Executive of the 6th Northern Ireland Assembly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Executive of the 6th Northern Ireland Assembly |
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| Date formed | 11 January 2020 |
| Date dissolved | 4 February 2022 |
| People and organisations | |
| Head of state | Elizabeth II |
| Head of government | Paul Givan |
| Deputy head of government | Michelle O'Neill |
| No. of ministers | 10 (+ 2 junior ministers) |
| Member party | DUP Sinn Féin SDLP UUP Alliance |
| Status in legislature | Power–sharing coalition
85 / 90 (94%)
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| History | |
| Election(s) | 2017 assembly election |
| Legislature term(s) | 6th Assembly |
| Predecessor | Executive of the 5th Assembly |
| Successor | Executive of the 7th Assembly |
The Executive of the 6th Northern Ireland Assembly was like the main team that ran Northern Ireland's government. It was formed on January 11, 2020. This happened after Arlene Foster became the First Minister and Michelle O'Neill became the deputy First Minister. They worked together to lead the country.
Forming Northern Ireland's Government
After the election on March 2, 2017, the two biggest political groups were the DUP and Sinn Féin. These parties needed to agree to form a new government for Northern Ireland.
Why It Took So Long
The parties were given a deadline of March 27, 2017, to agree on a government. But they couldn't reach a deal. The person in charge of Northern Ireland from the UK government, James Brokenshire, had to make a special law. This law gave them more time to talk.
He even warned that the UK government might have to take direct control of Northern Ireland if no agreement was made. This is called direct rule. The deadline was moved again to June 29, 2017, because the UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, called a quick general election.
On June 29, 2017, the DUP and Sinn Féin still had not agreed. More talks happened throughout 2017, 2018, and 2019. These talks were also affected by the UK's plan to leave the European Union, known as Brexit.
Getting Back to Work
After another UK general election in December 2019, serious talks started again. A new deadline was set for January 13, 2020. Finally, on January 9, 2020, the two governments published an agreement. The main parties in Northern Ireland accepted this plan.
This meant that the UUP, SDLP, and Alliance Party rejoined the government. They had not been part of it since 2016. Naomi Long from the Alliance Party became the Minister for Justice. She got enough support from different communities to take on this important role.
See also
- List of Northern Ireland Executives
- Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly elected in 2017
