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Green Party Northern Ireland

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The Green Party Northern Ireland, sometimes abbreviated as Green Party NI,[7] is a political party in Northern Ireland. Like many green political parties around the world, its origins lie in the anti-nuclear, labour and peace movements of the 1970s and early 1980s.

Green Party Northern Ireland
LeaderMal O'Hara
Deputy LeaderLesley Veronica
Preceded byGreen Party (UK)[1]
HeadquartersBangor
Youth wingYoung Greens
LGBT wingQueer Greens
Membership (2020)c. 700–800[2][3][4]
IdeologyGreen politics[5]
Nonsectarianism
National affiliationGreen Party (Ireland)
European affiliationEuropean Green Party
European Parliament groupGreens–European Free Alliance
International affiliationGlobal Greens
Colours  Green and   blue[6]
House of Commons
(NI Seats)
0 / 18
NI Assembly
0 / 90
NI Local Councils
5 / 462
Website
www.greenpartyni.org Edit this at Wikidata

Since 2006, the party has operated as a region of the Green Party of Ireland[8] and also maintains links with other Green parties, including the Scottish Greens and the Green Party of England and Wales.[9] The party has a youth wing operating in Northern Ireland, the Young Greens. The party also has LGBT policies and an activist group operating in Northern Ireland, the Queer Greens.

History

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In the Northern 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 the Europa 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 the Green Party of Ireland in 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 the Good Friday Agreement through its operational set up through north–south and east–west links.[citation needed]

In 2007, a Green society was established at Queen'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 the 2011 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 on LGBT 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 the 2016 Northern Ireland Assembly elections 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 when Áine Groogan was made the deputy lord mayor of Belfast.[13]

Policies

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The Green Party has four key values: social justice, environmental sustainability, grassroots democracy and non-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 the Northern Ireland Assembly, including clean rivers and anti-nuclear campaigns, opposition to fracking, and fighting the austerity agenda. It has also campaigned against the development of incinerators at Belfast North Foreshore and Lough Neagh, and against proposals to extend the airport runway at George Best Belfast City Airport.[9]

The Green Party campaigns not just for more environmental protection but also for politics for the common good. Former leader Steven Agnew has 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 of integrated education and a society based on equal rights and mutual respect for all traditions. This has included bringing forward the first motion on same-sex marriage to 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 independent environmental protection agency for Northern Ireland. They also campaign for a shift to alternative energy for Northern Ireland and were involved in the setting up of a lobby group for 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 the United Kingdom where political donations are secret.[18]

The party has said it wants a citizens' assembly to examine if drugs should be decriminalised to reduce deaths. In March 2021, then deputy leader and now leader of the party since August 2022, Mal O'Hara, said legalisation and harm-reduction models 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

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Election results

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The party's first electoral success in Northern Ireland was at the local council elections of 2005. Raymond Blaney was elected onto Down District Council and Brian Wilson, formerly of the Alliance Party, took a seat on North Down Borough Council. The party's third local councillor was Ciaran Mussen, elected to Newry and Mourne District Council.[21]

At the 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election, the Green Party won its first seat in the Northern Ireland Assembly, when Brian Wilson won a seat in the North Down constituency. 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 the Green New Deal, calling for job creation in the green energy sector.

The Greens fielded four candidates in the 2010 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 the 2011 Assembly election,[23] in which the party won a seat on North Down council,[24] with their candidate Steven 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 by John Barry.[24]

In May 2016 the Greens picked up their second seat in the Northern Ireland Assembly when Clare Bailey took a seat in South Belfast.

In 2019 the Greens picked up seats in local elections across the country. They managed to double the seats and won 4 seats in Belfast City Council.

Bailey and Rachel Woods were both defeated in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election, leaving the party with no representation in Stormont for the first time since 2007.[26]

Northern Ireland Assembly elections

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Election Body Seats won ± Position First pref. votes % Government Leader
1996 Forum
0 / 110
   None 3,647 0.5% Extra-parliamentary None
1998 Assembly
0 / 108
   None 710 0.1% Extra-parliamentary None
2003
0 / 108
   None 2,688 0.4% Extra-parliamentary None
2007
1 / 108
  1  6th 11,985 1.7% Opposition Kelly Andrews and John Barry
2011
1 / 108
    6th 6,031 0.9% Opposition Steven Agnew
2016
2 / 108
  1  6th 18,718 2.7% Opposition
2017
2 / 90
    6th 18,527 2.3% Opposition
2022
0 / 90
  2  7th 16,433 1.9% Extra-parliamentary Clare Bailey

