# List of political parties in Northern Ireland

Although Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom, it has a quite distinct party system from the rest of the country, as the Labour Party and Liberal Democrats do not contest elections there (though the Liberal Democrats have links with the Alliance Party), and the Conservative Party has received only limited support in recent elections. Party affiliation is generally based on religious and ethnic background.
The Northern Ireland Assembly is elected by single transferable vote and the composition of the Northern Ireland Executive is by power sharing determined by the D'Hondt system, among the members elected to the assembly. Northern Ireland also elects 18 MPs to the House of Commons, and there are elections to 11 local government districts.
Some parties, such as Sinn Féin and the Workers' Party, are organised on an all-Ireland basis. Others such as the Conservative Party are organised on an all-United Kingdom basis. There are many Northern Ireland-specific parties and these, on the whole, predominate.
The distinction between "unionist/loyalist", "nationalist/republican" and "other" is not always easy with some parties and individuals. Some have defined themselves less by their position on the "Border Question" than on other political issues.
For example, the former Republican Labour Party/Social Democratic and Labour Party MP Gerry Fitt's career suggests he was first and foremost a socialist rather than a nationalist and he eventually left the SDLP claiming it had drifted from its founding intentions. Similarly the Workers' Party has its roots in the republican Official IRA but nowadays is considered to be a non-violent socialist and nationalist party. Several parties strive to be avowedly non-sectarian and would not consider themselves to be either unionist or nationalist. The Northern Ireland Assembly requires MLAs to designate themselves either "Unionist", "Nationalist" or "Other". This is a designation that is particularly resented by those who designate as "Other", as they have no input on who becomes First or Deputy First Minister.
There are some who see the terms "Unionist"/"Loyalist" and "Nationalist"/"Republican" as being of more relevance to the community that the party seeks to represent rather than the position on the border question. Several of the "Other" parties strive to be non-sectarian but have a clear position on the border.

## Political parties with elected representation at a local, national, or UK level
### Party details

| Party | Founded | Political position | Ideology | Designation | Leader(s) | Leader(s) | Local government | Northern Ireland Assembly | House of Commons (NI Seats) | House of Lords |
| Sinn Féin | 1905 | Centre-left to left-wing | Irish republicanism Democratic socialism Left-wing nationalism | Nationalist | | Michelle O'Neill | 144 / 462 | 27 / 90 | 7 / 18 (abstentionist) | — |
| Democratic Unionist Party | 1971 | Right-wing | British unionism British nationalism National conservatism Right-wing populism Euroscepticism | Unionist | | Gavin Robinson | 122 / 462 | 25 / 90 | 5 / 18 | 6 / 779 |
| Alliance Party of Northern Ireland | 1970 | Centre | Liberalism Nonsectarianism Pro-Europeanism | Other | | Naomi Long | 67 / 462 | 17 / 90 | 1 / 18 | 0 / 779 |
| Ulster Unionist Party | 1905 | Centre-right | British unionism Conservatism | Unionist | | Mike Nesbitt | 54 / 462 | 9 / 90 | 1 / 18 | 2 / 779 |
| Social Democratic and Labour Party | 1970 | Centre-left | Social democracyIrish nationalism Pro-Europeanism | Nationalist | | Claire Hanna | 39 / 462 | 8 / 90 | 2 / 18 | 0 / 779 |
| Traditional Unionist Voice | 2007 | Right-wing | British unionism National conservatism Social conservatism Anti-Good Friday Agreement Hard Euroscepticism | Unionist | | Jim Allister | 10 / 462 | 1 / 90 | 1 / 18 | — |
| People Before Profit | 2005 | Left-wing to far-left | Trotskyism Socialism Anti-capitalism Irish reunification | Other | | Richard Boyd Barrett | 2 / 462 | 1 / 90 | — | — |
| Green Party NI | 1985 | Centre-left to left-wing | Green politics Nonsectarianism Pro-Europeanism | Other | | Malachai O'Hara | 5 / 462 | — | — | — |
| Progressive Unionist Party | 1985 | Centre-left to left-wing | British unionism Ulster loyalism Democratic socialism Social democracy | Unionist | — | Russell Watton | 1 / 462 | — | — | — |
| Northern Ireland Conservatives | 1989 | Centre-right to right-wing | British unionism Conservatism Economic liberalism | Unionist | — | Paul Leeman | — | — | — | 2 / 779 |
| Labour Party in Northern Ireland | 2003 | Centre-left | Social democracy | Unionist | — | Erskine Holmes | — | — | — | 1 / 779 |
| Northern Ireland Liberal Democrats | 1988 | Centre to centre-left | Liberalism Social liberalism Nonsectarianism Pro-Europeanism | Unionist | — | Stephen Glenn | — | — | — | 1 / 779 |

