What is the Alliance Party polling at in 2026?

The Alliance Party polls at approximately 17% in Northern Ireland in 2026, third behind Sinn Fein (28%) and the DUP (22%).

Who leads the Alliance Party?

Naomi Long has led the Alliance Party since 2019. She won East Belfast in 2019 and serves as Minister for Justice in the Northern Ireland Executive.

What does cross-community mean for the Alliance Party?

Cross-community means Alliance does not take a position on Northern Ireland remaining in the UK or joining a united Ireland. It attracts both Protestant and Catholic voters who prioritise non-sectarian politics.

How many seats does Alliance have at Stormont?

Alliance won 17 seats in the 2022 Stormont Assembly election. It has 7 Westminster MPs following the 2024 General Election.

Is the Alliance Party unionist or nationalist?

Neither. Alliance designates itself as cross-community or other, explicitly refusing the unionist/nationalist binary in the Stormont Assembly.

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ALL

Alliance Party of Northern Ireland

Leader: Naomi Long — Cross-community, non-sectarian politics since 1970

▲ Surging — Third Largest NI Party

17%

NI Polling (2026)

Stormont Assembly Seats (2022)

Westminster MPs (2024 GE)

+9pts

Rise since 2017 Assembly

Alliance Party Polling Surge: 2017–2026

▲ From 8% to 17% in under a decade

The big story: The Alliance Party has more than doubled its support in Northern Ireland since 2017, becoming the third largest party and the primary vehicle for voters who want to move beyond the unionist/nationalist divide.

Election	Alliance %	Seats / MPs	Key Context
2017 Stormont Assembly	9.1%	8 MLAs	Steady but modest; third-party also-ran in DUP/SF dominance
2019 General Election	16.8%	1 MP (Naomi Long, East Belfast)	Remain vote coalesces around Alliance; major Westminster breakthrough
2019 European Elections	18.5%	1 MEP	Pro-Remain surge; second most votes in NI
2022 Stormont Assembly	13.5%	17 MLAs	Best ever Stormont result; third largest party; Justice Minister confirmed
2024 General Election	17.0%	7 MPs	Historic Westminster surge — wins 7 of 18 NI seats
2025–2026 (NI polls)	17%	—	Sustaining 2024 GE level; consolidating cross-community voter base

Northern Ireland Party Balance: May 2026

Party	NI Poll (2026)	Designation	Constitutional Position
Sinn Fein	28%	Nationalist	United Ireland
DUP	22%	Unionist	Remain in UK
Alliance	17%	Other / Cross-community	Neither — let people decide
UUP	11%	Unionist	Remain in UK
SDLP	9%	Nationalist	United Ireland
TUV	7%	Unionist	Remain in UK (hardline)

Cross-Community Appeal: Who Votes Alliance?

The new NI voter: Alliance draws support from both Protestant and Catholic backgrounds, young voters, university-educated professionals, and Greater Belfast residents who prioritise issues over the constitutional question. Its surge reflects a generational shift in NI politics.

Traditional Alliance Voter Base

Historically Alliance drew from moderate middle-class unionists in South Belfast, North Down, and East Belfast who were uncomfortable with DUP social conservatism. These voters gave Alliance a stable 8–10% base from the 1970s to 2015.

The New Alliance Voter (2017–2026)

The post-Brexit surge brought younger voters, middle-class Catholics, social liberals, and Remain voters who saw Alliance as the clearest pro-EU, anti-sectarian option. Many are from communities that had never voted Alliance before.

Young Voters (18–34)

Alliance polls strongest among younger NI voters, who are less likely to prioritise the constitutional question and more focused on climate, housing, and public services. In 2024 GE exit polling, Alliance led among 18–34 year olds in NI.

Naomi Long: Leading the Alliance Surge

Political Career

Naomi Long first made headlines when she defeated Peter Robinson, then DUP leader and First Minister, in the 2010 General Election in East Belfast. She lost the seat in 2015 but regained it in 2019. Long became Alliance leader in October 2019 and is widely credited with the party surge. She serves as Minister for Justice in the Northern Ireland Executive.

Profile and Political Style

Long is known for her direct communication style and strong social media presence. She has positioned Alliance as economically centrist, socially liberal, and firmly pro-EU — a combination that has proved attractive to voters dissatisfied with the DUP-SF duopoly. She is one of the UK strongest advocates for closer UK-EU trade relations.

Alliance and the Windsor Framework

The Windsor Framework — the renegotiated post-Brexit arrangement for Northern Ireland agreed in February 2023 — has been strongly supported by Alliance, which sees it as the best available arrangement for NI unique position partly in the UK and partly aligned with the EU single market for goods.

This contrasts sharply with the DUP initial rejection of the Framework (which triggered the two-year Stormont collapse from February 2022 to February 2024). Alliance unambiguous support for the Framework won it additional business community backing and differentiated it clearly from the unionist parties.

Party	Windsor Framework Position
Alliance	Strongly supports; best available arrangement for NI
Sinn Fein	Broadly accepts; wants further EU alignment
DUP	Opposed initially; reluctantly accepted 2024; wants further changes
UUP	Accepts with reservations
TUV	Strongly opposed; seeks complete removal
SDLP	Supports; wants closer alignment with EU

Alliance Key Policy Positions

Constitutional Question

Alliance officially supports allowing the people of NI to decide their constitutional future through a border poll, but does not campaign for either outcome. It designates as other at Stormont, rejecting the unionist/nationalist binary.

EU Relationship

Strongly pro-EU; supports NI current dual-market status under the Windsor Framework; advocates for UK to seek closer alignment with the EU including a veterinary agreement.

Health and Public Services

Northern Ireland has the worst NHS waiting lists in the UK. Alliance has focused heavily on health transformation and workforce planning, calling for sustainable funding and urgent reform.

Social Liberalism

Alliance is the most socially liberal of the larger NI parties, supporting same-sex marriage (introduced 2020), abortion rights (extended 2020), and progressive social policies.

Climate and Environment

Supports strong climate targets for Northern Ireland, renewable energy investment, and joining the Republic of Ireland in ambitious net-zero commitments.

Economic Development

Advocates for leveraging NI unique dual-market position to attract foreign direct investment. This is a distinctive economic argument that no other NI party fully owns.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Alliance Party stand in Great Britain?

No. Alliance contests elections only in Northern Ireland. It is affiliated with the Liberal Democrats in Great Britain but operates as a fully independent party. Alliance MPs at Westminster typically sit with the Liberal Democrat parliamentary group.

How does Alliance fit in the Stormont power-sharing Executive?

Under the Good Friday Agreement d'Hondt system, Executive ministerial seats are allocated proportionally. After the 2022 Assembly election Alliance held the Justice Ministry. The First Minister position goes to Sinn Fein (as the largest party) and Deputy First Minister to the DUP.

Why did Alliance win so many seats in the 2024 Westminster election?

Alliance won 7 Westminster seats in 2024 from its previous 1, reflecting its surge to 17% of the NI vote and an effective constituency strategy targeting seats where the combined centre-ground vote could defeat both DUP and Sinn Fein candidates.

What is Alliance position on a united Ireland?

Alliance formally supports the principle of consent — that NI constitutional status should only change with majority support. It does not campaign for or against a united Ireland, instead focusing on ensuring any border poll is preceded by transparent information about the consequences.