View source for Alliance Party of Northern Ireland

{{Short description|Political party in Northern Ireland}}
{{EngvarB|date=October 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox political party
| abbreviation     = APNI
| native_name      = 
| logo             = [[File:Alliance Party of Northern Ireland logo.svg{{!}}class=skin-invert|frameless|upright=1.1|Logo]]
| colorcode        = {{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}
| founded          = {{Start date and age|1970|04|21|df=y}}
| ideology         = [[Liberalism]]<ref name="BBC News">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/events/northern_ireland/parties/70610.stm |title=Parties {{pipe}} Northern Ireland Political Parties |publisher=BBC News |date=1998-10-14 |access-date=2015-08-27 |archive-date=12 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912125627/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/events/northern_ireland/parties/70610.stm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Northern Ireland/UK|website=Parties and Elections in Europe|url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/nireland.html|year=2017|access-date=28 September 2018|first=Wolfram|last=Nordsieck|archive-date=7 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107064030/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/nireland.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Deacon2012"/><br />[[Nonsectarianism]]<ref>{{cite web |publisher=BBC |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/recent/troubles/fact_files.shtml?ff=pp01 |title=History – NI: The Troubles – Fact Files |date=2014-09-18 |access-date=2015-08-27 |archive-date=23 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191223142056/http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/recent/troubles/fact_files.shtml?ff=pp01 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.politics.co.uk/reference/alliance-party |title=Alliance party |publisher=Politics.co.uk |access-date=2015-08-27 |archive-date=19 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140519094644/http://www.politics.co.uk/reference/alliance-party |url-status=live }}</ref><br />[[Pro-Europeanism]]<ref>{{cite news|author=Brendan Hughes|url=http://www.irishnews.com/news/2016/02/22/news/eu-referendum-where-Northern-Ireland-parties-stand-425039/|title=EU referendum: Where Northern Ireland parties stand|publisher=Irish News|date=2016-02-22|access-date=2017-03-04|archive-date=29 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201029073908/https://www.irishnews.com/news/2016/02/22/news/eu-referendum-where-northern-ireland-parties-stand-425039/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| predecessor      = [[Ulster Liberal Party]]<br />[[New Ulster Movement]]
| headquarters     = 7 Farmley Road <br />[[Newtownabbey]] <br />BT36 7TY
| website          = {{URL|https://www.allianceparty.org/|allianceparty.org}}
| country          = Northern Ireland
| name             = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
| leader1_title    = Leader
| leader1_name     = [[Naomi Long]] [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (Northern Ireland)|MLA]]
| leader2_title    = Deputy Leader
| leader2_name     = [[Eóin Tennyson]]
| leader3_title    = President
| leader3_name     = [[David Alderdice]]
| leader4_title    = Chairperson
| leader4_name     = [[Michelle Guy]] [[Member of the Legislative Assembly (Northern Ireland)|MLA]]
| leader5_title    = General Secretary
| founders         = [[Oliver Napier]]<br />[[Bob Cooper (politician)|Bob Cooper]]<br /> [[John Ferguson (Northern Ireland politician)|John Ferguson]]<br />
[[Basil Glass]]
| position         = [[Centrism|Centre]]<ref name="Cochrane2014"/> to [[Centre-left politics|centre-left]]<ref>{{cite journal|last=Jarrett|first=Henry|title=The Single Transferable Vote and the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland|journal=[[Representation (journal)|Representation]]|year=2016|volume=52|issue=4|pages=311–323|doi=10.1080/00344893.2017.1301987|s2cid=157208657|quote=This could be achieved by, for example, adopting a more conservative position than Alliance's centre-left liberalism...}}</ref>
| international    = [[Liberal International]]
| european         = [[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party|Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe]] (associate)
| affiliation1_title = [[Great Britain]] affiliate
| affiliation1     = [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Sister Parties |url=https://www.libdems.org.uk/sister_parties |website=Liberal Democrats |access-date=5 October 2019 |archive-date=31 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190731200232/https://www.libdems.org.uk/sister_parties |url-status=live }}</ref>
| youth_wing       = [[#Alliance Youth|Alliance Youth]]
| wing2_title      = LGBT wing
| wing2            = Alliance LGBT+
| colours          = {{Color box|{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}|border=darkgray}} Yellow<br />{{Color box|#000000|border=darkgray}} Black
| seats1_title     = [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]]<br />(NI seats)
| seats1           = {{composition bar|1|18|hex={{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}}}
| seats2_title     = [[House of Lords]]{{efn|Former party leader [[John Alderdice, Baron Alderdice|John Alderdice]] sits in the House of Lords with the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]].}}
| seats2           = {{Composition bar|0|{{HOL|TOTAL}}|hex=#F6CB2F}}
| seats3_title     = [[Northern Ireland Assembly|NI Assembly]]
| seats3           = {{Composition bar|17|90|hex=#F6CB2F}}
| seats4_title     = [[Local government in Northern Ireland|Councillors in Northern Ireland]]<ref name="localcouncil">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-65660650|title=NI council elections 2023: Restore Stormont Executive now, Sinn Féin urges|date=21 May 2023|publisher=BBC|access-date=21 May 2023}}</ref>
| seats4           = {{Composition bar|67|462|hex=#F6CB2F}}
| seats5           = {{Composition bar|3|11|hex=#F6CB2F}}
| seats5_title     = [[Local government in Northern Ireland|Councils led in Northern Ireland]]
}}

The '''Alliance Party of Northern Ireland''' ('''APNI'''), or simply '''Alliance''', is a [[Liberalism|liberal]]<ref name="Deacon2012">{{cite book |last=Deacon |first=Russell |title=Devolution in the United Kingdom |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IWo3BQAAQBAJ&pg=PA186 |year=2012 |publisher=Edinburgh University Press |isbn=978-0-7486-6973-8 |page=186 |access-date=6 October 2016 |archive-date=23 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161223134013/https://books.google.com/books?id=IWo3BQAAQBAJ&pg=PA186|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[centrism|centrist]]<ref name="Cochrane2014">{{cite book |first=Feargal |last=Cochrane |chapter=The Future of the Union II: Northern Ireland |editor1=Justin Fisher |editor2=David Denver |editor3=John Benyon |title=Central Debates in British Politics |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ST2gBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA54 |year=2014 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-317-87494-2 |page=54}}</ref> [[list of political parties in Northern Ireland|political party in Northern Ireland]]. Following the [[2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election]], it was the third-largest party in the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]], holding seventeen seats. It broke through by achieving third place in first preference votes in the [[2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom|2019 European Parliament election]] and polling third-highest regionally at the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 UK general election]]. The party won one of the three Northern Ireland seats in the [[European Parliament]], and one seat, [[North Down (UK Parliament constituency)|North Down]], in the House of Commons,<ref>{{Cite web |title=UK Parliament |url=https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2021/january/coming-up-in-the-commons-18-22-january/ |access-date=2021-11-05 |publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom |language=en}}</ref> the lower house of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-01-15 |title=UK Parliament |url=https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2021/january/coming-up-in-the-commons-18-22-january/ |url-status=live|access-date=2021-11-05|publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom |language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115154911/https://www.parliament.uk/business/news/2021/january/coming-up-in-the-commons-18-22-january/ |archive-date=15 January 2021 }}</ref>

Founded in 1970 from the [[New Ulster Movement]], the Alliance Party originally represented moderate and non-sectarian [[Unionism in Ireland|unionism]]. However, over time, particularly in the 1990s, it moved towards neutrality on the [[Act of Union (1800)|Union]], and came to represent wider liberal and non-sectarian concerns. It supports the [[Good Friday Agreement]] but maintains a desire for the reform of the political system towards a non-sectarian future and, in the Northern Ireland Assembly, it is [[Cross-community vote|designated]] as neither Unionist nor [[Irish nationalism|Irish nationalist]], but "Other" or "United Community".

