Who are your MLAs?
Who represents you in the Northern Ireland Assembly?
The people of Northern Ireland elect MLAs to represent them in the Assembly. MLAs make laws on our behalf and scrutinise the work of the Ministers in charge of Government Departments.
MLAs represent the people in a particular area, called a constituency. For an election to the Assembly, Northern Ireland is divided into 18 constituencies. Each constituency elects five MLAs, making a total of 90 MLAs.
Most MLAs belong to one of the political parties. Before an election, each party publishes a manifesto. These tell voters what the party believes in and what it plans to do if it is elected. Policies area party’s plans formatters, such as health, education or the environment.
The results of the last election to the Assembly on 5 May 2022 were:
| Party | Seats |
|---|---|
| Sinn Fein (SF) | 27 |
| Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) | 25 |
| Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (Alliance) | 17 |
| Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) | 9 |
| Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) | 8 |
| Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) | 1 |
| People Before Profit (PBPA) | 1 |
| Independent (not a member of a party) | 2 |
You can vote in elections and stand as a candidate when you are aged 18. Your name can go on the electoral register at 17. Even if you can’t vote yet, MLAs for your constituency represent everyone living there, including you. They want to hear your views. If you have an issue that concerns you, contact your MLAs and ask if they can do something about it.
To do this, you need to know who they are. Perhaps you already do? If not, find out.