   the sunningdale agreement was an attempt to establish a power-sharing northern ireland executive and a cross-border council of ireland. the agreement was signed at sunningdale park located in sunningdale, berkshire, on 9 december 1973. unionist opposition, violence and a loyalist general strike caused the collapse of the agreement in may 1974. ==northern ireland assembly== on 20 march 1973, the british government published a white paper which proposed a 78-member northern ireland assembly, to be elected by proportional representation. the british government would retain control over law, order and finance, while a council of ireland composed of members of the executive of the republic of ireland, the dÃ¡il Ãireann, the northern ireland executive and the northern ireland assembly would act in a consultative role.the sunningdale agreement â full text of the agreement, from the cain project's website the assembly was to replace the suspended stormont parliament, but it was hoped that it would not be dominated by the ulster unionist party (uup) in the same way, and would thus be acceptable to nationalists. the northern ireland assembly bill resulting from the white paper became law on 3 may 1973, and elections for the new assembly were held on 28 june. the agreement was supported by the nationalist social democratic and labour party (sdlp), the unionist uup and the cross-community alliance party. the pro-agreement parties won a clear majority of seats (52 to 26), but a substantial minority inside the ulster unionist party opposed the agreement. republicans boycotted the elections, and the ira continued its campaign of opposition throughout the outcome. ==power-sharing executive== after the assembly elections, negotiations between the pro-white paper parties on the formation of a "power-sharing executive" began. the main concerns were internment, policing and the question of a council of ireland. on 21 november, agreement was reached on a voluntary coalition of pro-agreement parties (unlike the provisions of the belfast agreement, which establishes the d'hondt method for the election of ministers, proportionally to the main parties in the assembly). prominent members of the executive included former unionist prime minister brian faulkner as chi
1970s_in_Irish_politics 1973_in_Northern_Ireland General_strikes History_of_Berkshire History_of_Northern_Ireland Home_rule_in_the_United_Kingdom The_Troubles_(Northern_Ireland) Windsor_and_Maidenhead