The Alliance Party won its first seat in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|UK House of Commons]] in the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 general election]], unseating the former [[Belfast East (UK Parliament constituency)|East Belfast]] MP [[Peter Robinson (Northern Ireland politician)|Peter Robinson]], [[First Minister of Northern Ireland]] and leader of the [[Democratic Unionist Party]] (DUP). [[Naomi Long]] was the first MP from the Alliance Party since [[Stratton Mills]], who joined the party from the [[Ulster Unionist Party]] (UUP) in 1973. However, the DUP regained the seat at the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]], following an electoral pact with the UUP. In the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 general election]], Alliance regained its presence in the House of Commons when [[Stephen Farry]] won the North Down seat vacated by the independent unionist, [[Sylvia Hermon]]. Earlier that year, the party's leader, [[Naomi Long]], won the party's first seat in the European Parliament in the [[2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom|last European election]] before [[Brexit]]. Under Long's leadership, the Alliance Party exceeded expectations in the [[2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election]] and gained numerous seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly.<ref name=2022election>{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/assembly-election-sinn-f%C3%A9in-wins-most-seats-as-parties-urged-to-form-executive-1.4872352 |title=Assembly election: Sinn Féin wins most seats as parties urged to form Executive |first1=Freya |last1=McClements |first2=Seanín |last2=Graham |first3=Brian |last3=Hutton |first4=Gerry |last4=Moriarty |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=7 May 2022 |accessdate=7 May 2022}}</ref>

The Alliance Party is a member of the [[Liberal International]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.liberal-international.org/site/Full_Members.html |title=Liberal International: Full Members |publisher=Liberal International |access-date=3 June 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525043836/http://www.liberal-international.org/site/Full_Members.html |archive-date=25 May 2014}}</ref> and [[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party|Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.aldeparty.eu/members/member-parties |title=ALDE Party – Member Parties |website=ALDE Party |access-date=18 June 2019 |archive-date=26 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190526170823/https://www.aldeparty.eu/members/member-parties |url-status=dead}}</ref> and is aligned with the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] in [[Great Britain]].<ref name="Driver2011">{{cite book |first=Stephen |last=Driver |title=Understanding British Party Politics |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2_Qq6RJr6_QC&pg=PA125 |year=2011 |publisher=Polity |isbn=978-0-7456-4077-8 |page=125}}</ref>

==History==

===Early growth and the 1974 Northern Ireland Executive===
The party was formed in April 1970 as an alternative to the established parties. In the context of a rapidly worsening political crisis, it aimed not only to present an alternative to what they perceived as [[sectarian]] parties and expressly aimed to act as a bridge between the [[Protestant]] and [[Catholic]] sections of the community and heal the divisions in [[Northern Ireland]] society. The Party's founding principles were expressly in favour of Northern Ireland remaining part of the United Kingdom, although, in contrast to other [[Unionism in Ireland|unionist]] parties, that was expressed in socio-economic rather than [[ethnic group|ethnic]] terms.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Loretto |first1=Denis |title=Alliance, Liberals and the SDP |url=https://liberalhistory.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/33-Winter-2001-02.pdf |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-date=9 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200709220623/https://www.liberalhistory.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/33-Winter-2001-02.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

On 5 February 1973, prior to the [[1973 Northern Ireland border poll]], the party's chairman, [[Jim Hendron]], stated that: "Support for the position of Northern Ireland as an integral part of the United Kingdom is a fundamental principle of the Alliance Party, not only for economic reasons but also because we firmly believe that a peaceful solution to our present tragic problems is only possible within a United Kingdom context. Either a Sinn Fein all-Ireland republic or a [[Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party|Vanguard]]-style Ulster republic would lead to disaster for all our people."<ref>{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Many errors in poll vote applications |work=[[The News Letter]] |location=Belfast |date=6 February 1973 |page=5}}; {{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Vote in Border Poll-Alliance |work=[[Belfast Telegraph]] |date=5 February 1973 |page=3 }}</ref>

The party's prominence increased in 1972 when three members of the [[Northern Ireland House of Commons]] defected to Alliance.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rare voice of moderation during worst of Troubles |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/rare-voice-of-moderation-during-worst-of-troubles-1.596723 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-date=26 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226092008/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/rare-voice-of-moderation-during-worst-of-troubles-1.596723 |url-status=live }}</ref> The MPs were drawn from across Northern Ireland's political divide and included [[Bertie McConnell]], an independent [[Unionism in the United Kingdom|Unionist]], the [[Ulster Unionist Party|Ulster Unionist]] [[Phelim O'Neill, 2nd Baron Rathcavan|Phelim O'Neill]] and [[Tom Gormley (politician)|Tom Gormley]] who sat as an independent [[Nationalist (Northern Ireland)|Nationalist]].<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Loretto |first1=Denis |title=Alliance, Liberals and Alliance, Liberals and the SDP |journal=Journal of Liberal Democrat History |volume=33 |issue=Winter 2001–02 |pages=35 |url=https://liberalhistory.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/33-Loretto-Alliance-Liberals-SDP.pdf |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-date=20 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220124143/https://liberalhistory.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/33-Loretto-Alliance-Liberals-SDP.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1973, [[Charles Mulholland, 4th Baron Dunleath|Lord Dunleath]] joined the party in the [[House of Lords]].<ref>{{cite web |title=North Belfast 1950–1970 |url=https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/dnb.htm |website=ark.ac.uk |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-date=24 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224033202/http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/dnb.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Stratton Mills]], who had been elected as an [[Ulster Unionist Party|Ulster Unionist]]/[[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] MP at [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Westminster]] for [[Belfast North (UK Parliament constituency)|North Belfast]] also joined that year, becoming the party's sole MP between 1973 and 1974 and did not have another MP until 2010.<ref>{{cite web |title=Introduction to the Dunleath Papers |url=https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/dunleath.pdf |website=NI Direct |publisher=Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-date=16 August 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816083417/https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/dunleath.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Its first electoral challenge was the [[1973 Northern Ireland local elections|District Council elections of May 1973]] when they managed to win 13.6% of the votes cast.<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Government Elections 1973 |url=https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/flg73.htm |website=ark.ac.uk |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-date=8 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200308045246/https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/flg73.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the elections to the [[Northern Ireland Assembly (1973)|Northern Ireland Assembly]], which followed the [[Sunningdale Agreement]], the party polled 9.2% and won eight seats.<ref>{{cite web |title=Northern Ireland Assembly Elections 1973 |url=https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fa73.htm |website=ark.ac.uk |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-date=8 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200308045335/https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/fa73.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> After the elections, Alliance entered the power sharing [[Executive of the 1974 Northern Ireland Assembly|Northern Ireland Executive]]. [[Oliver Napier]] became Legal Minister and Head of the Office of Law Reform and [[Bob Cooper (politician)|Bob Cooper]] took the junior role of Minister for Manpower Services.<ref>{{cite web |title=CAIN: Events: Sunningdale – Members of the 1974 Executive |url=https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/events/sunningdale/executive.htm |website=cain.ulster.ac.uk |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-date=23 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190723072824/https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/events/sunningdale/executive.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

In its manifesto for the elections to the [[Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention]] in 1975, the Alliance Party stated "Alliance supports the constitutional position of Northern Ireland as an integral part of the United Kingdom. We know that this belief is shared by the overwhelming majority of our people and that provocative debate about it has been the primary cause of all our most fundamental troubles. The link is in the best economic and social interests of all the people of Northern Ireland, and we will maintain that only the people of Northern Ireland have the right to decide any change by voting in a referendum."<ref>[https://cain.ulster.ac.uk/issues/politics/docs/apni/apni75man.htm 1975 Constitutional Convention Election (NI) – Alliance Party Manifesto]</ref>

