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Northern Ireland
This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Assembly List of Acts Members: 1998 - 2003 - 2007 Elections: 1998 - 2003 - 2007 Speaker Northern Ireland Executive First Minister: Ian Paisley Deputy First Minister: Martin McGuinness Departments and agencies Local Government Courts of Northern Ireland
In the United Kingdom
United Kingdom Parliament Committees: Affairs - Grand Members: Commons - Lords Elections: 2005 United Kingdom Government Northern Ireland Office Secretary of State • Direct Rule
Organisations
British-Irish Council Electoral Commission North/South Ministerial Council
See also
Belfast Agreement (1998) St Andrews Agreement (2006) Segregation in Northern Ireland Elections in Northern Ireland Constituencies Political parties
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The Northern Irish referendum of 1998 was a referendum held in Northern Ireland over whether there was support for the Belfast Agreement. The result was a majority (71.1%) in favour.

All the main UK political parties (Labour, Conservative, and Liberal Democrat) supported the Yes campaign, though the local branch of the Conservatives supported the No campaign. Of the local Northern Ireland parties represented in the Northern Ireland Peace Forum, the Ulster Unionist Party, Social Democratic and Labour Party, Sinn Féin, Alliance, Progressive Unionist Party, Ulster Democratic Party, Northern Ireland Women's Coalition and local "Labour" groups supported the proposals.

The only two parties in the Forum to campaign against the Agreement were the Democratic Unionist Party and the UK Unionist Party, though many prominent individuals in the Ulster Unionists also did so. Some minor parties campaigned against it. The Republican Sinn Féin party, which at the time did not run candidates in Northern Ireland (see Republican Sinn Féin#Electoral participation), still opposes the agreement.

Another referendum on the agreement was held in the Republic of Ireland on the same day: see Ireland referendum, 1998. The Northern Ireland referendum was held on May 22, 1998. There was a large majority of 'Yes'. A total of 1,738 ballots were spoilt. Turnout, at 81.1% was very high for a developed country where voting is not compulsory.^[1] Turnout in the equivalent referendum in the Republic of Ireland was average for a constitutional referendum but returned almost universal approval (94.39%).

The electorate were asked to indicate: Do you support the agreement reached at the multi-party talks on Northern Ireland and set out in Command Paper 3883?

The turnout was noticeably high and even more remarkably the turnout was quite even throughout the province, compared to many elections where turnout is highest in strong nationalist areas and significantly lower in unionist areas. It is estimated that approximately 147,000 people who do not normally vote in elections turned out to vote in the referendum, most of them in traditionally staunch unionist areas.

The government passed the Northern Ireland Act 1998.

• Referendums in the United Kingdom