List of political parties in Northern Ireland facts for kids

Political parties in Northern Ireland lists political parties in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Assembly is elected by single transferable vote and the composition of the Northern Ireland Executive is by power sharing determined by the D'Hondt system, among the members elected to the Assembly. Party affiliation is generally based on religious and ethnic background.

Although Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom, it has a quite distinct party system from the rest of the country, as the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats do not contest elections there (though the Liberal Democrats have links with the Alliance Party), and the Conservative Party has received only limited support in recent elections.

Some parties, such as Sinn Féin and the Workers' Party, are organised on an all-Ireland basis. Others such as the Conservative Party are organised on an all-United Kingdom basis. There are many Northern Ireland-specific parties and these, on the whole, predominate.

The distinction between "unionist/loyalist", "nationalist/republican" and "other" is not always easy with some parties and individuals. Some have defined themselves less by their position on the "Border Question" than on other political issues.

For example, the former Republican Labour Party/Social Democratic and Labour Party MP Gerry Fitt's career suggests he was first and foremost a socialist rather than a nationalist and he eventually left the SDLP claiming it had drifted from its founding intentions. Similarly the Workers' Party has its roots in the republican Official IRA but nowadays is considered to be a non-violent socialist and nationalist party. Several parties strive to be avowedly non-sectarian and would not consider themselves to be either unionist or nationalist. The Northern Ireland Assembly requires MLAs to designate themselves either "Unionist", "Nationalist" or "Other." This is a designation that is particularly resented by those who designate as "Other", as they have no input on who becomes First or Deputy First Minister.

There are some who see the terms "Unionist"/"Loyalist" and "Nationalist"/"Republican" as being of more relevance to the community that the party seeks to represent rather than the position on the border question. Several of the "Other" parties strive to be non-sectarian but have a clear position on the border.

Political parties with elected representation at a local, national, UK or European level

Party details

Party		Founded	Political position	Ideology	Designation	Leader(s)		Local government	Northern Ireland Assembly	House of Commons (NI Seats)	House of Lords
	Sinn Féin English: We ourselves	1905 1970 (current form)	Centre-left to left-wing	Irish republicanism Democratic socialism Left-wing nationalism	Nationalist		Michelle O'Neill	144 / 462	27 / 90	7 / 18 (abstentionist)	N/A
	Democratic Unionist Party	1971	Right-wing	British unionism British nationalism National conservatism Right-wing populism Euroscepticism	Unionist		Gavin Robinson	122 / 462	25 / 90	8 / 18	6 / 779
	Alliance Party of Northern Ireland	1970	Centre-left	Liberalism Nonsectarianism Pro-Europeanism	Other		Naomi Long	67 / 462	17 / 90	1 / 18	0 / 779
	Ulster Unionist Party	1905	Centre-right	British unionism Conservatism	Unionist		Doug Beattie	54 / 462	9 / 90	N/A	2 / 779
	Social Democratic and Labour Party	1970	Centre-left	Social democracy Irish nationalism Pro-Europeanism	Nationalist		Colum Eastwood	39 / 462	8 / 90	2 / 18	0 / 779
	Traditional Unionist Voice	2007	Right-wing	British unionism Social conservatism Anti-Good Friday Agreement Hard Euroscepticism	Unionist		Jim Allister	10 / 462	1 / 90	N/A	N/A
	People Before Profit	2005	Left-wing to far-left	Trotskyism Socialism Anti-capitalism Irish reunification	Other	N/A	Collective leadership	2 / 462	1 / 90	N/A	N/A
	Green Party NI	1985	Centre-left to left-wing	Green politics Nonsectarianism Pro-Europeanism	Other	N/A	Malachai O'Hara	5 / 462	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Progressive Unionist Party	1985	Centre-left to left-wing	British unionism Ulster loyalism Democratic socialism Social democracy	Unionist	N/A	Russell Watton	1 / 462	N/A	N/A	N/A
	Northern Ireland Conservatives	1989	Centre-right	British unionism Conservatism Economic liberalism	Unionist	N/A	Paul Leeman	N/A	N/A	N/A	3 / 779

Party representation

Other registered parties

Unionist and loyalist

Party		Founded	Political position	Ideology	Leader(s)
	Heritage Party	2020	Right-wing	Euroscepticism British unionism British nationalism Social conservatism Right-wing populism		David Kurten

