DETAILS
Tuesday 12th March 2024 at 4:30pm (AEDT), 7:30am (IST)
Sarah Howe & Charles Richardson
Beyond the sectarian model? Voting and the future of Northern Ireland
ABSTRACT
This paper reflects upon the win by Sinn Féin in the Northern Ireland Assembly election of May 2022, which ended the previously unbroken domination of the politics of the province by Protestant unionists. However, there are questions about the practical significance of the result, particularly in the way it was accompanied by the rise of non-sectarian parties. With an increasing number of voters who no longer take the sectarian divide as the main feature of the political landscape, there are hopes of a more ‘normal’ party system, where social or economic issues drive political allegiance. But in that situation, what becomes of Northern Ireland as a separate entity?
The paper makes use of qualitative methods, including interviews conducted at the time with voters in Northern Ireland, as well as an analysis of trends in recent election results, down to the local elections held in May 2023. We also note the significance of the most recent census figures, which show Catholics outnumbering Protestants for the first time. We briefly summarise the current political gridlock and ask whether it may be more than just a short-term effect of divisions over Brexit, and may instead reflect a breakdown of the political and demographic assumptions on which Northern Ireland’s identity has been based.
SPEAKERS
Sarah Howe travelled to Belfast to observe the Northern Ireland Assembly Election held in May this year. In this article, she reflects upon the win by Sinn Féin, breaking years of domination by Protestant unionists. Sarah is the National Chair of the Australian Fabians and a member of the Australian Labor Party. Charles Richardson is a Melbourne-based political philosopher and expert on European elections. An independent scholar, Charles’s research interests include the history of liberal democratic structures and the comparative study of European party systems.
LOCATION (In-Person and Online)
This free public seminar will be held in-person in the Jabiru Room at Newman College (enter via main gate and follow the signs), and streamed live online via Zoom. The Zoom room will be open 10 minutes before the scheduled start to give everyone time to connect. Please keep your microphone on mute for the duration of the talk. There will be time for questions at the end of the seminar. Please RSVP to Dianne.hall@vu.edu.au if you would like the zoom link.
RECORDING