UK Parliament elections

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Election Seats (in NI) ± Position Total votes % (in NI) % (in UK) Government
1983
0 / 18
   None 451 0.1% 0.0% Extra-parliamentary
1987
0 / 17
   None 281 0.0% 0.0% Extra-parliamentary
1997
0 / 18
   None 539 0.1% 0.0% Extra-parliamentary
2010
0 / 18
   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

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Constituency Candidate Votes % Position
North Antrim Malcolm Samuel 451 1.0 6

1987 general election

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Constituency Candidate Votes % Position
East Londonderry Malcolm Samuel 281 0.6 6

By-elections, 1987–1992

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By-election Candidate Votes % Position
Upper Bann Peter Doran 576 1.6 9

1997 general election

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Constituency Candidate Votes % Position
Belfast North Peter Emerson 539 1.3 5

2010 general election

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Main article: 2024 United Kingdom general election in Northern Ireland
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

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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 3 5,703 0.8
2011   3 6,317 1.0
2014   1 4 5,515 0.8
2019   4 8 14,284 2.1
2023   3 5 12,692 1.7

European Parliament elections

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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

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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

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Local councils

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  • 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

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References

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  1. ^ "Christians in Politics - Guide to the Green Party". christiansinpolitics.org.uk. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2017.
  2. ^ "2,600 Green Party members register for govt deal vote". 17 June 2020. Archived from the original on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 18 December 2020 – via www.rte.ie. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ McClements, Freya (18 June 2020). "Votes of Northern Greens could impact on whether party enters coalition". The Irish Times. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  4. ^ Morris, Allison (17 June 2020). "Green Party members north and south hold the deciding votes for government formation". The Irish News. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  5. ^ Nordsieck, Wolfram (2017). "Northern Ireland/UK". Parties and Elections in Europe. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Green Party Branding 08" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
  7. ^ "Green Party". Northern Ireland Assembly. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Greens working for peaceful progress in Northern Ireland". 13 December 2006. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  9. ^ a b c d "Profile: Green Party". BBC News. 5 April 2010. Archived from the original on 2 March 2022. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  10. ^ Belfast election results 1973–1981 Archived 1 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine, ARK, accessed 13 January 2013
  11. ^ "QUB Greens Blog". qubgreens.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on 15 October 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  12. ^ Ferguson, Amanda (14 January 2016). "North's first transgender election candidate bids for Assembly seat". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  13. ^ "Green Party secures first ever Northern Ireland mayoral role". BBC News. 5 June 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  14. ^ Mannion, A.M. (12 January 2006). Carbon and Its Domestication. Springer. p. 222. ISBN 9781402039560.
  15. ^ "Our Principles". Green Party in Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  16. ^ Clarke, Liam (20 April 2011). "Green Party manifesto unveiled by new leader". Belfast Telegraph. Archived from the original on 5 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  17. ^ "Green Party leader Steven Agnew reacts to leader debate". BBC News. 4 May 2011. Archived from the original on 10 November 2018. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  18. ^ Walker, Stephen (29 March 2014). "Green Party's Steven Agnew in political donations call". BBC News. Archived from the original on 31 March 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  19. ^ Hughes, Brendan (7 March 2021). "Green Party wants citizens' assembly to examine if drugs should be decriminalised to reduce deaths". Belfast Live. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  20. ^ Bonner, Kelly (1 March 2022). "Drug-related deaths more than double in decade in Northern Ireland". BBC News. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
  21. ^ Whyte, Dr Nicholas. "Local Government Elections 2005". ark.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 9 August 2007. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  22. ^ "Green Party NI candidates in 2010 general election". BBC News. 21 April 2010. Archived from the original on 23 September 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  23. ^ "Green Party to elect Northern Ireland leader". BBC News. 10 January 2011. Archived from the original on 13 January 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  24. ^ a b "Green MLA Steven Agnew steps down from council". BBC News. 27 July 2011. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  25. ^ "European election predictions: Full analysis of how DUP, Sinn Fein, UUP, SDLP and others could perform in May". Belfast Telegraph. 30 April 2014. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 5 May 2014.
  26. ^ Coyle, Colin (8 May 2022). "Greens blame 'polarised politics' for wipeout at Stormont". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
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