Motion

Change on these Islands

Motion TitleChange on these Islands

Motion TextThat this Assembly notes the outcome of the recent elections in Britain; expresses concern at the rise of right-wing populism embodied by Reform UK; believes that a Reform UK-led government would be hugely damaging for people living here as well as British-Irish relations; further notes recent polling which indicates majority support for a new Ireland within the European Union; affirms that any process of constitutional change must be carefully managed, protecting the relationships and multiple identities outlined in the Good Friday Agreement; and further affirms that the only credible way of decisively exercising democratic control over our future is to build a new Ireland.

Motion CategoryPrivate Members' Motion

Motion TypeOpposition business

Date Tabled to Business Office12/05/2026

Date Selected By Committee12/05/2026

Date of Plenary Debate18/05/2026

View Official Report

Tabled By

Member Name	Tabled As
Mr Matthew O'Toole	MLA - South Belfast

Bills

Outcome/Voting

67 Members voted

33 Members voted AYE

34 Members voted NO

16 Members voted in both lobbies and are not included in these results

The Motion Was Negatived, Simple Majority Lobby Division

MLA Name	Designation	Voted
Dr Steve Aiken OBE	Unionist	NO
Mr Andy Allen MBE	Unionist	NO
Dr Caoimhe Archibald	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Diana Armstrong	Unionist	NO
Mr Danny Baker	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Doug Beattie MC	Unionist	NO
Mr John Blair	Other	ABSTAINED
Mr Maurice Bradley	Unionist	NO
Ms Paula Bradshaw	Other	ABSTAINED
Mr Phillip Brett	Unionist	NO
Miss Nicola Brogan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr David Brooks	Unionist	NO
Ms Cheryl Brownlee	Unionist	NO
Mr Keith Buchanan	Unionist	NO
Mr Jonathan Buckley	Unionist	NO
Ms Joanne Bunting	Unionist	NO
Mr Jon Burrows	Unionist	NO
Mr Robbie Butler	Unionist	NO
Mrs Pam Cameron	Unionist	NO
Mr Gerry Carroll	Other	AYE
Mr Alan Chambers	Unionist	NO
Mr Trevor Clarke	Unionist	NO
Mr Pádraig Delargy	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Stewart Dickson	Other	ABSTAINED
Mrs Linda Dillon	Nationalist	AYE
Mrs Diane Dodds	Unionist	NO
Miss Jemma Dolan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Danny Donnelly	Other	ABSTAINED
Mr Stephen Dunne	Unionist	NO
Mr Mark Durkan	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Connie Egan	Other	ABSTAINED
Mrs Sinéad Ennis	Nationalist	AYE
Mrs Deborah Erskine	Unionist	NO
Mrs Ciara Ferguson	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Aoife Finnegan	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Diane Forsythe	Unionist	NO
Mr Paul Frew	Unionist	NO
Mr Timothy Gaston	Unionist	NO
Mr Colm Gildernew	Nationalist	AYE
Mrs Michelle Guy	Other	ABSTAINED
Miss Deirdre Hargey	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Harry Harvey	Unionist	NO
Mr David Honeyford	Other	ABSTAINED
Ms Cara Hunter	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Declan Kearney	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Gerry Kelly	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Liz Kimmins	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Brian Kingston	Unionist	NO
Mrs Emma Little-Pengelly	Unionist	NO
Mrs Naomi Long	Other	ABSTAINED
Mr Gordon Lyons	Unionist	NO
Mr Declan McAleer	Nationalist	AYE
Miss Nuala McAllister	Other	ABSTAINED
Mr Daniel McCrossan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Patsy McGlone	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Colin McGrath	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Philip McGuigan	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Maolíosa McHugh	Nationalist	AYE
Miss Michelle McIlveen	Unionist	NO
Ms Sinéad McLaughlin	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Andrew McMurray	Other	ABSTAINED
Mr Justin McNulty	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Peter McReynolds	Other	ABSTAINED
Mr Peter Martin	Unionist	NO
Mrs Cathy Mason	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Nick Mathison	Other	ABSTAINED
Mrs Julie Middleton	Unionist	NO
Mr Andrew Muir	Other	ABSTAINED
Ms Sian Mulholland	Other	ABSTAINED
Miss Áine Murphy	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Mike Nesbitt	Unionist	NO
Ms Kate Nicholl	Other	ABSTAINED
Mr John O'Dowd	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Michelle O'Neill	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Matthew O'Toole	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Aisling Reilly	Nationalist	AYE
Mr Alan Robinson	Unionist	NO
Mr Pat Sheehan	Nationalist	AYE
Ms Emma Sheerin	Nationalist	AYE
Mr John Stewart	Unionist	NO
Ms Claire Sugden	Unionist	NO
Mr Eóin Tennyson	Other	ABSTAINED
Mr Gareth Wilson	Unionist	NO

Amendments

Selected Amendments

Number	Tabled Date	Amendment Text
1	14/05/2026	Leave out all after ‘recent polling’ and insert: ‘suggesting that, if a referendum were to be held today, a majority of people in Northern Ireland would vote to rejoin the European Union; affirms the process for managing constitutional issues as set out in the Good Friday Agreement, which recognises the legitimacy of whatever choice is freely expressed by a majority of people in Northern Ireland with regard to its status, whether they prefer to continue to support the Union with Great Britain or a sovereign united Ireland; and commits to creating a shared future through a system of good government and democratic renewal in Northern Ireland for the benefit of everyone.’

Other Amendments Tabled

Tabled Date	Amendment Text
14/05/2026	Leave out all after ‘recent elections in’ and insert: ‘the rest of the UK; believes that any future UK Government must complete the task of Brexit by ensuring that the result of the 2016 EU referendum is fully implemented and that the whole of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, completes the process of leaving the European Union and the Irish Sea Border is removed; regrets the trashing by the Windsor Framework of the Belfast Agreement’s protections relating to consent, cross-community support and democracy; and believes that Article VI of the Acts of Union 1800 must be restored and that this should be a priority for any future UK Government.’

Tabled Date

Amendment Text

14/05/2026

Leave out all after ‘recent elections in’ and insert: ‘the rest of the UK; believes that any future UK Government must complete the task of Brexit by ensuring that the result of the 2016 EU referendum is fully implemented and that the whole of the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland, completes the process of leaving the European Union and the Irish Sea Border is removed; regrets the trashing by the Windsor Framework of the Belfast Agreement’s protections relating to consent, cross-community support and democracy; and believes that Article VI of the Acts of Union 1800 must be restored and that this should be a priority for any future UK Government.’

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