BRIEFING PAPER Number CBP-8884, 21 December 2020 Parliament and Northern By David Torrance Ireland, 1921-2021 Contents: 1. Introduction 2. Historical background 3. Parliament of Northern Ireland 4. Northern Ireland, 1921-39 5. “Matters arising from a state of war”, 1939-45 6. Post-war Northern Ireland, 1945-50 7. Northern Ireland, 1950-66 8. The 1920 Act under pressure, 1966-72 9. Direct Rule, 1972-79 10. Northern Ireland, 1979-99 11. Northern Ireland, 1999-2021 Appendix 1: Government of Ireland Act 1920 timeline Appendix 2: Political leaders in Northern Ireland Appendix 3: Selected bibliography www.parliament.uk/commons-library | intranet.parliament.uk/commons-library |
[email protected] | @commonslibrary 2 Parliament and Northern Ireland, 1921-2021 Contents 1. Introduction 6 2. Historical background 8 2.1 Third Home Rule Bill 8 2.2 Origins of partition 9 2.3 Government of Ireland Act 1914 11 2.4 New proposals 12 2.5 Government of Ireland Bill 14 2.6 An Act to “provide for the better Government of Ireland” 16 Powers 17 Restrictions 19 Financial provisions 19 Refusal to work the Act 20 Sovereignty 20 2.7 The 1920 Act as a “constitution” 21 2.8 Creating the new “state” 21 2.9 Elections to the Northern Parliament 23 2.10 First meetings of Parliament 24 State opening 25 2.11 Parliament of Southern Ireland 26 2.12 Negotiations 27 2.13 Anglo-Irish Treaty 29 2.14 The Irish Free State and “Ulster Month” 31 3. Parliament of Northern Ireland 34 3.1 House of Commons 34 3.2 Senate of Northern Ireland 36 3.3 Governor of Northern Ireland 37 3.4 Privy Council and Great Seal of Northern Ireland 40 3.5 Stormont 41 3.6 Royal Courts of Justice 43 3.7 Northern Ireland Civil Service 44 3.8 Representation at Westminster 46 3.9 Northern Ireland MPs at Westminster 46 3.10 Irish Boundary Commission, 1924-25 47 3.11 Changes to Royal Titles 50 4.