Government Chief Whips and Deputy Whips since 1945
Government Chief Whips and Deputy Chief Whips in the Commons and Lords since 1945

A briefing on devolution in Northern Ireland
Devolution in Northern Ireland (995 KB , PDF)
The devolution settlement in Northern Ireland is, as the academic Colin Knox observed in 2010, “inextricably linked to the divisive issues which precipitated its inception and characterise its operation in practice”. Furthermore, as others have written, in Northern Ireland “more than any other part of the United Kingdom, devolution remains a process”.
That process began in 1921, when executive and legislative power was first devolved to the newly created Northern Ireland, making it the only part of the UK to have experience of devolution prior to 1999.
Although Northern Ireland’s devolved institutions resemble those of Scotland and Wales there are three important differences:
This briefing paper sets out the devolution settlement in Northern Ireland as it stands, before revisiting the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement of 1998 and charting subsequent legislation and political events since that date.
Northern Ireland’s devolved institutions have not been fully functioning since the Democratic Unionist Party politician Paul Givan announced his resignation as First Minister on 3 February 2022.
Devolution in Northern Ireland (995 KB , PDF)
Government Chief Whips and Deputy Chief Whips in the Commons and Lords since 1945
MPs that have announced they are standing down from the House of Commons ahead of the next general election
The House of Commons Library open day resumes on the 14 February 2024, inviting librarians and information officers to learn about our impartial information and research services we provide.