. People voted for new members to the Assembly.

After the votes were counted, two main parties became the largest: the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin. For the local government to work, these parties needed to agree to share power. However, they could not agree to form a government together.

Because of this disagreement, the Northern Ireland Assembly could not start working again. This meant that direct rule had to continue. It lasted for another five years, from 2002 until 2007.

Who Was in Charge During Direct Rule?

During direct rule, the main person in charge was the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. This is a minister from the UK government. They are responsible for Northern Ireland's affairs.

During this time, three different Secretaries of State held the position:

• John Reid (for a short time in October 2002)
• Paul Murphy (from October 2002 to May 2005)
• Peter Hain (from May 2005 to May 2007)

These Secretaries of State, along with other UK government ministers, made decisions for Northern Ireland. The local government departments, which usually have their own ministers, were run by civil servants and overseen by the UK government. This is why the usual ministerial positions in Northern Ireland were "vacant" during this period.

The End of Direct Rule

Direct rule finally ended on 8 May 2007. This was thanks to a new agreement called the St Andrews Agreement. This agreement helped the political parties in Northern Ireland find a way to work together.

After this, the Northern Ireland Assembly was restarted. A new local government, called the 3rd Executive of Northern Ireland, was formed. This meant that Northern Ireland once again had its own elected politicians making decisions.

See also

• List of Northern Ireland Executives
• Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly elected in 2003