Northern Ireland Assembly - List of 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

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

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

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

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.