Direct rule

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Northern Ireland
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Assembly MLA Committees List of Acts Members: 2007 - 2003 - 1998 Elections: 2007 - 2003 - 1998 Northern Ireland Executive First Minister and deputy First Minister Departments Executives: First - Suspended - Second Northern Ireland Policing Board Parades Commission
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom Parliament Committees: Affairs - Grand Members: Commons - Lords - Privy Council Elections: 2005 United Kingdom Government Northern Ireland Office Secretary of State • Direct Rule
In the European Union
European Union Parliament MEP Members: 2004 - 1999 Elections: 2004 - 1999
Related political parties
Designated Unionist Democratic Unionist Party Ulster Unionist Party Progressive Unionist Party Conservatives Traditional Unionist Voice Designated Nationalist Sinn Féin Social Democratic and Labour Party Fianna Fáil Designated Other Alliance Party Green Party
Related bodies
North/South Ministerial Council British-Irish Council British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference Civic Forum for Northern Ireland
See also
St Andrews Agreement (2006) Belfast Agreement (1998) Segregation in Northern Ireland Elections in Northern Ireland Constituencies Political parties
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Direct rule was the term given, during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, to the administration of Northern Ireland directly from Westminster, seat of United Kingdom government. The most recent bout of direct rule came to an end on 8 May 2008 when power was restored to the Northern Ireland Assembly following April elections and a power-sharing agreement among major parties.

Although day-to-day matters under direct rule were handled by government departments within Northern Ireland itself, major policy was determined by the British Government's Northern Ireland Office, under the direction of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland; and legislation was introduced, amended, or repealed by means of order in council (effectively, rule by decree). Direct Rule did not mean that the people of Northern Ireland had no democratic say in how they were governed; like other parts of the United Kingdom they elected (and still elect) members of parliament to the Parliament of the United Kingdom to which the Northern Ireland Office is responsible. But it did result in the existence of an administration specific to Northern Ireland which did not have a specifically Northern Irish mandate.

The most recent system of Direct rule was originally introduced on March 28, 1973 under the terms of the UK's Northern Ireland (Temporary Provisions) Act 1973, which also suspended the Parliament of Northern Ireland ("Stormont").

The British Government sought to establish a Northern Ireland Assembly in 1974 (under the Sunningdale Agreement; this was brought down by Unionist action), in 1983 (this time boycotted by Nationalists), and more recently under the terms of the Belfast Agreement of 1999. Each time, the intention in principle was that the Assembly would take over the political governance of Northern Ireland, and that direct rule would thus come to an end. The results of the Good Friday Agreement were the most successful at achieving this; however, the Assembly was nevertheless suspended (and direct rule re-imposed) for over three months in 2001, twice briefly in 2002, and again from 2003 until the spring of 2012.

Both unionists and nationalists frequently objected to direct rule, since the system gives the people of Northern Ireland relatively little democratic say over their own governance. However, some unionists accepted and were content to go along with the system since it seemed to show the province as an integral part of the UK; while some nationalists accepted direct rule if only because they believed that politicians in London are less hostile to Northern Ireland's Catholic community than a government elected by the local Protestant majority.^{[citation needed]}