Online College and University Degree Guide

In March 2007 the people of Northern Ireland were given a chance to establish a devolved government once again at Stormont. The Assembly had been suspended and there was a great desire to get it operating once again. While suspended a mechanism for government was in place for Northern Ireland and the unique issues surrounding the region within the United Kingdom meant that the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland ran the region. To some the 2007 election was seen as a ‘last chance’ for the region to show that it could form a devolved government that would work for the people – there were also many who believed that despite an election, the history of the region was such that there would be little chance, if any, of Sinn Fein and the Unionists parties ever working together. There was a danger that having gone through the democratic process of having an election, that it would have been no more than gesture politics with Secretary of State Peter Hain taking over the reins of the region yet again.

The results of the 2007 election were as follows:

There were 108 seats for Stormont up for election.

DUP – 36 seats – 30% of the votes – 207,721 votes.

Sinn Fein – 28 seats – 26% of the votes – 180,573 votes.

UUP – 18 seats – 15% of the votes – 103,145 votes.

SDLP – 16 seats – 15% of votes – 105,164 votes.

AP – 7 seats – 5% of votes – 36,139 votes.

GP – 1 seat – 2% of votes – 11,985 votes.

PUP – 1 seat – 1% of votes – 3,822 votes.

Others – 1 seat 3% of votes – 21,993 votes.

The two largest parties would almost seem to be the two parties most removed from one another in terms of history and beliefs. However, in what many have seen as an historic meeting, DUP leader, the Rev. Ian Paisley, met with Sinn Fein leader, Gerry Adams. Power sharing in Stormont now seems a real possibility.

April 2007.

 

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