Political party based in Northern Ireland, which was formed in April 1970. Currently aligned with the Liberal Democrat Party in Britain. Supports union with Britain but would accept formal links with the Republic of Ireland. Described as being moderate and attracts mainly middle-class support from the two main communities in Northern Ireland. Involved in the talks process that was to produce the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) in April 1998 and subsequently supported the 'Yes' campaign in the referendum campaign in May 1998. Although it fielded candidates in all eighteen constituencies in the elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly in June 1998, the party only gained 6.5 per cent of the vote and six seats. It failed to gain a seat in the Executive but during the Assembly term (1998-2003) it remained committed to the GFA. This was illustrated in November 2001 when three of the party's assembly members were re-designated as unionists to allow for the re-election of David Trimble as First Minister. At the delayed Assembly elections in November 2003 it managed to retain its six seats but its share of the vote fell to 3.68 per cent. In the 2010 general election the party won its first seat in Westminster, when Naomi Long beat Peter Robinson in East Belfast. In the 2011 Assembly election the APNI obtained 7.8 per cent of the first preference votes and had eight members elected.
Leaders of APNI: - Oliver Napier and Bob Cooper (1970-1972) - Phelim O'Neill (1972) - Oliver Napier (1972-1984) - John Cushnahan (1984-1987) - John Alderdice (1987-1998) - Seán Neeson (1998-2001) - David Ford (2001-2016) - Naomi Long (2016-present)
Selection of Publications produced by the APNI: - Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI). (1971) Alliance Annual Conference 1971, (27 March 1971). Belfast: APNI. - Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI). (1988) Agenda for Change, (1997 Westminster General Election Manifesto, 1 May 1997), [PDF File; 979KB]. Belfast: APNI. - Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI). (1988) It's Time For Tomorrow ... Together, (Northern Ireland Assembly Election Manifesto, 25 June 1988). Belfast: APNI. - Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI). (1999) Keynote Statement by the Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI), (16 November 1999). Belfast: APNI. - Alliance Party of Northern Ireland (APNI). (2000) Alliance Party Proposals to Break the Deadlock in the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. Belfast: APNI.
Main List of Publications:
Main list of APNI publications in the CAIN Bibliography
Alliance Party Website