Green Party Northern Ireland
Green Party Northern Ireland Comhaontas Glas Thuaisceart Éireann | |
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Leader | Mal O'Hara |
Deputy Leader | Lesley Veronica |
Preceded by | Green Party (UK)[1] |
Headquarters | Bangor |
Youth wing | Young Greens |
LGBT wing | Queer Greens |
Membership(2020) | c. 700–800[2][3][4] |
Ideology | Green politics[5] Nonsectarianism |
National affiliation | Green Party (Ireland) |
European affiliation | European Green Party |
European Parliament group | Greens–European Free Alliance |
International affiliation | Global Greens |
Colours | Green andblue[6] |
House of Commons (NI Seats) | 0 / 18 |
NI Assembly | 0 / 90 |
NI Local Councils | 5 / 462 |
Website | |
www | |
Part ofa serieson |
Green politics |
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TheGreen Party Northern Ireland(Irish:Comhaontas Glas Thuaisceart Éireann), sometimes abbreviated asGreen Party NI,[7]is a political party inNorthern Ireland.Like manygreen political partiesaround the world, its origins lie in theanti-nuclear,labourandpeace movementsof the 1970s and early 1980s.
Since 2006, the party has operated as a region of theGreen Party of Ireland[8]and also maintains links with other Green parties, including theScottish Greensand theGreen Party of England and Wales.[9]The party has a youth wing operating in Northern Ireland, theYoung Greens.The party also has LGBT policies and an activist group operating in Northern Ireland, the Queer Greens.
History[edit]
In theNorthern Ireland local elections of May 1981,Peter Emerson,Avril McCandless and Malcolm Samuels stood as the first candidates to use the Ecology label in Northern Ireland and gained 202, 81 and 61 votes respectively; the first in a large urban area, the other two in smaller rural constituencies. Emerson had previously stood in the same area in 1977.[10]
In May 1983, the Northern Ireland Ecology Party was launched at a press conference held in theEuropa Hotel, Belfast,with members of the British and Irish Ecology parties in attendance. At the same time, the three parties put forward one combined policy on Northern Ireland, the first time that UK and Irish political parties had held a common Northern Ireland policy.[citation needed]
In 1985, ecology parties throughout the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom changed their names to Green Party.
The party became a region of theGreen Party of Irelandin 2006.[8][9]These arrangements are said to demonstrate the Northern Ireland party's cross-community nature, as the Green Party claim to be the only party that actually lives theGood Friday Agreementthrough its operational set up through north–south and east–west links.[citation needed]
In 2007, a Green society was established atQueen's University Belfast.[11]In 2010, the LGBT Greens NI were established: a policy group and lobby group specialising in LGBT community issues within Northern Ireland. The LGBT group dissolved in early 2012 as their main aim—pushing for the inclusion of same-sex marriage within party policy—was achieved at the 2011 AGM after a unanimous vote.
The party supported a no vote in the2011 Alternative Vote referendum.
In February 2015, the Queer Greens party group was set up to become the LGBT issues and activist wing of the party. The group is taking charge of party policy onLGBT rights,issues, welfare, campaigning, lobbying and raising awareness.
On 14 January 2016, the party announced that it had selected Ellen Murray as its candidate to contest the2016 Northern Ireland Assemblyelections for West Belfast, making her the first openly transgender person to stand for election on the island of Ireland.[12]
In June 2023, the party got their first ever mayoral role whenÁine Grooganwas made the deputylord mayor of Belfast.[13]
Policies[edit]
The Green Party has four key values:social justice,environmental sustainability,grassroots democracyandnon-violence.[14][15]It is considered to be more to the left than most parties in Northern Ireland.[16]
The Green Party has been involved in several major campaigns since entering theNorthern Ireland Assembly,including clean rivers andanti-nuclearcampaigns, opposition tofracking,and fighting the austerity agenda. It has also campaigned against the development ofincineratorsat Belfast North Foreshore andLough Neagh,and against proposals to extend the airport runway atGeorge Best Belfast City Airport.[9]
The Green Party campaigns not just for more environmental protection but also for politics for the common good. Former leaderSteven Agnewhas championed the rights of children in Northern Ireland through his Private Member's Bill which is seeking to establish a statutory duties on government departments to work together to deliver optimum children's services. Agnew has also been a long-standing supporter ofintegrated educationand a society based on equal rights and mutual respect for all traditions. This has included bringing forward the first motion onsame-sex marriageto the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2011. The party has also called for funding to be focused on improving public transport infrastructure and supports the creation of an independentenvironmental protection agencyfor Northern Ireland. They also campaign for a shift toalternative energyfor Northern Ireland and were involved in the setting up of alobby groupfor the sector. The Green Party in Northern Ireland campaigns for transparency in political funding, responsive local government, effective community planning, dynamic and sustainable local economies, environmental protection, and for animal welfare.