### Party representation

| Party | Party | Representation (as of 3 October 2023) | Representation (as of 3 October 2023) | Representation (as of 3 October 2023) | Representation (as of 3 October 2023) |
| Party | Party | UK Parliament | UK Parliament | Assembly | Local councils |
| Party | Party | House of Commons | House of Lords | Assembly | Local councils |
| | Sinn Féin | 7 | 0 | 27 | 144 |
| | Democratic Unionist Party | 5 | 6 | 25 | 122 |
| | Alliance Party of Northern Ireland | 1 | 0 | 17 | 67 |
| | Ulster Unionist Party | 1 | 2 | 9 | 54 |
| | Social Democratic and Labour Party | 2 | 0 | 8 | 39 |
| | Traditional Unionist Voice | 1 | 0 | 1 | 10 |
| | People Before Profit | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| | Green Party Northern Ireland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| | Progressive Unionist Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| | Aontú | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | Northern Ireland Conservatives | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| | Labour Party in Northern Ireland | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| | Northern Ireland Liberal Democrats | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
* ↑ Lord Alderdice, leader of the Alliance from 1987–98, has sat in the Lords since 1996, taking the Lib Dem whip.
* ↑ Margaret Ritchie, leader of the SDLP from 2010–11, has sat in the Lords since 2019, resigning from the party to do so.

## Other registered parties
### Unionist and loyalist

| Party | Party | Founded | Political position | Ideology | Leader(s) | Leader(s) |
| | Heritage Party | 2020 | Right-wing | Euroscepticism British unionism British nationalism Social conservatism Right-wing populism | | David Kurten |

### Nationalist and republican

| Party | Founded | Political position | Ideology | Leader(s) | Leader(s) |
| Aontú English: Unity | 2019 | — | Irish republicanism Social conservatism | | Peadar Tóibín |
| Communist Party of Ireland Irish: An Páirtí Cumannach na hÉireann | 1933 1970 (refoundation) | Far-left | Communism Marxism-Leninism | — | Jimmy Corcoran (General Secretary) |
| Fianna Fáil English: Warriors of Fál or Soldiers of Destiny | 1926 | Centre to centre-right | Irish republicanism Conservative liberalism Christian democracy | | Micheál Martin |
| Irish Republican Socialist Party | 1974 | Far-left | Communism Marxism-Leninism Irish republicanism Dissident republicanism Hard euroscepticism | — | Ard Chomhairle English: National Executive |
| Republican Network for Unity | 2007 | Left-wing | Irish republicanism Dissident republicanism Socialism | — | — |
| Saoradh English: Liberation | 2016 | Far-left | Irish republicanism Dissident republicanism Revolutionary socialism Hard Euroscepticism Anti-imperialism | — | Stephen Murney |
| Workers' Party Irish: An Páirtí na nOibrithe | 1970 | Far-left | Communism Marxism-Leninism Irish republicanism | — | Collective leadership |

### Others

| Party | Party | Founded | Political position | Ideology | Leader(s) | Leader(s) | Notes |
| | Cross-Community Labour Alternative | 2015 | Left-wing | Democratic socialism Anti-capitalism Nonsectarianism | — | Owen McCracken | — |
| | Socialist Party | 1996 | Left-wing to far-left | Democratic socialism Political radicalism Trotskyism Euroscepticism | — | Collective leadership | — |

## Unregistered parties

Candidates for unregistered parties may choose either to be listed as "Non-Party", or to leave the section blank on the ballot paper, in the same manner as independent candidates.

### Nationalist and Republican

* 32 County Sovereignty Movement - Does not contest elections, operates as a pressure group
* Anti-Imperialist Action Ireland - Does not contest elections
* Fine Gael
* National Party
* Republican Sinn Féin (RSF)

### Unionist

* Reform UK

## Inactive parties
### Unionist and loyalist

* Belfast Labour Party
* British Ulster Dominion Party
* Commonwealth Labour Party
* Independent Unionist Association
* Labour Unionist Party
* NI21
* UKIP Northern Ireland
* Northern Ireland Unionist Party - deregistered 2008
* Protestant Coalition
* Ulster Defence Party* (UDP)
* Protestant Unionist Party (evolved into the DUP)
* Ulster Constitution Party
* Ulster Democratic Party
* Ulster Loyalist Democratic Party
* Ulster Popular Unionist Party
* Ulster Progressive Unionist Association
* Ulster Protestant League
* Ulster Resistance
* Ulster Unionist Labour Association
* Unionist Party of Northern Ireland
* United Kingdom Unionist Party - deregistered 2008
* United Ulster Unionist Council
* United Ulster Unionist Party
* United Unionist Coalition (UUC)
* Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
* Volunteer Political Party

