Northern Ireland unites
The Green Party of Northern Ireland joins with UK Greens

After two years of negotiations, the Green Party in Northern Ireland announced it would join with the Green Party in the Republic of Ireland. At a press conference in Belfast, Northern Ireland on December 4th members signed an unprecedented Memorandum of Understanding to promote cooperative relations among both parties, extending to Scotland and the England & Wales Green Parties as well. 

(l-r) Owen Clarke, Green Party of Wales; Romane Phoenix, London Irish Greens; John Barry, Co-leader, Northern Ireland region; and Trevor Sargent TD, Leader Green Party-Comhaontas Glas, Republic of Ireland; Lindsay Whitcroft, Green Party of Northern Ireland region

As part of this agreement, the Northern Ireland Greens achieve recognition as Regional Council of the Irish Greens with voting rights on its National Executive Committee. The Northern Greens will also benefit from closer links with other Green parties in the UK, with whom they will work to promote Green policies in relevant UK and European legislation.

"This is the fulfillment of a vision we have been working towards for over ten years," said Peter Doran of Belfast, Northern Irish Green Party co-leader. "Administratively, capacity-wise, and politically it puts us on a new level to achieve success, especially in the forthcoming the Northern Irish Assembly elections in March."

Signing on behalf of the Northern Irish Greens was Party leader Dr. John Barry, joined by Romayne Phoenix, Green Party councilor for the London borough of Lewisham, Peter Cranie, for the Greens in Wales and Scotland, and representing the Greens in the Republic of Ireland was Mark Deary, Green Party town councilor for Dundalk.

Trevor Sargent, Irish Green Party leader and member of Irish Parliament, said of the meeting, "Today's development means that people throughout the island of Ireland will now have the opportunity to vote for an inclusive and progressive political party with a great record of representation and achievement in local and town councils across the UK and Ireland, in the Scottish Assembly, in the Irish Parliament and in the European Parliament."

Dr. Barry spoke about the merger in the context of Northern Irish politics. "The motion is a significant political signal that we aim to be a genuinely inclusive and progressive party, embodying and celebrating all identities and accommodating political aspirations in the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement." 

The historic Good Friday Agreement, signed in 1998, sought to end hostilities and address relationships within Northern Ireland; between Northern Ireland and the Republic; and between both parts of Ireland and England, Scotland and Wales, in part by developing "the totality of relationships in these islands."

Barry and colleagues claim that this Memorandum of Understanding among Green parties, with both North-South and East-West forms of organization, makes the Greens the only party in Northern Ireland to not only support the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, but to live up to it through their organizational arrangements, by building relationships and formal ties within all of the British islands.

Just two days earlier at the annual general meeting of the North­ern Ireland Greens, members passed a resolution allowing any Greens elected to the Northern Ireland Assem­bly to make their own choice in designating themselves as Unionist, Nationalist or 'other", subject to the advice of the Party's executive. "Designating" in this context, means that members represent in terms of the balance of power to form a government - the Green Party's effort to recognize the diversity inherent in Northern Ireland on this issue is a bold step within a single party.

Ironically, it has been these historic divides that has presented special challenges to the Greens in Northern Ire­land. In a place where ethnic, religious and/or cultural divides are paramount, this acts as a reminder of the difficulty establishing a viable Green electoral presence. 

In spite of this, the Northern Ireland Greens do experience slow growth, winning their first three city council seats in 2005. They will try to gain more seats in elections this March in the Northern Irish Assembly. They plan to run in north Down, south Down and south Belfast, places where they've already done well in local elections. 

In South Down Green Party councilor Ciaran Mussen has already stepped forward to run, hoping to build upon his local government vote. Others are expected to come forward soon for the other two seats.

For more information: www.greens-in.org 

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