Northern Ireland Assembly returns
On 3 February, the Northern Ireland Assembly met for the first time in two years. The assembly, which is also known as Stormont, is where some of Northern Ireland’s laws are made.
How does Stormont work?
Stormont has 90 elected politicians called Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). It makes laws in areas including health, schools and transport. Most MLAs are either Nationalists (who want the island of Ireland to be one country) or Unionists (who want Northern Ireland to stay part of the UK). The two sides must govern together. In February 2022, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), walked out of Stormont and refused to govern.
Why did the DUP walk out?
The DUP want Northern Ireland to have the same rules as the rest of the UK (England, Scotland and Wales). The
DUP say that Brexit – the
UK’s decision to leave the European Union (EU) – had led to new rules. These meant that goods coming into Northern Ireland from other parts of the UK had to be checked. The EU is a group of countries that work and trade together. The DUP strongly opposed these new rules because they felt that Northern Ireland was treated differently from the rest of the UK.
However, last year a new agreement called the Windsor Framework was signed by the UK and the
EU. It meant that some goods arriving in Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK no longer needed to be checked. Last month the UK Government announced more new rules to make trade with Northern Ireland smoother, and the DUP agreed to return to Stormont.
What happens now?
Ministers and MLAs have a lot to do after two years of Stormont being out of action. The Assembly has £3.3 billion in funding coming its way – money the UK Government agreed to provide when Stormont was restored. This includes almost £600 million for pay rises for workers such as nurses and teachers. First Minister Michelle O’Neill said, “Let us work together to build a brighter, better future for everyone.”