Intergovernmental Relations and Political Parties in Northern Ireland
| Author | Derek Birrell |
| Published date | 01 May 2012 |
| Date | 01 May 2012 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-856X.2011.00503.x |
| Subject Matter | Article |
Intergovernmental Relations and
Political Parties in Northern Ireland
Derek Birrell
Intergovernmental relations (IGR) as a political principle and a mechanism of governance have
played a major and distinctive role in Northern Ireland’s political and constitutional development.
This distinctiveness is apparent in the interpretation and scope of IGR, in party representation in
intergovernmental fora and in the meaning and context of party incongruence. This article seeks to
analyse the development and nature of IGR since the restoration of devolved government in 1999
but particularly since 2007, in light of this distinctiveness. It sets out the wide range and nature of
the processes and institutions of IGR involving the Northern Ireland government and its form of
consociational representation. The article then examines how the different political parties have
engaged in IGR.
Keywords: intergovernmental relations; Northern Ireland; devolution; political
parties
Introduction
Northern Ireland stands out as having a number of distinctive features regarding
government participation in intergovernmental relations (IGR) and also regarding
political party participation. This distinctiveness exists in terms of IGR taking place
in both the UK context and engagement with the Irish government, as well as
through the important consequences for IGR of the Good Friday Agreement of
1998. The nature of the Northern Ireland party system means a permanent party
incongruence between the Northern Ireland government and the other govern-
ments to which it is relating. The consociational nature of the Northern Ireland
government also means that Northern Ireland demonstrates multiparty represen-
tation in intergovernmental fora with the potential for intra-governmental and
coalition disputes. The context of deep ideological and historic cleavages between
parties has a major influence on attitudes towards IGR. It is against this background
that the working of multifaceted institutions and processes of IGR involving the
Northern Ireland government have to be analysed.
The Political and Constitutional Salience of
Intergovernmental Relations
Historically, political parties in Northern Ireland have interpreted IGR as involving
two other governments outside Northern Ireland, the UK government in London
and the Irish government in Dublin. Under the old Stormont system of devolu-
tion from 1921 to 1972 the phrase intergovernmental relations was little used. As
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doi: 10.1111/j.1467-856X.2011.00503.x BJPIR: 2012 VOL 14, 270–284
© 2012 The Author.British Journal of Politics and International Relations © 2012
Political Studies Association
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