This is a list of the 90 members of the seventh Northern Ireland Assembly, the unicameral devolved legislature of Northern Ireland. The election took place on 5 May 2022, with counting continuing the following 2 days; voter turnout was estimated at 64.4%.
7th Northern Ireland Assembly | |||
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| |||
Overview | |||
Legislative body | Assembly | ||
Jurisdiction | Northern Ireland | ||
Meeting place | Parliament Buildings, Stormont | ||
Term | 5 May 2022 – present | ||
Election | 2022 Assembly election | ||
Government | Executive of the 7th Assembly | ||
Members | 90 | ||
Speaker | Edwin Poots | ||
First Minister | Michelle O'Neill | ||
Deputy First Minister | Emma Little-Pengelly |
Five MLAs were elected from each of the 18 constituencies. Sinn Féin became the biggest party for the first time, entitling them to the First Minister. Additionally, Alliance, the biggest cross-community party, also had a big increase, overtaking the SDLP and UUP in votes to become third in the assembly, following the DUP, the biggest Unionist party.
The DUP blocked the formation of an Executive until a meeting of the Assembly on 3 February 2024.[1]
Party | Designation | Elected | Current | |
---|---|---|---|---|
● | Sinn Féin | Nationalist | 27 | 27 |
● | Democratic Unionist Party | Unionist | 25 | 24 |
● | Alliance Party of Northern Ireland | Other | 17 | 17 |
● | Ulster Unionist Party | Unionist | 9 | 9 |
♦ | Social Democratic and Labour Party | Nationalist | 8 | 7 |
Independent Unionist | Unionist | 2 | 2 | |
Traditional Unionist Voice | Unionist | 1 | 1 | |
People Before Profit | Other | 1 | 1 | |
Independent Nationalist | Nationalist | 0 | 1 | |
Speaker[n 1] | None | 0 | 1 | |
Totals by Designation | Unionist | 37 | 36 | |
Nationalist | 35 | 35 | ||
Other | 18 | 18 | ||
None | 0 | 1 | ||
Total | 90 | |||
● = Northern Ireland Executive; ♦ = Official Opposition |
Parties arranged roughly on the nationalist-unionist spectrum
* Party Leader in Stormont
† Co-opted to replace an elected MLA
‡ Changed affiliation during the term
° Deputy Speaker
Members are ranked by their order of election, and if co-opted, the position of the person who they co-opted.
* Party Leader in Stormont
† Co-opted to replace an elected MLA
‡ Changed affiliation during the term
Date co-opted | Constituency | Party | Outgoing | Co-optee | Reason | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 May 2022 | Lagan Valley | DUP | Jeffrey Donaldson | Emma Little Pengelly | Jeffrey Donaldson remaining as the Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley.[2] | |
4 April 2023 | North Antrim | Alliance | Patricia O'Lynn | Sian Mulholland | Patricia O'Lynn resigned.[3] | |
15 September 2023 | East Antrim | DUP | David Hilditch | Cheryl Brownlee | David Hilditch resigned.[4] | |
29 April 2024 | South Down | Alliance | Patrick Brown | Andrew McMurray | Patrick Brown resigned.[5] |
Date | Constituency | Name | Previous affiliation | New affiliation | Circumstance | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 February 2024 | Belfast South | Edwin Poots | DUP | Speaker | Edwin Poots elected Speaker of the Assembly at its first sitting.[6] | ||
3 February 2024 | Newry and Armagh | Justin McNulty | SDLP | Independent Nationalist | Whip suspended after leaving Assembly session early to manage Laois GAA at a gaelic match.[7] |