Alliance's vote increased significantly in the [[1977 Northern Ireland local elections|1977 local elections]], when it obtained 14.4% of the vote and had 74 Councillors elected.<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Government Elections 1977 |url=https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/flg77.htm |website=ark.ac.uk |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-date=8 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200308045336/https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/flg77.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1979, Party Leader [[Oliver Napier]] came closer than Alliance had previously come to electing a Westminster MP, polling just 928 votes short of [[Peter Robinson (Northern Ireland politician)|Peter Robinson]]'s winning total in [[East Belfast (UK Parliament constituency)|East Belfast]], albeit placing third in a three-way marginal.<ref>{{cite web |title=East Belfast 1973–82 |url=https://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/ceb.htm |website=ark.ac.uk |access-date=20 December 2019 |archive-date=23 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623075555/http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/ceb.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Stabilisation and decline===
Alliance was seriously damaged by the [[1981 Irish Hunger Strike]], which deeply polarised Northern Ireland politics, and led to the emergence of [[Sinn Féin]] as a serious political force. The party supported the 1985 [[Anglo-Irish Agreement]], and despite claims that this would fatally damage its soft unionist support, Alliance rebounded to pick up 10.0% of the vote in Northern Ireland in the [[1987 United Kingdom general election]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Nicholas Whyte|url=http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/gallsum.htm|title=Election results in Northern Ireland since 1973|publisher=Ark.ac.uk|access-date=28 May 2016|archive-date=10 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610173249/http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/gallsum.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[John Alderdice]] polled 32.0% of the vote in [[East Belfast (UK Parliament constituency)|East Belfast]], while Alliance came within 15,000 votes of both the [[Democratic Unionist Party]] and Sinn Féin across Northern Ireland. He would go on to become leader after the election, replacing John Cushnahan. In 1996 Alderdice accepted a peerage, becoming the Alliance Party's only representation in Parliament. [[John Alderdice|Lord Alderdice]] took the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrat]] whip on wider UK and European issues but remained free from the whip's control on issues impacting Northern Ireland.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/alderdice-accepts-lib-dem-peerage-in-house-of-lords-1.78580?mode=amp|title=Alderdice accepts Lib Dem peerage in House of Lords|newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|date=21 August 1996|access-date=2019-12-20|archive-date=20 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191220114259/https://www.irishtimes.com/news/alderdice-accepts-lib-dem-peerage-in-house-of-lords-1.78580?mode=amp|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1988, in Alliance's keynote post-Anglo Irish Agreement document, ''Governing with Consent'', Alderdice called for a devolved power-sharing government. Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, Alliance's vote stabilised at between 7% and 10%. After the IRA and [[Ulster loyalism|loyalist]] ceasefires in 1994, Alliance became the first non-nationalist party to enter into talks with Sinn Féin, as an active participant in the [[Northern Ireland peace process]] negotiations leading to the [[Good Friday Agreement]], which it strongly supported. Alliance polled poorly in the 1996 elections for the [[Northern Ireland Forum]], and the [[1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election|1998 election]] for the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]] winning around 6.5% of the vote each time. This did enable the party to win six seats in the Assembly, although this was somewhat of a let-down given that it had been expected to do much better.<ref>[http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/p1998.htm 1998 elections] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061215045750/http://www.ark.ac.uk/elections/p1998.htm |date=15 December 2006 }}, ark.ac.uk. Retrieved 28 May 2016.</ref>

===The Good Friday Agreement era===

====1998–2004====
John Alderdice resigned as party leader in 1998 to take up the post of the Assembly's [[Presiding Officer of the Northern Ireland Assembly|Presiding Officer]]. He was replaced by [[Seán Neeson]], who himself resigned as party leader in September 2001. Neeson was replaced by [[David Ford (politician)|David Ford]], a member of the Assembly for [[South Antrim (Assembly constituency)|South Antrim]].
<!-- Unsourced image removed: [[File:Alliancemlas2003.jpg|framed|right|The six Alliance MLAs elected in 2003. Rear row left to right: [[Kieran McCarthy]], [[Séan Neeson]], [[Seamus Close]]. Front row: [[Eileen Bell]], [[David Ford (politician)|David Ford]], [[Naomi Long]].]] -->

It was predicted that Alliance would suffer electorally as a new centrist challenger established itself in Northern Irish politics, the [[Northern Ireland Women's Coalition]]. Another problem for the APNI was that the rules of the Assembly require major votes (such as the election of the [[First Minister and deputy First Minister]]) to have the support of both a majority of unionist and nationalist MLAs, thus diminishing the importance of parties such as Alliance which are not aligned to either of these two blocs.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

In the [[2003 Northern Ireland Assembly election|2003 Assembly elections]], Alliance held all their seats, while the Women's Coalition lost both of theirs. Alliance's vote fell to just 3.7%. In the [[2004 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom|European Parliament Elections in 2004]], Alliance gave strong support to Independent candidate John Gilliland<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.allianceparty.org/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717220437/http://allianceparty.org/article/2004/000371/alliance-endorses-gilliland-for-europe|url-status=dead|title=Alliance Party of Northern Ireland|website=Alliance Party of Northern Ireland|archive-date=17 July 2012|access-date=11 August 2019}}</ref> who polled 6.6% of the vote, the highest for a non-communal candidate in a European election since 1979. In the early years of the peace process, the centre ground was relentlessly squeezed in Northern Ireland politics. The support for Gilliland's candidature, which was also supported by parties such as the [[Workers' Party (Ireland)|Workers' Party]] and Northern Ireland Conservatives, reflected a desire to reunite the fragmented and weakened non-communal bloc in Northern Ireland politics.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

====2004–2016====
[[File:David Ford.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[David Ford (politician)|David Ford]] led the Alliance between 2001 and 2016.]]
In the 5 May [[2005 United Kingdom general election]], they contested 12 seats and polled 3.9% of the vote. In the simultaneous elections to Northern Ireland's local authorities, they polled 5.0% of first preference votes and had 30 Councillors elected, a gain of two seats relative to the previous elections.

The 2006–2007 period saw some signs of an Alliance upturn, topping the poll and gaining a seat in a by-election for [[Coleraine Borough Council]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sluggerotoole.com/2006/12/14/alliance-top-poll-in-coleraine/|title=Alliance top poll in Coleraine...|date=14 December 2006|access-date=11 August 2019|archive-date=11 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811231813/https://sluggerotoole.com/2006/12/14/alliance-top-poll-in-coleraine/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the [[2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election]]s, Alliance put in a strong media campaign and polled 5.2%,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/vote2007/nielection/html/main.stm|title=Northern Ireland election overview|publisher=BBC News|date=13 March 2007|access-date=21 June 2018|archive-date=21 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180621222648/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/vote2007/nielection/html/main.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> up from 3.6% in the previous election and gaining a seat in Belfast South following the successful candidature of [[Anna Lo]], the first ethnic Chinese public representative in a national assembly anywhere in Western Europe. In an election cycle where many pundits had predicted that the Alliance Party would struggle to hold on to the six seats it won in the 2003 election, the party pulled off a credible performance which included Deputy Leader Naomi Long doubling her share of the vote in Belfast East.

In 2008, during the deadlock between Sinn Féin and the DUP over the devolution of policing, the two parties came to an agreement that the Minister of Justice would not come from either party. The Alliance Party was the obvious choice but party leader [[David Ford (politician)|David Ford]] said "it's a very definite and a very emphatic no". Ford further stated, "this executive is incompetent, it's time they got on with doing the job that they were set up to do".<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7540963.stm | publisher=BBC News | title=SF and DUP closer to justice deal | date=4 August 2008 | access-date=23 April 2010 | archive-date=3 January 2009 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090103212628/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7540963.stm | url-status=live }}</ref> Following further negotiations, Ford assumed office on 12 April 2010.

At the [[European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom)#Northern Ireland|2009 European elections]], Alliance candidate [[Ian Parsley]] achieved the party's best European election vote share in 30 years with 5.5% of the vote.

In the [[2010 United Kingdom general election|2010 general election]], the party won its first seat in Westminster, with Naomi Long taking the seat of sitting First Minister [[Peter Robinson (Northern Ireland politician)|Peter Robinson]].<ref>{{cite web |author=Andrew Sparrow |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/may/06/uk-election-results-2010-live |title=UK election night 2010 – live coverage |work=The Guardian |date=2010-05-06 |access-date=2016-08-09 |archive-date=27 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161127180714/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/may/06/uk-election-results-2010-live |url-status=live }}</ref> The 2011 Northern Ireland Assembly Election resulted in eight Assembly members being returned with a gain in [[Belfast East (Assembly constituency)|Belfast East]]. It overtook the UUP on Belfast City Council.