### Nationalist and Republican

* All Ireland Anti-Partition League
* Federation of Labour
* Fianna Uladh
* Irish Anti-Partition League
* Independent Socialist Party
* Irish Independence Party
* National Democratic Party
* National League of the North
* National Unity
* Nationalist Party
* Northern Council for Unity
* Official Sinn Féin (now Workers' Party)
* People's Democracy
* Red Republican Party
* Republican Congress
* Republican Labour Party
* Saor Éire
* Socialist Republican Party
* Unity

### Others

* Commonwealth Labour Party
* Communist Party of Ireland (Marxist-Leninist)
* Communist Party of Northern Ireland
* Irish Labour Party (contests elections in the Republic)
* Labour coalition
* Labour Party of Northern Ireland
* Northern Ireland Labour Party
* Northern Ireland Women's Coalition
* Newtownabbey Labour Party
* Newtownabbey Ratepayers Association
* Natural Law Party
* Social Democratic Party - The post-1988 rump of the party stood in a Northern Ireland by-election in 1990; the party as a whole existed and was more prominent in Great Britain from 1981 to 1988 although the post-1990 rump group still exists.
* Ulster Independence Movement
* Ulster Liberal Party
* Ulster Movement for Self-Determination
* United Labour Party (Northern Ireland)
* Ulster Third Way - deregistered 2005
* Veritas - Dissolved June 2015
* Vote for Yourself Party - disbanded April 2009, de-registered 8 June 2009
* World Socialist Party (Ireland) - Dissolved in the 1990s

## Party leaders

Party leaders serving 10 years or more are
| Leader | Years | Party/Period | Constituency |
| Ian Paisley | 42y | Protestant Unionist Party 1966–1971 Democratic Unionist Party 1971–2008 | Bannside, North Antrim |
| Ruairí Ó Brádaigh | 36y | Sinn Féin 1970–1983 Republican Sinn Féin 1986–2009 | |
| Gerry Adams | 35y | Sinn Féin 1983–2018 | West Belfast, Louth |
| William Norton | 28y | Irish Labour 1932–1960 | |
| Tomás Mac Giolla | 26y | Sinn Féin 1962–1970 Official Sinn Féin 1970–1977 Sinn Féin The Workers' Party 1977–1982 Workers' Party 1982–1988 | |
| Hugh Smyth | 23y | Progressive Unionist Party 1979–2002 | |
| John Hume | 22y | Social Democratic and Labour Party 1979–2001 | Foyle |
| Albert McElroy | 19y | Ulster Liberal Party 1956–1975 (?) | |
| Lord Craigavon | 19y | Ulster Unionist Party 1921–1940 | Down, North Down |
| John Redmond | 18y | Irish Parliamentary Party 1900–1918 | Waterford City |
| Lord Brookeborough | 17y | Ulster Unionist Party 1946–1963 | Lisnaskea |
| James Molyneaux | 16y | Ulster Unionist Party 1979–1995 | South Antrim, Lagan Valley |
| Joseph Devlin | 16y | Nationalist Party 1918–1934 | Belfast Falls, Fermanagh and Tyrone, Belfast Central |
| Gerry Fitt | 15y | Republican Labour Party 1964–1970 Social Democratic and Labour Party 1970–1979 | Belfast West, Belfast Dock |
| James Kilfedder | 15y | Ulster Popular Unionist Party 1980–1995 | North Down |
| David Ford | 15y | Alliance Party 2001–2016 | South Antrim |
| Margaret Buckley | 13y | Sinn Féin 1937–1950 | |
| Robert McCartney | 13y | UK Unionist Party 1995–2008 | North Down |
| James McSparran | 13y | Nationalist Party 1945–1958 | Mourne |
| Oliver Napier | 12y | Alliance Party 1972–1984 | Belfast East |
| Thomas Joseph Campbell | 11y | Nationalist Party 1934–1945 | Belfast Central |
| Sir Edward Carson | 11y | Ulster Unionist Party 1910–1921 | Dublin University, Belfast Duncairn |
| John Alderdice | 11y | Alliance Party 1987–1998 | Belfast East |
| David Trimble | 10y | Ulster Unionist Party 1995–2005 | Upper Bann |