Leader of the Opposition (Northern Ireland) facts for kids
In Northern Ireland, the Leader of the Opposition was a very important job. It was held by the leader of the biggest political party in the House of Commons of Northern Ireland that was not part of the government. This position ended in 1972. That's when the Stormont Parliament was closed down. Instead, London took over running Northern Ireland directly, which was called direct rule.
Today, the Northern Ireland Assembly does not have a formal Leader of the Opposition.
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What is Abstentionism?
For many years, some Irish nationalist politicians chose not to take their seats in the Stormont Parliament. This was called abstentionism. They did this to show they did not agree with British rule in Northern Ireland. They also disagreed with the division of Ireland into two parts.
Even though the Nationalist Party was often the second largest party, its members refused to join the parliament. They did this until 1924. They started abstaining again in the 1930s. This was to protest against changes to how elections worked.
It wasn't until 1965 that the Nationalist Party agreed to become the official opposition. Eddie McAteer was the Leader of the Opposition from 1965 until 1969. After him, Roderick O'Connor became the leader. But the party soon stopped being the official opposition again.
Leaders in the Stormont Parliament
Here are some of the people who led the main opposition party in the House of Commons of Northern Ireland. They were the "Leader of the Opposition" even if they weren't always officially called that.
- Joseph Devlin (1925–1934): He was the first leader of the Nationalist Party to take his seat.
- Thomas Joseph Campbell (1934–1945): He was one of the few Nationalist MPs who took their seats during the 1930s.
- James McSparran (1945–1958): He led the Nationalist Party for many years.
- Joseph Francis Stewart (1958–1964): He continued to lead the opposition.
- Eddie McAteer (1964–1969): He was the first to be officially recognized as the Leader of the Opposition.
- Roderick O'Connor (1969–1972): He was the last Leader of the Opposition before the Stormont Parliament closed.
The Northern Ireland Assembly and Opposition
Before 2022
After 1998, a new system called "power-sharing" was set up in the Northern Ireland Assembly. This meant that all major parties were invited to join the government. Because of this, there wasn't a formal "Leader of the Opposition" for a long time.
However, starting in 2016, some parties chose to be in opposition. They did not join the government. Some of the leaders of these opposition parties included:
- Eamonn McCann (for People Before Profit)
- Jim Allister (for Traditional Unionist Voice)
- Clare Bailey (for the Green Party)
After 2022
In July 2022, the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) decided not to join the government. Instead, they chose to form an opposition. They then named the first official Leader of the Opposition for the Assembly.
- Matthew O'Toole (2022-present; Social Democratic and Labour Party)
Images for kids
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Joseph Devlin
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Thomas Joseph Campbell
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James McSparran
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Joseph Francis Stewart
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Eddie McAteer
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Roderick O'Connor
See also