In a poll conducted in November 2012, Alliance (on 11.6%) overtook the UUP (11.4%) for the first time.<ref>[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/alliance-noses-ahead-of-a-flagging-uup-while-the-big-two-consolidate-16244790.html Alliance noses ahead of a flagging UUP while the big two consolidate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121205031520/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/alliance-noses-ahead-of-a-flagging-uup-while-the-big-two-consolidate-16244790.html |date=5 December 2012 }}, by Liam Clarke, ''Belfast Telegraph'', 1 December 2012</ref>

During the [[2016 Northern Ireland Assembly election|2016 elections to the Assembly]], in spite of initially confident predications from [[David Ford (politician)|David Ford]] that Alliance would see a surplus of up to 11 seats,<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2016-36083693 | publisher=BBC News | title=Northern Ireland election: Alliance Party predicts three-seat gain | access-date=21 June 2018 | archive-date=17 September 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917194847/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2016-36083693 | url-status=live }}</ref> the party's share of the popular vote stagnated somewhat, from 7.7% in [[2011 Northern Ireland Assembly election|2011]] to 7.0%. Ultimately, its 8 MLAs from their original respective constituencies were returned to Stormont for the fifth Assembly term. Ford later resigned as Alliance Party leader on 6 October 2016, on his 15th anniversary as leader of the party.

=== 2016–2019: Opposing Brexit ===
{{multiple image
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| image1 = Naomi Long cropped and brightned from UK Interfaith Leaders (8738792158).jpg
| image2 = Official portrait of Stephen Farry MP crop 2.jpg
| caption1   = [[Naomi Long]] 
| caption2   = [[Stephen Farry]]
| caption_align = center
| footer = Long and Farry serve as current Alliance Leader and Deputy Leader
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On 26 October 2016, [[Naomi Long]] officially became the new leader of the Alliance Party.<ref>[https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-37782400 Naomi Long officially becomes Alliance Party leader] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181227014134/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-37782400 |date=27 December 2018 }}, BBC News, 26 October 2016</ref> In the snap [[2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election|2017 Assembly election]], Alliance increased its vote share to 9.1% and retained all eight of their MLA seats in a reduced Assembly.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election-northern-ireland-2017-39147988|title=DUP and Sinn Féin largest parties in poll|date=2017-03-04|access-date=2019-08-05|language=en-GB|archive-date=5 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805153025/https://www.bbc.com/news/election-northern-ireland-2017-39147988|url-status=live}}</ref> For the [[2017 United Kingdom general election|2017 general election]], the party advocated a confirmatory [[referendum on the Brexit withdrawal agreement]] and remaining in the [[European Single Market]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/allianceparty/pages/3583/attachments/original/1537969137/2017-general-election-manifesto.pdf#page=6 |title=Westminster Manifesto 2017 |author=<!--Not stated--> |year=2017 |website=allianceparty.org |publisher=Sharon Lowry |access-date=2 November 2019 |pages=6, 37 |archive-date=23 September 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210923010858/https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/allianceparty/pages/3583/attachments/original/1537969137/2017-general-election-manifesto.pdf#page=6 |url-status=live }}</ref> In April 2018, the party joined the [[Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party]] as an associate member.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.aldeparty.eu/news/alliance-party-northern-ireland-joins-alde|title=Alliance Party of Northern Ireland joins ALDE|website=ALDE Party|access-date=18 June 2019|archive-date=27 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190527024433/https://www.aldeparty.eu/news/alliance-party-northern-ireland-joins-alde|url-status=live}}</ref>

Alliance increased its vote share by 5 percentage points in the [[2019 Northern Ireland local elections|2019 local elections]] and broke out of its traditional Greater Belfast heartlands by taking seats on [[Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council|Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council]] and [[Derry City and Strabane District Council|Derry City & Strabane District Council]] where the party had not previously been represented.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-48159710|title=Alliance surge a striking development|last=Devenport|first=Mark|date=2019-05-04|access-date=2019-08-05|language=en-GB|archive-date=5 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190605085542/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-48159710|url-status=live}}</ref> During the election campaign, the party had urged a break from "orange and green politics" and was vocal in its opposition to [[Brexit]] using the slogan "Demand Better".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-47966544|title=Alliance urges break from orange and green|last=McCormack|first=Jayne|date=2019-04-17|access-date=2019-08-05|language=en-GB|archive-date=5 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805145942/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-47966544|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the [[2019 European Parliament election in the United Kingdom|2019 European election]], Naomi Long became the Alliance Party's first ever [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]], receiving the second of three seats allocated to Northern Ireland and securing the best ever result for Alliance with 18.5% of first-preference votes.<ref>{{Cite journal|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2019/0527/1051976-european-election-northern-ireland/|title=Long makes history as Alliance party take seat in NI|publisher=RTÉ News|date=27 May 2019|access-date=18 June 2019|archive-date=18 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618135541/https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2019/0527/1051976-european-election-northern-ireland/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The party greatly increased its vote share at the [[2019 United Kingdom general election|2019 general election]], from 7.9% to 16.8% of Northern Ireland, over-taking the [[SDLP]] and [[Ulster Unionist Party|UUP]] to come third overall. The party re-gained a seat in the House of Commons ([[North Down (UK Parliament constituency)|North Down]], previously held by the retiring independent [[Sylvia Hermon]]), and was second in another four constituencies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-50765885|title='No pacts' appears to have paid off for Alliance|first=Mark|last=Devenport|date=13 December 2019|publisher=BBC News|access-date=17 June 2020|archive-date=2 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200702132232/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-50765885|url-status=live}}</ref>

=== 2020–present: COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent elections ===
Long became Stormont's justice minister in January 2020, holding the position throughout the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite news |date=5 March 2022 |title=Naomi Long: Alliance 'can end Stormont political soap operas' |language=en-GB |last=McCormack |first=Jayne |publisher=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-60577371 |access-date=23 March 2022}}</ref> In March 2022, Long told the Alliance Party conference in [[Belfast]] that the DUP and Sinn Féin were "addicted to crisis and conflict", and hoped that her party could bring an end to the "binary system" at Stormont.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/alliance-party-naomi-long-dup-stormont-belfast-b2029308.html|title=Alliance Party can herald end of binary system at Stormont, says Long|last=Young|first=David|date=5 March 2022|work=The Independent|access-date=23 March 2022}}</ref>

The Alliance Party fought the [[2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election]] on a platform of reforming the Stormont institutions, health transformation, [[Integrated education in Northern Ireland|integrated education]], a [[Green New Deal]] and tackling [[paramilitarism]]. Alliance would go on to win the third highest number of seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly, 4.5% more of the vote than they did in the 2017 election and also gaining nine seats.<ref>{{cite news |title=Northern Ireland Assembly Election Results 2022 |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/election/2022/northern-ireland/results |access-date=6 May 2022 |publisher=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref> In all, the 2022 election saw the party win 17 seats in the Northern Ireland Assembly, more than double the number of seats than what they previously had after the [[2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election]].<ref name=2022election />

The [[2023 Northern Ireland local elections]] were, in Long's own words, "a mixed bag",<ref>{{cite news |date=19 May 2023 |title=Alliance Leader Naomi Long says election 'mixed bag' for party but 'in it for long haul' |publisher=ITV News |url=https://www.itv.com/news/utv/2023-05-19/election-mixed-bag-for-alliance-with-sf-tsunami-says-long |accessdate=20 May 2023}}</ref> but the party still gained 14 seats overall, increasing its councillor total to 67.