On the constitutional status of Northern Ireland, Agnew believes the status quo should remain "until the people of Northern Ireland decide otherwise", but stated that the Green Party does not consider the issue as one that should divide its members or society.[17]The party has also called for greater transparency in politics, arguing that political donations in Northern Ireland should be made public. Northern Ireland is the only region of theUnited Kingdomwhere political donations are secret.[18]
The party has said it wants acitizens' assemblyto examine if drugs should bedecriminalisedto reduce deaths. In March 2021, then deputy leader and now leader of the party since August 2022, Mal O'Hara, said legalisation andharm-reductionmodels should be considered as the "current approach is obviously not working".[19]In 2020, drug deaths in Northern Ireland were recorded at 218 according to official figures. This was an increase from the official recorded figure in 2019, which stood at 191 drug deaths in Northern Ireland and 92 in 2010, indicating the figure had more than doubled in a decade.[20]
Leaders[edit]
- Steven Agnew(10 January 2011 – 21 November 2018)
- Clare Bailey(21 November 2018 – 15 August 2022)
- Mal O'Hara(15 August 2022 – present)
Election results[edit]
The party's first electoral success in Northern Ireland was at thelocal council elections of 2005.Raymond Blaney was elected ontoDown District CouncilandBrian Wilson,formerly of theAlliance Party,took a seat onNorth Down Borough Council.The party's third local councillor was Ciaran Mussen, elected toNewry and Mourne District Council.[21]
At the2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election,the Green Party won its first seat in theNorthern Ireland Assembly,whenBrian Wilsonwon a seat in theNorth Downconstituency. Overall the party won 11,985 first preference votes or 1.7% of the total – a rise of 1.4% since the 2003 Assembly election.
In 2009, the Green Party stood Steven Agnew in the European election — he secured 15,674 votes, trebling the Green Party's share of the vote.[9]The Greens fought the election on theGreen New Deal,calling forjob creationin thegreen energysector.
The Greens fielded four candidates in the2010 UK general election,[22]none of which managed to secure a seat. However, the number of votes for Green candidates more than trebled.
Brian Wilson MLA stood down ahead of the2011 Assembly election,[23]in which the party won a seat on North Down council,[24]with their candidateSteven Agnew.[25]Agnew subsequently stepped down from his position on North Down Borough Council as the party took a strong stand against so called 'double jobbing' or dual mandate; he was replaced byJohn Barry.[24]
In May 2016 the Greens picked up their second seat in theNorthern Ireland AssemblywhenClare Baileytook a seat inSouth Belfast.
In 2019 the Greens picked up seats in local elections across the country. They managed to double the seats and won 4 seats inBelfast City Council.
Bailey andRachel Woodswere both defeated in the2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election,leaving the party with no representation in Stormont for the first time since 2007.[26]
Northern Ireland Assembly elections[edit]
Election | Body | Seats won | ± | Position | First pref. votes | % | Government | Leader |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1996 | Forum | 0 / 110
|
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None | 3,647 | 0.5% | Extra-parliamentary | None |
1998 | Assembly | 0 / 108
|
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None | 710 | 0.1% | Extra-parliamentary | None |
2003 | 0 / 108
|
![]() |
None | 2,688 | 0.4% | Extra-parliamentary | None | |
2007 | 1 / 108
|
![]() |
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11,985 | 1.7% | Opposition | Kelly AndrewsandJohn Barry | |
2011 | 1 / 108
|
![]() |
![]() |
6,031 | 0.9% | Opposition | Steven Agnew | |
2016 | 2 / 108
|
![]() |
![]() |
18,718 | 2.7% | Opposition | ||
2017 | 2 / 90
|
![]() |
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18,527 | 2.3% | Opposition | ||
2022 | 0 / 90
|
![]() |
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16,433 | 1.9% | Extra-parliamentary | Clare Bailey |
UK Parliament elections[edit]
