Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention facts for kids

The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention (NICC) was a special group of elected people. It was set up in 1975 by the UK government, led by Harold Wilson and the Labour Party. Its main goal was to try and solve big political problems in Northern Ireland.

Why the Convention Was Formed

The idea for this special meeting first came from the Northern Ireland Office in a government report. This report, called The Northern Ireland Constitution, was published in July 1974. It suggested holding elections for a group that would try to agree on a political plan for Northern Ireland.

These ideas became law with the Northern Ireland Act 1974. Lord Chief Justice Robert Lowry, a very important judge, was chosen to lead the new group. Elections for the Convention were then announced for May 1, 1975.

The Convention would have 78 members. They were elected using a system called proportional representation. This system helps make sure that the number of seats a party gets is similar to the number of votes they receive. At first, the Convention was only meant to give advice. But people hoped it could eventually take on more power to make laws for Northern Ireland. This process is called devolution.

Who Was Elected to the Convention

In the elections, groups who wanted Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK, known as Unionists, joined together. They formed a group called the United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC). This group won the most seats, getting 46 out of 78.

Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention

← 1973 1 May 1975 1982 →
← Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly (1973) Delegates elected →
All 78 seats to the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention 40 seats were needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Harry West Gerry Fitt William Craig Party Ulster Unionist Social Democratic and Labour Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party Leader since 22 January 1974 21 August 1970 9 February 1972 Leader's seat Fermanagh and South Tyrone Belfast North Belfast East Last election 31 seats, 35.8% 19 seats, 22.1% 7 seats, 11.5% Seats won 19 17 14 Seat change 12 2 7 Popular vote 167,214 156,049 83,507 Percentage 25.4% 23.7% 12.7% Swing 10.4% 1.6% 1.2%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Ian Paisley Oliver Napier Brian Faulkner Party Democratic Unionist Alliance Unionist Party NI Leader since September 1971 1972 September 1974 Leader's seat North Antrim Belfast East South Down Last election 8 seats, 10.8% 8 seats, 9.2% Did not stand Seats won 12 8 5 Seat change 4 5 Popular vote 97,073 64,657 50,891 Percentage 14.8% 9.8% 7.7% Swing 4.0% 0.6% n/a   Seventh party   Leader None Party Northern Ireland Labour Party Leader since n/a Leader's seat None Last election 1 seat, 2.6% Seats won 1 Seat change Popular vote 9,102 Percentage 1.4% Swing 1.2%
Percentage of seats gained by each of the party.
Chief Executive before election Brian Faulkner Chief Executive after election None

Black Circles indicate Members of the United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC)

How People Voted

This chart shows the percentage of votes each main party received:

How Seats Were Won

This chart shows how many seats each main party won in the Convention:

Important Members of the Convention

Many important politicians from Northern Ireland were elected to the NICC. This made people hopeful that the Convention could achieve its goals. Some younger people who later became key figures in Northern Ireland politics were also elected. These included:

What Happened at the Convention

The election results made the Convention's job very difficult from the start. The Unionist parties who were against "power-sharing" had won the most seats. Power-sharing means that different political groups, even those who disagree, work together in government.

Because of this, the Convention's report, published in November 1975, suggested going back to the old system. This system was called "majority rule," where the party with the most seats governed alone. This idea was completely unacceptable to the nationalist parties, who wanted to share power. So, the Convention was put on hold.

The report said that no country should be forced to have people in its government who oppose the country's very existence.

Hoping to still achieve something, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Merlyn Rees announced that the Convention would meet again in February 1976. However, meetings between the UUUC (Unionists) and the SDLP (Social Democratic and Labour Party) failed to agree on the SDLP being part of the government.

Because no agreement could be reached, Merlyn Rees announced that the Convention would be closed down on March 4, 1976. Northern Ireland then remained under direct rule from London.

Why the Convention Was Important

At first glance, the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention seemed like a complete failure. It didn't reach an agreement between the different sides. It also didn't lead to "rolling devolution," which was a plan for gradually giving more power to Northern Ireland.

However, the Convention showed something important. It came after the Conservative government's Sunningdale Agreement, which also tried to set up power-sharing. The Convention's failure made it clear that the British government would not allow Northern Ireland to go back to simple majority rule. They wanted a solution that included both sides.

During the debates, William Craig, a Unionist leader, actually accepted the idea of power-sharing with the SDLP. This caused a split within the UUUC and led to the eventual end of his party, Vanguard.

The idea of electing a group to work out a deal for devolution was not forgotten. In 1996, a similar body called the Northern Ireland Forum was elected. This Forum was part of the process that led to the historic Good Friday Agreement and the creation of the current Northern Ireland Assembly.