==Ideology and policies==
{{Liberalism UK|Parties}}
Over the past 40 years (and particularly since the mid-1990s), Alliance's [[political philosophy]] has veered away from non-sectarian [[Unionism in Ireland|unionism]] towards a more liberal, neutral position on the question of either a [[united Ireland]] or continued union with Great Britain.<ref name="Who are APNI? BBC 2022">{{cite news |title=NI election results 2022: Who are the Alliance Party and what do they stand for? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-61362593 |publisher=[[BBC News]] |access-date=10 May 2022 |quote=The party was set up in 1970 and for many years was Northern Ireland's fifth-largest party overall. It was formed in response to the rapidly worsening violence taking place, known as the Troubles, and originally represented moderate and non-sectarian unionism – but over time, it has come to represent wider liberal and non-sectarian concerns.}}</ref> Alliance supports the [[Good Friday Agreement]] as a basis that can be used to manage the conflict whilst working to ultimately create a non-sectarian political system for Northern Ireland. It believes that the [[Consociational state|consociational power-sharing]] structure established by the agreement may not be capable of providing long-term stability, citing various reservations such as the entrenchment of pre-existing divisions as well as the inability to adapt to demographic changes.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Agarin |first1=Timofey |last2=Jarrett |first2=Henry |title=Cross-segmental parties in consociational systems: Downplaying prowess to access power in Northern Ireland |journal=The British Journal of Politics and International Relations |date=5 October 2021 |volume=24 |issue=4 |pages=723–740 |doi=10.1177/13691481211048503|s2cid=244178035 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Farry |first1=Stephen |last2=Neeson |first2=Sean |title=Beyond the "Band-Aid" Approach: An Alliance Party Perspective Upon the Belfast Agreement |journal=Fordham International Law Journal |date=1 January 1998 |volume=22 |issue=4 |pages=1221 |url=https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/ilj/vol22/iss4/8/}}</ref> Its 2022 manifesto stated "Alliance supports the Good Friday Agreement, and endorses its underlying principles, its structures, and its interlocking relationships. However, we have always supported reform of the structures of government and, in light of recent developments, the case for reform is stronger than ever."<ref>{{cite web |title=Alliance Party Assembly Manifesto 2022 |url=https://assets.nationbuilder.com/allianceparty/pages/8261/attachments/original/1650982037/AllianceManifestoAE22.pdf?1650982037 |publisher=Alliance Party |access-date=8 May 2022 |page=90}}</ref>

The Alliance Party was founded by moderate Unionists in the New Ulster Movement in April 1970 in response to the emergence of the Troubles.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allianceparty.org/our_history?locale=en |title=Our History |access-date=10 May 2022 |quote=The Alliance Party was founded on 21st April 1970. Many of the founding members were previously involved with the New Ulster Movement, a pressure group established in 1969 to promote moderate and non-sectarian policies.}}</ref> As Alliance viewed the situation, the major problem of Northern Ireland was the division between Protestants and Catholics. It contended that the turmoil had its origins in that division and not in the [[partition of Ireland]].{{cn|date=June 2025}}

The distinguishing feature of Alliance is its belief in the legitimacy of a distinctive Northern Irish community,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allianceparty.org/a_shared_future?locale=en |title=Champion a Shared Future |access-date=10 May 2022 |quote=The Alliance Party believes in a united community for Northern Ireland. Not the 'two communities' narrative promoted by most other parties, but a vision of everyone in Northern Ireland coming together for the betterment of society as a whole.}}</ref> one that has more in common than what divides it, with most inhabitants speaking a common language, sharing some form of Christianity, and not separated by distinguishable racial or physical characteristics. Alliance does not view unionism and nationalism as distinct communities, but as "political positions".{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}} Furthermore, Alliance sees identity as an individual matter, one that is fluid and open to change over time. In a 2014 document, the Alliance stated:

{{Blockquote
|text=We acknowledge that people identify with and belong to religious, ethnic, cultural and regional communities. These however are not permanent or stable but are open and fluid. People...can belong to many groups, have a complex identity, and have loyalties to different structures and levels of government.<ref>{{cite journal |last1= Mitchell|first1= David|title=Non-Nationalist Politics in a Bi-National Consociation: The Case of the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland |url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13537113.2018.1489574 |journal=Nationalism and Ethnic Politics |year= 2018|volume=24|issue=3 |pages=336–347 |doi=10.1080/13537113.2018.1489574 |hdl= 2262/91306|s2cid= 149640038|access-date=10 May 2022|hdl-access=free|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
}}

Because of this stance, Alliance is at times referred to as representing a "third tradition" or "third force" within Northern Irish politics that is outside of Nationalism and Unionism.<ref>{{cite news |last=McTague |first=Tom |date=7 May 2022 |title=The Truth About Irish Unity |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2022/05/sinn-fein-win-northern-ireland-election/629787/ |work=[[The Atlantic]] |access-date=10 May 2022 |quote=the Alliance Party, which challenges the traditional Protestant-Catholic division that has defined Northern Ireland since its inception, scored its best-ever result and has now established itself as a genuine third force in Northern Irish politics.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Leahy |first=Pat |date=6 May 2022 |title=Rise of Alliance could reshape North-South relations |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/rise-of-alliance-could-reshape-north-south-relations-1.4871565 |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]] |access-date=10 May 2022 |quote=But perhaps the most important long-term implication of the results is the accelerating emergence of the third pillar of Northern Irish politics and society: the "neithers", neither tribally orange nor green, identifying not as unionist nor nationalist, not British nor Irish but Northern Irish.}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=O’Brennan |first=John |date=4 May 2022 |title=N Ireland Election: End of the Unionist-Nationalist binary? |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2022/5/4/n-ireland-election-end-of-the-unionist-nationalist-binary |publisher=[[Al Jazeera English|Al Jazeera]] |access-date=10 May 2022}}</ref>

As Alliance have moved to an ideologically liberal perspective, and Northern Ireland society has become more diverse, support for diversity has become a key Alliance platform, with [[Anna Lo]] MLA elected as the first [[East Asians in the United Kingdom|ethnically East Asian]] parliamentarian in Northern Ireland and the party promoting a number of [[openly gay]] spokespeople.<ref name="Party images">{{cite journal |last1=O’Leary |first1=Brendan |last2=Matthews |first2=Neil |last3=Garry |first3=John  |year=2019 |title=Party images in Northern Ireland: evidence from a new dataset |journal=Irish Political Studies |volume=34 |issue=1 |pages=1–24 |doi=10.1080/07907184.2018.1499621 |s2cid=59028316 |doi-access=free |hdl=1983/3ee55834-240b-4da3-a301-14859604ddc9 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> In July 2005, [[Seamus Close]], then an MLA and Lisburn councillor for the party and its former deputy leader, proposed that the Lisburn Council deny gay couples access to the council's designated wedding facility if they were seeking a civil partnership under the [[Civil Partnership Act 2004]]. The council adopted his recommendation, although it was later reversed on legal advice.  His position ran against Alliance policy, which had been strongly supportive of the introduction of civil partnership laws, and he was publicly criticised by other senior party members.<ref name='civilu'>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6146008.stm|accessdate=13 July 2010|title=Endgame for Close after 33 years|date=14 November 2006|publisher=[[BBC]]}}</ref> The then party chair and future MLA, Lisburn councillor [[Trevor Lunn]], who had also opposed the use of the wedding facility for civil partnerships, resigned as chair later that year, stating that "I always thought the Alliance Party was a broad enough church that we could support some difference of opinion. But it appears that in terms of equality issues, that we just can't."<ref name=victimised>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/4478314.stm|title='Victimised' party chair resigns|access-date=1 March 2009|date=28 November 2005|publisher=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> The party's liberal ideology has also pushed the party towards a general favourable position on abortion,<ref name="Party images"/> immigration and LGBT rights.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.allianceparty.org/a_progressive_society |title=Create a Progressive Society |access-date=10 May 2022 }}</ref> The party also supports an integrated education system where Catholics and Protestants are educated together, improving healthcare in Northern Ireland, and legislating a [[Green New Deal]].<ref name="Who are APNI? BBC 2022"/>

=== Constitutional issues and border poll ===
The Alliance Party maintains a position of neutrality on the constitutional question of whether Northern Ireland should remain part of the United Kingdom or join a united Ireland, advocating instead for cross-community consent and good governance within the existing settlement.