Election | Seats (in NI) | ± | Position | Total votes | % (in NI) | % (in UK) | Government |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1983 | 0 / 18
|
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None | 451 | 0.1% | 0.0% | Extra-parliamentary |
1987 | 0 / 17
|
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None | 281 | 0.0% | 0.0% | Extra-parliamentary |
1997 | 0 / 18
|
![]() |
None | 539 | 0.1% | 0.0% | Extra-parliamentary |
2010 | 0 / 18
|
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None | 3,542 | 0.5% | 0.0% | Extra-parliamentary |
2015 | 0 / 18
|
![]() |
None | 6,822 | 1.0% | 0.0% | Extra-parliamentary |
2017 | 0 / 18
|
![]() |
None | 7,452 | 0.9% | 0.0% | Extra-parliamentary |
2019 | 0 / 18
|
![]() |
None | 1,996 | 0.2% | 0.0% | Extra-parliamentary |
2024 | 0 / 18
|
![]() |
None | 8,692 | 1.1% | 0.0% | Extra-parliamentary |
1983 general election[edit]
Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
North Antrim | Malcolm Samuel | 451 | 1.0 | 6 |
1987 general election[edit]
Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
East Londonderry | Malcolm Samuel | 281 | 0.6 | 6 |
By-elections, 1987–1992[edit]
By-election | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Upper Bann | Peter Doran | 576 | 1.6 | 9 |
1997 general election[edit]
Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Belfast North | Peter Emerson | 539 | 1.3 | 5 |
2010 general election[edit]
Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Belfast South | Adam McGibbon | 1,036 | 3.0 | 5 |
North Down | Steven Agnew | 1,043 | 3.1 | 5 |
South Down | Cadogan Enright | 901 | 2.1 | 6 |
Strangford | Barbara Haig | 562 | 1.7 | 7 |
2015 general election[edit]
Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Belfast East | Ross Brown | 1,058 | 2.7 | 4 |
Belfast South | Clare Bailey | 2,238 | 5.7 | 6 |
Fermanagh and South Tyrone | Tanya Jones | 788 | 1.5 | 4 |
North Down | Steven Agnew | 1,958 | 5.4 | 4 |
West Tyrone | Ciaran McClean | 780 | 2.0 | 6 |
2017 general election[edit]
Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Belfast East | Georgina Milne | 561 | 1.3 | 5 |
Belfast North | Mal O'Hara | 644 | 1.4 | 5 |
Belfast South | Clare Bailey | 2,241 | 5.1 | 5 |
Fermanagh and South Tyrone | Tanya Jones | 423 | 0.8 | 5 |
North Down | Steven Agnew | 2,549 | 6.5 | 4 |
Strangford | Ricky Bamford | 607 | 1.6 | 6 |
West Tyrone | Ciaran McClean | 427 | 1.0 | 6 |
2019 general election[edit]
Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
East Antrim | Philip Randle | 685 | 1.8 | 7 |
Strangford | Maurice Macartney | 790 | 2.1 | 6 |
West Tyrone | Susan Glass | 521 | 1.3 | 7 |
2024 general election[edit]
Constituency | Candidate | Votes | % | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
Belfast East | Brian Smyth | 1,077 | 2.5 | 5 |
Belfast North | Mal O'Hara | 1,206 | 3 | 6 |
Belfast South and Mid Down | Áine Groogan | 1,577 | 3.6 | 6 |
Belfast West | Ash Jones | 451 | 1.1 | 9 |
East Antrim | Mark Bailey | 568 | 1.4 | 7 |
East Londonderry | Jen McCahon | 445 | 1.1 | 8 |
Lagan Valley | Patricia Denvir | 433 | 0.9 | 6 |
North Down | Barry McKee | 1,247 | 2.9 | 4 |
South Antrim | Lesley Veronica | 541 | 1.3 | 6 |
South Down | Declan Walsh | 444 | 1 | 8 |
Strangford | Alexandra Braidner | 703 | 1.8 | 7 |
Northern Ireland local elections[edit]
Election | ± | Seats won | First-pref. votes | % |
---|---|---|---|---|
1985as Ecology | ![]() |
0 | 387 | 0.1 |
1989 | ![]() |
0 | 329 | 0.1 |
1993 | ![]() |
0 | 1,257 | 0.2 |
1997 | ![]() |
0 | 706 | 0.1 |
2005 | ![]() |
3 | 5,703 | 0.8 |
2011 | ![]() |
3 | 6,317 | 1.0 |
2014 | ![]() |
4 | 5,515 | 0.8 |
2019 | ![]() |
8 | 14,284 | 2.1 |
2023 | ![]() |
5 | 12,692 | 1.7 |
European Parliament elections[edit]
Election | Candidate | Seats won | Position | First pref. votes | % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1984as Ecology | Colin McGuigan | none | 8th | 2,236 | 0.3 |
1989 | Malcolm Samuel | none | 7th | 6,569 | 1.2 |
2004 | Lindsay Whitcroft | none | 7th | 4,810 | 0.9 |
2009 | Steven Agnew | none | 7th | 15,764 | 3.3 |
2014 | Ross Brown | none | 8th | 10,598 | 1.7 |
2019 | Clare Bailey | none | 7th | 12,471 | 2.2 |
Officers[edit]
The Green Party's Chairperson is Elaine Crory and the Secretary is Mark Bailey. The party treasurer is Patricia Denvir.
