Guides: Understanding Stormont
Plain-English guides to how the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive actually work — written to be neutral, accurate and evergreen, and linked throughout to the live data on this site: real MLAs, committees, departments and bills.
The institutions
- How the Northern Ireland Assembly works — the 90 MLAs, the Speaker, plenary sittings and where the Assembly’s power comes from. Start here.
- How the Executive is formed — First Minister and deputy First Minister, the d’Hondt formula, and the Justice exception.
- How Assembly committees work — statutory, standing and ad hoc committees, and how to give evidence.
- Devolved, reserved and excepted — what Stormont can and can’t decide, and who to contact about what.
- NI Assembly vs UK Parliament — how the two institutions differ, from a single chamber to a mandatory coalition.
- What happens when the Executive collapses — the legal timetable for refilling First Minister and deputy First Minister, and what keeps running without ministers.
- The role of the Speaker — procedural, corporate and representational, and why the Speaker doesn’t vote.
- The Assembly Commission — the body that runs Parliament Buildings and the Assembly’s own administration.
How the work gets done
- How a bill becomes law — the seven stages from First Stage to Royal Assent, and what can stop a bill.
- How Assembly votes work — simple majority, cross-community consent, and the petition of concern.
- How Assembly questions work — Question Time, written questions, and why they matter.
- How the budget works — the block grant, Barnett formula, Budget Bills and who audits the spending.
- How to share your views with committees — written and oral evidence, and how to contact a committee clerk.
- Public petitions vs petitions of concern — two similarly-named mechanisms that work completely differently.
You and your representatives
- What does an MLA actually do? — legislation, scrutiny, casework, and how MLAs are paid and held to standards.
- Assembly elections and STV — how to vote, how the count works, and how vacancies are filled.
- Glossary — plain-English definitions of Stormont jargon, from “accelerated passage” to “weighted majority”.
- How to get help from your MLA — casework, constituency offices, and why you can contact any of your five MLAs.
- Who supports MLAs — special advisers and party staff, and how each is funded.
- How much do MLAs get paid? — the Independent Remuneration Board and how MLA pay is set.
- Understanding MLA expenses — office and staffing costs, separate from salary.
- How MLA standards and complaints work — the Code of Conduct, the Commissioner for Standards, and what happens after a complaint.
Watching and taking part
- How to watch NI Assembly business online — live streams, the archive, and the written record.
- How young people can get involved — the Education Service and the Youth Assembly.
These guides describe procedures, not politics: they apply the same standard to every party. Spotted an error? See our corrections policy.