On multiple occasions, party leader Naomi Long has called on the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to clarify the criteria that would lead to the holding of a [[border poll]] on Irish unity. Long stated that the absence of clear guidance on when such a poll would be called risks turning “every single election [into] a kind of proxy for a border poll.” She has argued that greater transparency would help ensure public confidence in the decision-making process regarding Northern Ireland’s constitutional status.<ref name="Slugger2025">{{cite news |title=Naomi Long calls for clarity on criteria for border poll |url=https://sluggerotoole.com/2025/10/15/110675831/ |work=Slugger O’Toole |date=15 October 2025 |access-date=16 October 2025}}</ref><ref name="BelfastTele2025">{{cite news |title=Alliance leader is dancing to the tune of those pushing for a united Ireland, says UUP peer |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/alliance-leader-is-dancing-to-the-tune-of-those-pushing-for-a-united-ireland-says-uup-peer/a873671059.html |work=Belfast Telegraph |date=15 October 2025 |access-date=16 October 2025}}</ref>

==Electoral performance and the regionalisation of Alliance's vote==
{{more citations needed section|date=June 2016}}
{{Infobox political party	
|country =	
| name = Northern Ireland Council Seats	
|native_name = 	
|colorcode = {{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}	
|seats1_title = [[Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council|Antrim and Newtownabbey]]	
|seats1 = {{Composition bar|8|40|hex=#F6CB2F}}	
|seats2_title = [[Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon District Council|Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon]]	
|seats2 = {{Composition bar|4|41|hex=#F6CB2F}}	
|seats3_title = [[Belfast City Council|Belfast City]]	
|seats3 = {{Composition bar|11|60|hex=#F6CB2F}}
|seats4_title = [[Causeway Coast and Glens District Council|Causeway Coast and Glens]]	
|seats4 = {{Composition bar|5|40|hex=#F6CB2F}}
|seats5_title = [[Derry and Strabane District Council|Derry and Strabane]]	
|seats5 = {{Composition bar|0|40|hex=#F6CB2F}}
|seats6_title = [[Fermanagh and Omagh District Council|Fermanagh and Omagh]]	
|seats6 = {{Composition bar|2|40|hex=#F6CB2F}}
|seats7_title = [[Lisburn and Castlereagh District Council|Lisburn and Castlereagh]]	
|seats7 = {{Composition bar|13|40|hex=#F6CB2F}}
|seats8_title = [[Mid and East Antrim District Council|Mid and East Antrim]]	
|seats8 = {{Composition bar|7|40|hex=#F6CB2F}}
|seats9_title = [[Mid Ulster District Council|Mid Ulster]]	
|seats9 = {{Composition bar|0|40|hex=#F6CB2F}}
|seats10_title = [[Newry, Mourne and Down District Council|Newry, Mourne and Down]]	
|seats10 = {{Composition bar|5|41|hex=#F6CB2F}}
|seats11_title = [[North Down and Ards District Council|North Down and Ards]]	
|seats11 = {{Composition bar|12|40|hex=#F6CB2F}}
}}

One trend over time with Alliance's vote is that in contrast to 1973, when Alliance support was dispersed across Northern Ireland, Alliance has increasingly polled best in the [[Greater Belfast]] hinterland. For example, the 1977 elections, while representing an overall increase for Alliance, masked a sharp decline in vote share in many Western councils. In the 12 councils covering the former counties of Londonderry, Tyrone, Armagh and Fermanagh their vote only rose in Omagh, it remained static in Magherafelt and fell in the other ten councils (these being Fermanagh, Dungannon, Cookstown, Strabane, Londonderry, Limavady, Coleraine, Newry & Mourne, Armagh and Craigavon.) Overall in these 12 councils the number of Alliance councillors fell from 18 in 1973 to ten in 1977. In contrast, in the rest of the region Alliance increased their number of councillors from 45 to 60.

The party won eight council seats across Belfast in 1985. Although that has now recovered to six (from three in 2001), the six are entirely from South and East Belfast. Both seats in the Falls Road area of West Belfast were lost after the death and resignation of their councillors there in 1987 while their seat in North Belfast was lost in 1993, regained four years later and lost again in 2001. In the neighbouring areas of Dunmurry Cross (Twinbrook/Dunmurry) and Macedon (Rathcoole) Alliance lost their councillors in 1989 and 1994 respectively; on the other hand, the party won three out of seven seats in Victoria in 2011, the first time since 1977 that the party had won three council seats in the same electoral area.<ref>Alliance won three seats in Belfast Area C and Castlereagh Area B in 1977.</ref>

By 2005, the party had councillors in only half of Northern Ireland's 18 constituencies. However, this rose to 13 in 2011 after gains in Coleraine, Craigavon, Down and elsewhere. Having had around 30 councillors for a decade, the party won 44 seats in 2011. In the 2010 elections, the Alliance gained the Westminster seat of Belfast East, and gained a 22.6% swing there; in 2011 it re-emphasised that result, winning two out of the six MLA seats available.

In 2014, the party gained one seat in the Belfast Council area, this coming in North Belfast when Nuala McAllister ousted Sinn Féin. Outside of the capital the party's vote held up, and with the exception of Patrick Brown winning in Rowallane, there were no outstanding results.

In the 2015 Westminster elections, the party directed their resources at retaining the East Belfast seat Naomi Long had gained from the DUP in 2010. The party lost the seat to the DUP by 2,500 votes, after a Unionist pact, whilst the Alliance vote increased by 6% across the constituency.

The [[2019 Northern Ireland local elections]] saw a substantial increase in the Alliance vote and resulted in 53 councillors being elected, with the only council not having any Alliance representation being in Mid Ulster. The balance of power in the capital of [[Belfast]], is held by the party after an increase to 10 seats and becoming the 3rd party, at Belfast City Hall.

Several Alliance members have held the position of [[Lord Mayor of Belfast]], including Long and (from 2021 to 2022), [[Kate Nicholl]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-57310311|title=Alliance's Kate Nicholl installed as Belfast lord mayor|publisher=BBC News|date=2 June 2021|accessdate=3 June 2021|archive-date=3 June 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603200316/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-57310311|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Vote share by district council (1973–2011)===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="background:#ccc;"
! !! 1973 !! 1977 !! 1981 !! 1985 !! 1989 !! 1993 !! 1997 !! 2001 !! 2005 !! 2011 
|-
| [[Antrim (borough)|Antrim]] || 16.1 || 16.9 || 10.9 || 7.6 || 7.0 || 8.5 || 8.2 || 5.5 || 6.9 || 11.3 
|-
| [[Ards (borough)|Ards]] || 14.8 || 20.8 || 12.3 || 12.4 || 18.8 || 23.4 || 21.1 || 16.7 || 14.1 || 18.2 
|-
| [[Armagh City and District Council|Armagh]] || 7.8 || 6.4 || ||  ||  ||  || 0.7 ||  ||  ||  
|-
| [[Ballymena (borough)|Ballymena]] || 6.4 || 5.2 ||  ||  || 6.1 || 5.4 || 2.0 || 1.1 || 1.5 || 1.7 
|-
| [[Ballymoney (borough)|Ballymoney]] || 7.7 || 8.3 || 8.1 || 2.6 ||  || 2.0 ||  ||  ||  ||  
|-
| [[Banbridge (district)|Banbridge]] || 5.7 || 6.2 || 4.6 || 1.6 || 2.2 || 1.8 || 5.1 || 2.0 || 4.5 || 4.9 
|-
| [[Belfast City Council|Belfast]] || 13.4 || 18.6 || 13.2 || 11.5 || 10.9 || 11.2 || 9.2 || 6.8 || 6.8 || 12.6 
|-
| [[Carrickfergus Borough Council|Carrickfergus]] || 22.3 || 30.0 || 21.8 || 24.9 || 27.1 || 32.2 || 27.4 || 23.5 || 23.2 || 25.1 
|-
| [[Castlereagh (borough)|Castlereagh]] || 22.1 || 32.5 || 21.1 || 18.8 || 21.5 || 21.9 || 18.7 || 15.2 || 16.2 || 25.2 
|-
| [[Coleraine Borough Council|Coleraine]] || 13.2 || 10.6 || 6.3 || 6.2 || 7.9 || 11.8 || 9.2 || 6.4 || 4.7 || 8.8 
|-
| [[Cookstown District Council|Cookstown]] || 6.3 || 5.2 ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  || 0.6 
|-
| [[Craigavon Borough Council|Craigavon]] || 16.0 || 11.3 || 4.1 || 4.3 || 5.8 || 6.2 || 4.5 || 1.6 || 2.4 || 3.4 
|-
| [[Derry City Council|Derry]] || 14.5 || 11.9 || 6.4 || 2.7 || 0.6 || 1.0 ||  || 0.9 ||  || 0.9 
|-
| [[Down District Council|Down]] || 12.3 || 11.8 || 8.4 || 5.2 || 2.2 || 3.8 || 3.7 ||  || 2.1 || 4.9 
|-
| [[Dungannon and South Tyrone Borough Council|Dungannon and South Tyrone]] || 5.9 || 2.9 ||  ||  ||  ||  || 1.1 ||  ||  || 0.9 
|-
| [[Fermanagh District Council|Fermanagh]] || 7.7 || 1.9 || 1.6 || 1.8 || 1.0 ||  || 0.9 ||  ||  || 0.4
|-
| [[Larne Borough Council|Larne]] || 25.5 || 25.8 || 17.4 || 16.4 || 11.5 || 9.0 || 12.2 || 14.5 || 12.4 || 15.5 
|-
| [[Limavady Borough Council|Limavady]] || 11.2 || 8.5 || 2.0 || 1.9 || 2.1 ||  ||  ||  ||  || 2.0 
|-
| [[Lisburn City Council|Lisburn]] || 18.1 || 20.4 || 12.2 || 11.0 || 10.7 || 12.3 || 13.0 || 11.0 || 9.2 || 10.4 
|-
| [[Magherafelt District Council|Magherafelt]] || 4.6 || 4.7 || 2.5 || 1.2 ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  ||  
|-
| [[Moyle District Council|Moyle]] || 5.0 || 2.9 || 7.0 ||  ||  || ||  ||  ||  ||  
|-
| [[Newry and Mourne District Council|Newry and Mourne]] || 13.5 || 8.3 || 3.6 || 1.0 ||  ||  || 2.0 ||  ||  ||  
|-
| [[Newtownabbey Borough Council|Newtownabbey]] || 18.9 || 28.4 || 15.6 || 10.3 || 14.0 || 16.1 || 10.3 || 8.0 || 8.0 || 16.4 
|-
| [[North Down Borough Council|North Down]] || 29.5 || 38.5 || 25.2 || 26.3 || 20.7 || 22.7 || 22.1 || 17.6 || 16.0 || 18.3 
|-
| [[Omagh District Council|Omagh]] || 12.2 || 16.0 || 9.0 || 4.7 || 3.7 || 5.0 || 3.3 ||  ||  || 1.5 
|-
| [[Strabane District Council|Strabane]] || 9.6 || 3.0 || 1.7 ||  || 1.1 || 2.2 || 0.9 || ||  ||  
|-
| '''Northern Ireland totals''' || '''13.7''' || '''14.4''' || '''8.9''' || '''7.0''' || '''6.9''' || '''7.6''' || '''6.6''' || '''5.1''' || '''5.0''' || '''7.4''' 
|}

