NI Politics in the 20's - Boundary Commission, The Orange Order and Proportional Representation

These notes below will broaden your context on three important areas of the political landscape in NI in the 1920s. These three areas are how NI dealt with the Boundary Commission, the Orange Order and their impact on NI politics, and the concept of Proportional Representation, what it meant, and how it would be implemented.

Boundary Commission

• The Boundary Commission was established as part of the Anglo-Irish Treaty of 1921 to determine the final border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State.
• The commission's idea was to adjust the borders based on the preferences of the local populations, particularly in contested areas with a significant Catholic or nationalist presence.
• Irish nationalists hoped the commission would recommend the transfer of some predominantly Catholic areas, like parts of Fermanagh and Tyrone, to the Irish Free State, thereby weakening the Unionist majority in Northern Ireland.
• The commission, however, became a source of significant controversy and disappointment. The process was marked by delays, secrecy, and political pressure
• When its findings were leaked in 1925, it was revealed that the commission proposed only minor changes to the border, which would have made minimal adjustments in favour of the Irish Free State.
• This outcome was deeply disappointing to nationalists, who had expected much more substantial gains.
• On the other hand, Unionists were relieved by the commission's recommendations, as they largely preserved the integrity of Northern Ireland.
• The British and Irish Free State governments, eager to avoid further conflict, suppressed the commission's report and left the border unchanged.
• The Boundary Commission's outcome solidified the partition of Ireland, entrenching the division that would shape Northern Ireland's future politics and exacerbate sectarian tensions for decades to come.

The Orange Order

• The Orange Order, founded in 1795, was a Protestant fraternal organisation dedicated to maintaining Protestant ascendancy in Ireland. It played a central role in Northern Ireland's politics during the 1920s.
• By the time Northern Ireland was established in 1921, the Orange Order had become deeply embedded in the political and social fabric of the new state.
• In the 1920s, the Orange Order wielded significant influence over the Unionist government. Many Unionist politicians were members of the Order, including James Craig, the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.
• The Order's influence ensured that Protestantism remained central to Northern Ireland's identity and governance, and its policies often reflected a strong Protestant ethos.
• The Order was instrumental in promoting and defending Unionist interests, particularly in maintaining Northern Ireland's status as part of the United Kingdom.
• The Orange Order also played a key role in organising and leading the annual Twelfth of July parades commemorating the Protestant victory at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690.
• These parades were, and still are, a significant cultural and political event in Northern Ireland, symbolising Protestant and Unionist identity.
• However, they also served as a source of tension with the Catholic community, often leading to confrontations and further entrenching sectarian divisions.
• The Order's influence extended beyond politics into the social life of Northern Ireland, where it played a significant role in maintaining the Protestant community's cohesion and unity.
• This dominance, however, came at the cost of deepening the exclusion and alienation of the Catholic minority, who saw the Orange Order as a symbol of oppression and sectarianism.
• The Order's role in the 1920s set the stage for the persistent sectarian conflict that would later engulf Northern Ireland.

Proportional Representation

• Proportional Representation (PR) was initially introduced in Ireland under British rule as part of the Government of Ireland Act 1920, which sought to create separate parliaments for Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland.
• The PR system was intended to ensure fairer representation for minority groups, particularly the Catholic and nationalist communities in Northern Ireland, in the new Northern Ireland Parliament.
• Under PR, the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system was used, allowing voters to rank candidates in order of preference.
• This system was designed to produce a more representative outcome, preventing one group from dominating the political landscape completely.
• In theory, PR should have allowed for a more balanced representation of both Unionist and Nationalist interests in the Northern Ireland Parliament.
• However, the Unionist government, led by Prime Minister James Craig, found ways to maintain its dominance in practice.
• The Unionists were able to secure a significant majority in the 1921 elections, even under PR, because of the strong Protestant majority in Northern Ireland. Nevertheless, some nationalist and labour representatives did manage to gain seats, providing a limited voice for these groups within the political system.
• In 1929, the Unionist government decided to abolish proportional representation for local elections and replace it with the first-past-the-post system.
• This move was widely seen as an effort to solidify Unionist control by weakening the representation of nationalist and Catholic communities.
• The abolition of PR in local elections allowed Unionists to secure even greater political power, further marginalising nationalists and exacerbating the sectarian divide in Northern Ireland.
• This decision contributed to the growing sense of disenfranchisement among Catholics, laying the groundwork for future conflict.