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In Northern Ireland, the Leader of the Opposition is the leader of the largest eligible political party in the Northern Ireland Assembly that is not in the Northern Ireland Executive. The position is currently held by Matthew O'Toole of the Social Democratic and Labour Party.[1]
Parliament of Northern Ireland
editFrom the establishment of the Parliament of Northern Ireland in 1921, the Nationalist Party were consistently the largest non-government party; however, they intermittently practised a policy of abstentionism and never formally adopted the mantle of Official Opposition.[2] Various Nationalist, Labour and Independent Unionist politicians performed an opposition role without any formal recognition.
After the 1958 election the Northern Ireland Labour Party won four seats and were asked by the Speaker to form the Official Opposition. Tom Boyd was appointed the first Leader of the Opposition.[3]
In February 1965 the Nationalists decided that they would form the Official Opposition for the first time, and appointed their leader, Eddie McAteer, as Leader of the Opposition.[4] He served in this role until October 1968 when the party withdrew from Stormont in response to the Government's response to the RUC's attack on a NICRA march in Derry.[5]
From 1968 until the prorogation of the Parliament no other party agreed to form the Official Opposition and therefore no Leader of the Opposition was appointed.
Northern Ireland Assembly
editWhen the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive were established in 1998 and 1999 respectively, all eligible parties were required to nominate ministers to serve on the Executive. No provision for an Official Opposition or for the role of Leader of the Opposition was made. Non-Executive parties continued to fulfil the role of an opposition in an unofficial capacity, much as various Nationalist and Labour MPs had done in the House of Commons.[6]
The Assembly and Executive Reform (Assembly Opposition) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016[7] established provisions which allowed for a creation of an Official Opposition, with certain rights and entitlements associated with the role. Assembly standing orders subsequently made provision for the creation of a “Leader of the Opposition” and “Deputy Leader of the Opposition”, to be nominated by the largest and second-largest parties which are entitled to membership of the Official Opposition.[8] After the 2016 election the UUP and SDLP decided to form the Official Opposition. However, neither party opted to nominate individuals to the roles of Leader and Deputy Leader.[9]
Following the SDLP declining to nominate an Infrastructure Minister to the Executive, on the 25 July 2022 the SDLP formed an opposition and nominated Matthew O’Toole as the first Leader of the Opposition in the Northern Ireland Assembly.[10]
List of Leaders of the Opposition and Deputy Leaders of the Opposition
editParties
editNorthern Ireland Labour Party Nationalist Party Social Democratic and Labour Party
| Leader of the Opposition | Deputy Leader of the Opposition | Body | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name (Birth–Death) Constituency |
Portrait | Term of office | Name (Birth–Death) Constituency |
Portrait | Term of office | |||
| Office vacant | Office abolished | 1st Parliament | ||||||
| 2nd Parliament | ||||||||
| 3rd Parliament | ||||||||
| 4th Parliament | ||||||||
| 5th Parliament | ||||||||
| 6th Parliament | ||||||||
| 7th Parliament | ||||||||
| 8th Parliament | ||||||||
| Tom Boyd (1903–1991) Belfast Pottinger |
|
5 April 1958 | 2 February 1965 | 9th Parliament | ||||
| 10th Parliament | ||||||||
| Eddie McAteer (1914–1986) Foyle |
|
2 February 1965 | 15 October 1968 | |||||
| 11th Parliament | ||||||||
| Office vacant | ||||||||
| 12th Parliament | ||||||||
| Office abolished | 1973 Assembly | |||||||
| Constitutional Convention | ||||||||
| 1982 Assembly | ||||||||
| Forum | ||||||||
| 1st Assembly | ||||||||
| 2nd Assembly | ||||||||
| 3rd Assembly | ||||||||
| 4th Assembly | ||||||||
| Office vacant | Office vacant | 5th Assembly | ||||||
| 6th Assembly | ||||||||
| 7th Assembly | ||||||||
| Matthew O'Toole (b. 1983) Belfast South |
|
25 July 2022 | 27 October 2022 | |||||
| Office vacant | ||||||||
| Matthew O'Toole (b. 1983) Belfast South |
|
3 February 2024 | Incumbent | |||||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Official Opposition | Northern Ireland Assembly Education Service". education.niassembly.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ Tonge, Jonathan (2013). Northern Ireland: Conflict and Change. Routledge Taylor & Francis Group. ISBN 9780582424005.
- ^ Edwards, Aaron (2009). A history of the Northern Ireland Labour Party: Democratic socialism and sectarianism. Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-0719078743.
- ^ "Interview with Eddie McAteer, Feb 1965 - View media". digitalfilmarchive.net. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ "CAIN: Chronology of the Conflict 1968". cain.ulster.ac.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ "Six of best no doubt, but it's time Big Two got proper caning in Northern Ireland Assembly chamber". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 10 May 2016. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ "Assembly and Executive Reform (Assembly Opposition) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016".
- ^ "Standing Orders as amended 4 October 2016". www.niassembly.gov.uk. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ "UUP leader Mike Nesbitt calls for SDLP to work as Stormont opposition 'co-equals'". BBC News. 5 June 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
- ^ "SDLP in plan to form official opposition at Stormont". 25 July 2022.
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