===Vote share by district council (2014–present)===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|- style="background:#ccc;"
! !! 2014 || 2019 || 2023
|-
| [[Antrim and Newtownabbey]] || 12.7% || 18.7%  || 17.1%
|-
| [[Ards and North Down]] || 13.4% || 22.2% || 26.6%
|-
| [[Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon]] || 3.3% || 7.8% || 10.6%
|-
| [[Belfast City]] || 11.4% || 15.7% || 15.9%
|-
| [[Causeway Coast and Glens]] || 3.9% || 8.0% || 9.7%
|-
| [[Derry and Strabane]] || 1.6% || 4.7% || 4.5%
|-
| [[Fermanagh and Omagh]] || 1.7% || 3.9% || 6.0%
|-
| [[Lisburn and Castlereagh]] || 12.0% || 23.6% || 28.5%
|-
| [[Mid and East Antrim]] || 9.4% || 15.8% || 18.9%
|-
| [[Mid-Ulster District|Mid Ulster]] || 0.6% || 1.2% || 2.8%
|-
| [[Newry, Mourne and Down]] || 2.4% || 7.5% || 9.4%
|-
| '''Northern Ireland totals''' || '''6.6%''' ||'''11.5%'''||'''13.3%'''
|}

===Devolved legislature elections===
{|class="wikitable" style="font-size:97; text-align:center;"
|-
! Election
! Leader
! Body
! Votes
! %
! Seats
! +/–
! Position
! Status
|-
! [[1973 Northern Ireland Assembly election|1973]]
| rowspan=3 | [[Oliver Napier]]
| [[Northern Ireland Assembly (1973)|Assembly]]
| 66,541
| 9.2
| {{Composition bar|8|78|hex={{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}}}
| {{increase}} 8
| {{increase}} 4th
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention|1975]]
| [[Members of the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention|Constitutional<br/> Convention]]
| 64,657
| 9.8
| {{Composition bar|8|78|hex={{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}}}
| {{steady}} 
| {{decrease}} 5th
| {{no result|Consultative}}
|-
! [[1982 Northern Ireland Assembly election|1982]]
| [[Northern Ireland Assembly (1982)|Assembly]]
| 58,851
| 9.3
| {{Composition bar|10|78|hex={{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}}}
| {{increase}} 2
| {{increase}} 4th
| {{partial2|Fourth party}}
|-
! [[Northern Ireland Forum|1996]]
| rowspan=2 | [[John Alderdice]]
| [[Members of the Northern Ireland Forum|Forum]]
| 49,176
| 6.5
| {{Composition bar|7|110|hex={{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}}}
| {{increase}} 7
| {{decrease}} 5th
| {{no result|Consultative}}
|-
! [[1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election|1998]]
| rowspan=8 | [[Northern Ireland Assembly|Assembly]]
| 52,636
| 5.6
| {{Composition bar|6|108|hex={{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}}}
| {{increase}} 6
| {{steady}} 5th
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2003 Northern Ireland Assembly election|2003]]
| rowspan=5 | [[David Ford (politician)|David Ford]]
| 25,372
| 3.7
| {{Composition bar|6|108|hex={{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}}}
| {{steady}} 
| {{steady}} 5th
| {{no result|Direct rule}}
|-
! rowspan=2 | [[2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election|2007]]
| rowspan=2 | 36,139
| rowspan=2 | 5.2
| rowspan=2 | {{Composition bar|7|108|hex={{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}}}
| rowspan=2 | {{increase}} 1
| rowspan=2 | {{steady}} 5th
| {{no2|Opposition {{small|(2007–2010)}}}}
|-
| {{yes2|Coalition {{small|(2010–2011)}}}}
|-
! [[2011 Northern Ireland Assembly election|2011]]
| 50,875
| 7.7
| {{Composition bar|8|108|hex={{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}}}
| {{increase}} 1
| {{steady}} 5th
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[2016 Northern Ireland Assembly election|2016]]
| 48,447
| 7.0
| {{Composition bar|8|108|hex={{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}}}
| {{steady}} 
| {{steady}} 5th
| {{no2|Opposition}}
|-
! [[2017 Northern Ireland Assembly election|2017]]
| rowspan=2 | [[Naomi Long]]
| 72,717
| 9.1
| {{Composition bar|8|90|hex={{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}}}
| {{steady}} 
| {{steady}} 5th
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|-
! [[2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election|2022]]
| 116,681
| 13.5
| {{Composition bar|17|90|hex={{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}}}
| {{increase}} 9
| {{increase}} 3rd
| {{yes2|Coalition}}
|}

==Leaders==
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan=2| Leader
! From
! To
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 1
| style="width:200px;"| [[Oliver Napier]] and [[Bob Cooper (politician)|Bob Cooper]]
| style="width:125px;"| 1970
| style="width:125px;"| 1972
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 2
| style="width:200px;"| [[Phelim O'Neill, 2nd Baron Rathcavan|Phelim O'Neill]]
| style="width:125px;"| 1972
| style="width:125px;"| 1972
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 3
| Oliver Napier
| 1972
| 1984
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 4
| [[John Cushnahan]]
| 1984
| 1987
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 5
| [[John Alderdice]]
| 1987
| 1998
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 6
| [[Seán Neeson]]
| 1998
| 2001
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 7
| [[David Ford (politician)|David Ford]]
| 2001 
| 2016
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 8
| [[Naomi Long]]
| 2016 
| Incumbent
|}