The Party has spokespeople in the following areas:
- North Down: Barry McKee
- South Belfast:Áine Groogan
- Bangor Central: Gillian McNaull
- Bangor West: Barry McKee
- Holywood & Clandeboye: Lauren Kendall
- East Belfast: Anthony Flynn
- North Belfast:Mal O'Hara
- Young Greens: Ashley Jones
- Queer Greens: Anthony Flynn
Elected representatives[edit]
Local councils[edit]
- Lauren Kendall, Holywood and Clandeboye, Ards & North Down Council
- Barry McKee, Bangor West, Ards & North Down Council
- Anthony Flynn, Ormiston, Belfast City Council
- Brian Smyth, Lisnasharragh, Belfast City Council
- Áine Groogan,Botanic, Belfast City Council
See also[edit]
- Demography and politics of Northern Ireland
- Green party
- Green politics
- List of environmental organisations
References[edit]
- ^"Christians in Politics - Guide to the Green Party".christiansinpolitics.org.uk.Archived fromthe originalon 2 February 2017.Retrieved22 January2017.
- ^"2,600 Green Party members register for govt deal vote".17 June 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 17 June 2021.Retrieved18 December2020– via rte.ie.
{{cite journal}}
:Cite journal requires|journal=
(help) - ^McClements, Freya (18 June 2020)."Votes of Northern Greens could impact on whether party enters coalition".The Irish Times.Retrieved19 August2022.
- ^Morris, Allison (17 June 2020)."Green Party members north and south hold the deciding votes for government formation".The Irish News.Retrieved19 August2022.
- ^Nordsieck, Wolfram (2017)."Northern Ireland/UK".Parties and Elections in Europe.Archivedfrom the original on 7 November 2016.Retrieved28 September2018.
- ^"Green Party Branding 08"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 18 February 2012.Retrieved21 March2016.
- ^"Green Party".Northern Ireland Assembly.Retrieved16 March2022.
- ^ab"Greens working for peaceful progress in Northern Ireland".13 December 2006.Archivedfrom the original on 4 March 2016.Retrieved3 January2015.
- ^abcd"Profile: Green Party".BBC News.5 April 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 2 March 2022.Retrieved5 May2014.
- ^Belfast election results 1973–1981Archived1 April 2019 at theWayback Machine,ARK, accessed 13 January 2013
- ^"QUB Greens Blog".qubgreens.blogspot.Archivedfrom the original on 15 October 2016.Retrieved15 October2016.
- ^Ferguson, Amanda (14 January 2016)."North's first transgender election candidate bids for Assembly seat".The Irish Times.Archivedfrom the original on 23 September 2021.Retrieved22 July2020.
- ^"Green Party secures first ever Northern Ireland mayoral role".BBC News.5 June 2023.Retrieved5 June2023.
- ^Mannion, A.M. (12 January 2006).Carbon and Its Domestication.Springer. p.222.ISBN9781402039560.
- ^"Our Principles".Green Party in Northern Ireland. Archived fromthe originalon 5 May 2014.Retrieved5 May2014.
- ^Clarke, Liam (20 April 2011)."Green Party manifesto unveiled by new leader".Belfast Telegraph.Archived fromthe originalon 5 May 2014.Retrieved5 May2014.
- ^"Green Party leader Steven Agnew reacts to leader debate".BBC News.4 May 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 10 November 2018.Retrieved5 May2014.
- ^Walker, Stephen (29 March 2014)."Green Party's Steven Agnew in political donations call".BBC News.Archivedfrom the original on 31 March 2014.Retrieved5 May2014.
- ^Hughes, Brendan (7 March 2021)."Green Party wants citizens' assembly to examine if drugs should be decriminalised to reduce deaths".Belfast Live.Retrieved18 August2022.
- ^Bonner, Kelly (1 March 2022)."Drug-related deaths more than double in decade in Northern Ireland".BBC News.Retrieved18 August2022.
- ^Whyte, Dr Nicholas."Local Government Elections 2005".ark.ac.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 9 August 2007.Retrieved15 October2016.
- ^"Green Party NI candidates in 2010 general election".BBC News.21 April 2010.Archivedfrom the original on 23 September 2021.Retrieved5 May2014.
- ^"Green Party to elect Northern Ireland leader".BBC News.10 January 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 13 January 2011.Retrieved5 May2014.
- ^ab"Green MLA Steven Agnew steps down from council".BBC News.27 July 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 5 August 2011.Retrieved5 May2014.
- ^"European election predictions: Full analysis of how DUP, Sinn Fein, UUP, SDLP and others could perform in May".Belfast Telegraph.30 April 2014.Archivedfrom the original on 2 May 2014.Retrieved5 May2014.
- ^Coyle, Colin (8 May 2022)."Greens blame 'polarised politics' for wipeout at Stormont".The Sunday Times.Retrieved8 May2022.
External links[edit]
- Official website
- Queer GreensArchived28 March 2018 at theWayback Machine
- QUB Greens Blog