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Northern Ireland Assembly - List of Members by Party (1998-2003)



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Devolved Government in Northern Ireland
Secretary Assembly Executive Departments Committees North- South British- Irish Conference Civic Forum

List of Assembly Members by Party (1998-2003)

The following is a list (according to political party) that charts the membership of the Northern Ireland Assembly from June 1998 up until November 2003.
It should also be noted that following political developments on 14 October 2002 all the devolved institutions in Northern Ireland, including the Assembly, were suspended indefinetly. The Assembly was then dissolved on 28 April 2003 but elections scheduled for the month of May were postponed. It was later decided however that an Assembly election would take place on 26 November 2003.

Ulster Unionist Party (UUP)     26 Seats1

Dr Ian Adamson
Mr Billy Armstrong
Mr Roy Beggs, Jnr
Mr Billy Bell
Dr Esmond Birnie
Ms Joan Carson
Mr Fred Cobain
Rev Robert Coulter
Mr Ivan Davis
Mr Reg Empey
Mr Sam Foster
Sir John Gorman
Mr Tom Hamilton2
Mr Derek Hussey
Mr Danny Kennedy
Lord Kilclooney3
Mr James Leslie
Mr David McClarty
Mr Alan McFarland
Mr Michael McGimpsey
Mr Dermot Nesbit
Mr Ken Robinson
Mr George Savage
Mr Duncan Shipley Dalton
Rt Hon David Trimble MP (Party Leader)
Mr Jim Wilson

Changes to the UUP Assembly Team 1998-2003
1UUP had 28 members returned to the Assembly in 1998. However on 2 November 2001 Ms Pauline Armitage was suspended from the UUP and then sat as an Independent Unionist MLA. Mr Peter Weir was expelled from the UUP on 9 November 2001 and for a time sat as an Independent Unionist MLA. He joined the DUP in 2002 and was designated as a DUP MLA from 30 April 2002.
2Mr Tom Hamilton MLA for Strangford from 17 January 2001 and replaced Mr Tom Benson who had died on 24 December 2000.
3Lord Kilclooney was formerly Mr John Taylor MP. Prior to the Westminster general election on 7 June 2001 he announced his intention to stand down as an MP and was subsequently awarded a life peerage.


Social Democratic & Labour Party (SDLP)     24 Seats

Mr Alex Attwood
Mr Patrick Bradley
Mr Joe Byrne
Mr Michael Coyle1
Ms Annie Courtney2
Mr John Dallat
Mr Mark Durkan (Party Leader)3
Mr Sean Farran
Mr John Fee
Mr Tommy Gallagher
Ms Carmel Hanna
Mr Denis Haughey
Dr Joe Hendron
Ms Patricia Lewsley
Mr Alban Maginness
Mr Seamus Mallon MP 
Mr Donovan McCleland
Dr Alasdair McDonnell
Mr Eddie McGrady MP
Mr Eugene McMenamin
Mr Danny O'Connor
Mr Eamon O'Neill
Ms Brid Rodgers
Mr John Tierney

Changes to the SDLP Assembly Team 1998-2003
1Mr Michael Coyle MLA for East Londonderry from 16 September 2002 and replaced Mr Arthur Doherty who had resigned on 1 September 2002.
2Annie Courtney MLA for Foyle from 11 December 2000 and replaced Mr John Hume MP MEP who had resigned as an MLA on 1 December 2000. She did however resign from the SDLP in April 2003 and from then was designated as an Independent.
3Mark Durkan MLA became leader of the SDLP on 10 November 2001. He replaced Mr John Hume MP MLA who had announced his decision to step down in September 2001.


Democratic Unionist Party (DUP)    21 Seats1

Mr Paul Berry
Mr Gregory Campbell MP3
Mr Mervyn Carrick
Mr Wilson Clyde
Mr Nigel Dodds MP4
Mr Oliver Gibson
Mr William Hay
Mr David Hilditch
Mr Roger Hutchinson1
Rev Dr William McCrea2
Mr Maurice Morrow
Rev Dr Ian Paisley MP MEP (Party Leader)
Mr Ian Paisley
Mr Edwin Poots
Mrs Iris Robinson5
Mr Mark Robinson
Mr Peter Robinson MP
Mr Jim Shannon
Mr Jim Wells
Mr Sammy Wilson
Mr Peter Weir1

Changes to the DUP Assembly Team 1998-2003
1DUP had 20 members returned to the Assembly in 1998. However Mr Roger Hutchinson sat as a DUP MLA from 1 April 2002. Then Mr Peter Weir sat as a DUP MLA from 30 April 2002. But Mr Gardiner Kane ceased to be a member of the DUP from 11 November 2002 and was designated from then on as an Independent Unionist MLA.
2Rev William McCrea sat as a Westminster MP from September 2000-June 2001.
3Mr Gregory Campbell was elected as an MP at the Westminster general election on 7 June 2001.
4Mr Nigel Dodds was elected as an MP at the Westminster general election on 7 June 2001.
5Mrs Iris Robinson was elected as an MP at the Westminster general election on 7 June 2001.