==Deputy leaders==
{|class="wikitable"
|-
! colspan=2| Deputy Leader
! From
! To
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 1
| style="width:200px;"| [[Bob Cooper (politician)|Bob Cooper]]
| style="width:125px;"| 1973
| style="width:125px;"| 1976
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 2
| [[Basil Glass]]
| 1976
| 1980
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 3
| [[David Cook (Northern Ireland politician)|David Cook]]
| 1980
| 1984
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 4
| [[Addie Morrow]]
| 1984
| 1987
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 5
| [[Gordon Mawhinney]]
| 1987
| 1991
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 6
| [[Seamus Close]]
| 1991
| 2001
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 7
| [[Eileen Bell]]
| 2001
| 2006
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 8
| [[Naomi Long]]
| 2006
| 2016
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 9
| [[Stephen Farry]]
| 2016
| 2024
|-
! style="background:{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}};" | 10
| [[Eóin Tennyson]]
| 2024
| Incumbent
|}

==Elected representatives and party spokesman==

===MPs===
{{Main|List of Alliance Party MPs (UK)}}
{| class="wikitable" |align=center
|-
!Portrait
!Name
!Constituency
!Term
!Notes
|-
|
|[[Stratton Mills]]
|[[Belfast North (UK Parliament constituency)|Belfast North]]
|1959–1974{{efn|Alliance Party MP from 1973 to 1974.}} 
|Defected from the [[Ulster Unionist Party]] (UUP)
|-
|[[File:Naomi_Long_MLA.jpg|120x120px]]
|[[Naomi Long]]
|[[Belfast East (UK Parliament constituency)|Belfast East]]
|2010–2015
|Leader of the Alliance Party (2016–present)
|-
|[[File:Official portrait of Stephen Farry MP crop 2.jpg|120x120px]]
|[[Stephen Farry]]
|[[North Down (UK Parliament constituency)|North Down]]
|2019–2024
|Deputy Leader of the Alliance Party (2016–2024)
|-
|[[File:Official_portrait_of_Sorcha_Eastwood_MP_crop_2.jpg|120x120px]]
|[[Sorcha Eastwood]]
|[[Lagan Valley (UK Parliament constituency)|Lagan Valley]]
|2024–present
|
|-
|}

===MLAs===
{| class="sortable wikitable"  style="font-size:97%"
|-
! MLA Name !! Constituency
!Gain
|- style="text-align:right;"
|[[Naomi Long]] MLA
|[[Belfast East (Assembly constituency)|Belfast East]]
|
|- style="text-align:right;"
|[[Peter McReynolds]] MLA
|[[Belfast East (Assembly constituency)|Belfast East]]
|
|- style="text-align:right;"
|[[Nuala McAllister]] MLA
|[[Belfast North (Assembly constituency)|Belfast North]]
|Gain
|- style="text-align:right;"
|[[Paula Bradshaw]] MLA
|[[Belfast South (Assembly constituency)|Belfast South]]
|
|- style="text-align:right;"
|[[Kate Nicholl]] MLA
|[[Belfast South (Assembly constituency)|Belfast South]]
|Gain
|- style="text-align:right;"
|[[Stewart Dickson]] MLA
|[[East Antrim (Assembly constituency)|East Antrim]]
|
|- style="text-align:right;"
|[[Danny Donnelly (politician)|Danny Donnelly]] MLA
|[[East Antrim (Assembly constituency)|East Antrim]]
|Gain
|- style="text-align:right;"
|[[Michelle Guy]] MLA
|[[Lagan Valley (Assembly constituency)|Lagan Valley]]
|Co-opted
|- style="text-align:right;"
|[[David Honeyford]] MLA
|[[Lagan Valley (Assembly constituency)|Lagan Valley]]
|Gain
|- style="text-align:right;"
| [[Sian Mulholland]] MLA
| [[North Antrim (Assembly constituency)|North Antrim]]
|Gain
|- style="text-align:right;"
| [[Connie Egan]] MLA
| [[North Down (Assembly constituency)|North Down]]
|Gain
|- style="text-align:right;"
| [[Andrew Muir (politician)|Andrew Muir]] MLA
| [[North Down (Assembly constituency)|North Down]]
|
|- style="text-align:right;"
|[[John Blair (Northern Ireland politician)|John Blair]] MLA
|[[South Antrim (Assembly constituency)|South Antrim]]
|
|- style="text-align:right;"
|[[Andrew McMurray]] MLA
|[[South Down (Assembly constituency)|South Down]]
|Co-opted
|- style="text-align:right;"
|[[Kellie Armstrong]] MLA
|[[Strangford (Assembly constituency)|Strangford]]
|
|- style="text-align:right;"
|[[Nick Mathison]] MLA
|[[Strangford (Assembly constituency)|Strangford]]
|Gain
|- style="text-align:right;"
|[[Eóin Tennyson]] MLA
|[[Upper Bann (Assembly constituency)|Upper Bann]]
|Gain
|}

== Alliance Youth ==
{{Infobox political youth organization
| name= Alliance Youth
| native_name= 
| colorcode= #F7D241
| logo= [[File:Alliance Youth Banner (B&Y).png|220px|Alliance Youth banner]]
| chairperson = Cllr Jamie Harpur
| co-chairperson =
| vice-chairperson = Cohen Taylor
| headquarters = 
| membership  = 
| ideology = [[Liberalism]]<ref name="BBC News"/><ref>{{cite web |author=Wolfram Nordsieck |url=http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/nireland.html |title=Parties and Elections in Europe |publisher=Parties-and-elections.eu |access-date=2015-08-27 |archive-date=7 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107064030/http://www.parties-and-elections.eu/nireland.html |url-status=live }}</ref><br />[[Pro-Europeanism]] 
| mother party= Alliance Party
| international =
| website = [http://allianceyouthni.org allianceyouthni.org]
}}

Alliance Youth is the youth and student movement of the Alliance Party. Alliance members who are under 25 years old automatically become members of Alliance Youth if they choose to share their details at registration. Alliance Youth is also responsible for overseeing Alliance Societies at Northern Ireland universities. [[Young Liberals (UK)|Young Liberals]] Northern Ireland does not organise in any of Northern Ireland's Universities, encouraging members to become active within Alliance Youth societies.

===Activity===
Alliance Youth actively campaign on issues affecting young people, and aim to shape policy of the main party in these areas. Previous campaigns have focused on racism, child poverty, and human trafficking, as well as specific domestic issues facing young people, such as mental health care, tuition fees, [[sustainable transport]], LGBT rights and homelessness.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://allianceyouthni.wordpress.com/about/ |title=About Alliance Youth |publisher=Alliance Youth |access-date=28 November 2015 }}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Alliance Youth is also particularly active in the recruitment and support of young candidates and elected representatives.

===Executive===
The current executive is as follows:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CjuvPHYDQ6m/|title=Introducing your newly elected AY Executive for 2022–23 🥳 #TogetherWeCan|date=15 October 2022|via=Instagram}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=June 2023}}
{|class=wikitable
|-
!Position
!Holder
|-
|Chair
|Cllr Jamie Harpur 
|-
|Vice Chair
|Cohen Taylor
|-
|Secretary
|Eoin Millar
|-
|Treasurer
|Thomas Blain
|-
|Campaigns & Development Officer
|Dennis Copp
|-
|Equality, Diversity & Welfare Officer
|Olivia McCormack
|-
|Under 18 Membership Officer
|Markus Smith
|-
|International Officer
|Tommy Monahan
|-
|Social Media Officer
|Sophia Armstrong
|-
|Policy Officer
|Seán Marshall
|-
|[[Queen's University Belfast|QUB]] Alliance Rep
|Vacant
|-
|[[Ulster University|UU]] Alliance Rep
|Thomas Blain
|-
|}

==See also==
*[[Contributions to liberal theory]]
*[[Demographics and politics of Northern Ireland]]
*[[Liberalism in the United Kingdom]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
<!-- per [[WP:ELMINOFFICIAL]], choose one official website only -->
* {{Official website}}

{{Alliance Party}}
{{Navboxes
|list=
{{ELDR member parties}}
{{British political parties}}
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{{European Liberal Democrat and Reform Party}}
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[[Category:Alliance Party of Northern Ireland| ]]
[[Category:1970 establishments in Northern Ireland]]
[[Category:Liberal International]]
[[Category:Political parties established in 1970]]