Nationalist and republican

Party		Founded	Political position	Ideology	Leader(s)
	Aontú English: Unity	2019	N/A	Irish republicanism Social conservatism Soft Euroscepticism		Peadar Tóibín
	Communist Party of Ireland Irish: An Páirtí Cumannach na hÉireann	1933 1970 (refoundation)	Far-left	Communism Marxism-Leninism Irish reunification	N/A	Jimmy Corcoran (General Secretary)
	Fianna Fáil English: Warriors of Fál or Soldiers of Destiny	1926	Centre to centre-right	Irish republicanism Conservatism Christian democracy Populism		Micheál Martin
	Irish Republican Socialist Party	1974	Far-left	Communism Marxism-Leninism Irish republicanism Dissident republicanism Hard euroscepticism	N/A	Ard Chomhairle English: National Executive
	Republican Network for Unity	2007	Left-wing	Irish republicanism Dissident republicanism Socialism	N/A	N/A
	Saoradh English: Liberation	2016	Far-left	Irish republicanism Dissident republicanism Revolutionary socialism Hard Euroscepticism Anti-imperialism	N/A	Stephen Murney
	Workers' Party Irish: An Páirtí na nOibrithe	1905	Far-left	Communism Marxism-Leninism Irish republicanism	N/A	Collective leadership

Others

Unregistered parties

Candidates for unregistered parties may choose either to be listed as "Non-Party", or to leave the section blank on the ballot paper, in the same manner as independent candidates.

• 32 County Sovereignty Movement - Does not contest elections, operates as a pressure group
• Anti-Imperialist Action Ireland - Does not contest elections
• Republican Sinn Féin (RSF)
• National Party
• Fine Gael

Inactive parties

Unionist and loyalist

• Belfast Labour Party
• British Ulster Dominion Party
• Commonwealth Labour Party
• Independent Unionist Association
• Labour Unionist Party
• NI21
• UKIP Northern Ireland
• Northern Ireland Unionist Party - deregistered 2008
• Protestant Coalition
• Ulster Defence Party* (UDP)
• Protestant Unionist Party (evolved into the DUP)
• Ulster Constitution Party
• Ulster Democratic Party
• Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party
• Ulster Popular Unionist Party
• Ulster Progressive Unionist Association
• Ulster Protestant League
• Ulster Resistance
• Ulster Unionist Labour Association
• Unionist Party of Northern Ireland
• United Kingdom Unionist Party - deregistered 2008
• United Ulster Unionist Council
• United Ulster Unionist Party
• United Unionist Coalition (UUC)
• Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
• Volunteer Political Party

Nationalist and Republican

• All Ireland Anti-Partition League
• Federation of Labour
• Fianna Uladh
• Irish Anti-Partition League
• Independent Socialist Party
• Irish Independence Party
• National Democratic Party
• National League of the North
• National Unity
• Nationalist Party
• Northern Council for Unity
• Official Sinn Féin (now Workers' Party)
• People's Democracy
• Red Republican Party
• Republican Congress
• Republican Labour Party
• Saor Éire
• Socialist Republican Party
• Unity

Others

• Commonwealth Labour Party
• Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist-Leninist)
• Communist Party of Northern Ireland
• Irish Labour Party (contests elections in the Republic)
• Labour coalition
• Labour Party of Northern Ireland
• Northern Ireland Labour Party
• Northern Ireland Women's Coalition
• Newtownabbey Labour Party
• Newtownabbey Ratepayers Association
• Natural Law Party
• Social Democratic Party - The post-1988 rump of the party stood in a Northern Ireland by-election in 1990; the party as a whole existed and was more prominent in Great Britain from 1981 to 1988 although the post-1990 rump group still exists.
• Ulster Independence Movement
• Ulster Liberal Party
• Ulster Movement for Self-Determination
• United Labour Party (Northern Ireland)
• Ulster Third Way - deregistered 2005
• Veritas - Dissolved June 2015
• Vote for Yourself Party - disbanded April 2009, de-registered 8 June 2009
• World Socialist Party (Ireland) - Dissolved in the 1990s

Flowchart of all political parties in Northern Ireland

Party leaders

Party leaders serving 10 years or more are

See also

• Politics of Northern Ireland
• Lists of political parties
• Political make-up of local councils in Northern Ireland
• List of political parties in the Republic of Ireland