Sinn Féin (SF)     18 Seats

Mr Gerry Adams MP (Party Leader)
Ms Bairbre De Brun
Mr Pat Doherty MP1
Ms Michelle Gildernew MP2
Mr Gerry Kelly
Mr John Kelly
Mr Alex Maskey
Mr Barry McElduff
Mr Martin McGuinness MP
Mr Gerry McHugh
Mr Mitchel McLaughlin
Mr Pat McNamee
Mr Francie Molloy
Mr Conor Murphy
Mr Mick Murphy
Ms Mary Neilis
Ms Dara O'Hagan
Ms Sue Ramsey

Changes to the SF Assembly Team 1998-2003
1Mr Pat Doherty was elected as an MP at the Westminster general election on 7 June 2001.
2Ms Michelle Gildernew was elected as an MP at the Westminster general election on 7 June 2001.


Alliance Party (APNI)    6 Seats

The Lord Alderdice of Knock1
Mrs Eileen Bell
Mr Seamus Close
Mr David Ford (Party Leader)2
Mr Kieran McCarthy
Mr Sean Neeson

Changes to the APNI Assembly Team 1998-2003
1Lord Alderdice became Presiding Officer of the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1998 and later took on the role of Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly (1998-2004).
2Mr David Ford became leader of the APNI on 6 October 2001.


Northern Ireland Unionist Party (NIUP)    3 Seats1

Mr Norman Boyd1
Mr Patrick Roche1
Mr Cedric Wilson (Party Leader)1,2

Changes to the NIUP Assembly Team 1998-2003
1Mr Norman Boyd MLA for South Antrim, Mr Roger Hutchinson MLA for East Antrim, Mr Patrick Roche MLA for Lagan Valley and Mr Cedric Wilson MLA for Strangford were returned to the Assembly in 1998 as members of United Kingdom Unionist Party (UKUP) MLAs. But they resigned from the UKUP in January 1999 and formed the Northern Ireland Unionist Party (NIUP). They sat as NIUP MLAs from 15 January 1999. Mr Roger Hutchinson ceased to be a member of the NIUP towards end of November 1999 and from 1 December 1999 sat as an Independent Unionist. Then in April 2002 he joined the DUP and sat as a DUP MLA from 1 April 2002.
2Mr Cedric Wilson was appointed as leader of the NIUP from 15 January 1999.


Progressive Unionist Party (PUP)     2 Seats

Mr David Ervine (Party Leader)
Mr Billy Hutchinson


Northern Ireland Women's Coalition (NIWC)     2 Seats

Professor Monica McWilliams (Party Leader)
Ms Jane Morrice


United Kingdom Unionist Party (UKUP)     1 Seat1

Mr Robert McCartney QC MP (Party Leader)

Changes to the UKUP Assembly Team 1998-2003
1Mr Norman Boyd MLA for South Antrim, Mr Roger Hutchinson MLA for East Antrim, Mr Patrick Roche MLA for Lagan Valley and Mr Cedric Wilson MLA for Strangford were returned to the Assembly in 1998 as members of United Kingdom Unionist Party (UKUP) MLAs. But they resigned from the UKUP in January 1999 and left Mr Bob McCartney as the UKUP's sole MLA.


United Unionist Assembly Party (UUAP):     3 Seats1

Mr Fraser Agnew1
Mr Boyd Douglas1
Mr Denis Watson1

Changes to the UUAP 1998-2003
1Mr Fraser Agnew MLA for North Belfast, Mr Boyd Douglas MLA for East Londonderry and Mr Denis Watson MLA for Upper Bann were returned to the Assembly in 1998 as Independent Unionists but came together in September 1998 to form the United Unionist Assembly Party (UUAP). They sat as UUAP MLAs from 21 September 1998. Later for the Assembly election in November 2003 the UUAP registered to fight the contest as the United Unionist Coalition (UUC).


Independent Unionist:     2 Seats1

Ms Pauline Armitage1
Mr Gardiner Kane1

Independent Unionist 1998-2003
1Ms Pauline Armitage MLA for East Londonderry resigned from the UUP and sat as an Independent Unionist MLA from 2 November 2001.
2Mr Gardiner Kane MLA for North Antrim ceased to be a member of the DUP from 11 November 2002 and from then was designated as an Independent Unionist.

Mr Roger Hutchinson MLA for East Antrim sat as an Independent Unionist from December 1999 until April 2002 when he joined the DUP.
Mr Peter Weir MLA for North Down sat as an Independent Unionist from November 2001 unti April April 2002 when he joined the DUP.


Independent:     1 Seat1

1Ms Annie Courtney MLA for Foyle resigned from the SDLP in April 2003 and from then was designated as an Independent.


 


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