1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election

1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election
← 1996 25 June 1998 2003 →

All 108 seats to the Northern Ireland Assembly
Turnout69.8%
  First party Second party Third party
 
David Trimble Washington D.C.jpg
Nobel Peace prize winner John Hume 1998 from Wash. DC. (50184861292).jpg
DrIanPaisley.jpg
Leader David Trimble John Hume Ian Paisley
Party UUP SDLP DUP
Leader since 8 September 1995 28 November 1979 30 September 1971
Leader's seat Upper Bann Foyle North Antrim
Last election 30 seats, 24.2% 21 seats, 21.4% 24 seats, 18.8%
Seats won 28 24 20
Seat change Decrease2 Increase3 Decrease4
Popular vote 172,225 177,963 145,917
Percentage 21.3% 22.0% 18.5%
Swing Decrease2.9% Increase0.6% Decrease0.3%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Gerry Adams, 1997.jpg
Lord Alderdice.jpg
UKUP
Leader Gerry Adams John Alderdice Robert McCartney
Party Sinn Féin Alliance UK Unionist
Leader since 13 November 1983 3 October 1987 1995
Leader's seat Belfast West Belfast East North Down
Last election 17 seats, 15.5% 7 seats, 6.5% 3 seats, 3.7%
Seats won 18 6 5
Seat change Increase1 Decrease1 Increase2
Popular vote 142,858 52,636 36,541
Percentage 16.7% 5.6% 4.5%
Swing Increase1.2% Decrease0.9% Increase0.8%

  Seventh party Eighth party
 
PUP
NIWC
Leader Hugh Smyth Monica McWilliams & Pearl Sagar
Party PUP NI Women's Coalition
Leader since 1979 1996
Leader's seat Ran in Belfast West (lost) Belfast South (McWilliams)
Ran in Belfast East (lost) (Sagar)
Last election 2 seats, 3.5% 2 seats, 1.0%
Seats won 2 2
Seat change Steady Steady
Popular vote 20,634 13,019
Percentage 2.6% 1.6%
Swing Decrease0.9% Increase0.6%

Election results. Voters elect 6 assembly members from the 18 constituencies.

First Minister before election

New position

First Minister after election

David Trimble
UUP

The 1998 Northern Ireland Assembly election took place on Thursday, 25 June 1998. This was the first election to the new devolved Northern Ireland Assembly. Six members from each of Northern Ireland's eighteen Westminster Parliamentary constituencies were elected by single transferable vote, giving a total of 108 Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs).