Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention

Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention

← 1973 1 May 1975 1982 →
← outgoing members Delegates elected →
All 78 seats to the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention 40 seats were needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Harry West Gerry Fitt William Craig Party UUP SDLP Vanguard Leader since 22 January 1974 21 August 1970 9 February 1972 Leader's seat Fermanagh and South Tyrone Belfast North Belfast East Last election 7 seats, 10.5% 19 seats, 22.1% 7 seats, 11.5% Seats won 19 17 14 Seat change 12 2 7 Popular vote 167,214 156,049 83,507 Percentage 25.4% 23.7% 12.7% Swing 14.9% 1.6% 1.2%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Ian Paisley Oliver Napier Brian Faulkner Party DUP Alliance Unionist Party NI Leader since 30 September 1971 1972 4 September 1974 Leader's seat North Antrim Belfast East South Down Last election 8 seats, 10.8% 8 seats, 9.2% 19, 25.3% Seats won 12 8 5 Seat change 4 0 19 Popular vote 97,073 64,657 50,891 Percentage 14.8% 9.8% 7.7% Swing 4.0% 0.6% 17.6%
Percentage of seats gained by each of the party.
Chief Executive before election Brian Faulkner Elected Chief Executive None

Brian Faulkner

None

The Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention (NICC) was an elected body set up in 1975 by the United Kingdom Labour government of Harold Wilson as an attempt to deal with constitutional issues surrounding the status of Northern Ireland.

The idea for a constitutional convention was first mooted by the Northern Ireland Office in its white paper The Northern Ireland Constitution, published on 4 July 1974. The paper laid out plans for elections to a body which would seek agreement on a political settlement for Northern Ireland. The proposals became law with the enactment of the Northern Ireland Act 1974 later that month. With Lord Chief Justice Robert Lowry appointed to chair the new body, elections were announced for 1 May 1975.

The elections were held for the 78-member body using the single transferable vote system of proportional representation in each of Northern Ireland's twelve Westminster constituencies. Initially the body was intended to be purely consultative, although it was hoped that executive and legislative functions could be devolved to the NICC once a cross-community agreement had been reached.

Unionists opposed to the NICC once again banded together under the umbrella of the United Ulster Unionist Council (UUUC) and this coalition proved the most successful, taking 46 seats.

Source: Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention Elections 1975