Explainer:
As the election comes to a close and the possibility of a new Executive lays ahead, the political parties of NI have published their manifestos outlining what they will do if/when Stormont returns. 

To help you understand the parties' pledges for the next mandate, the team at BeyondNI have created Manifesto Mapper, a bespoke comparison tool to show party commitments based on the policy area that matters most to you.

The following key topics comparisons can be found below:

1. Cost of Living Crisis:

   • Energy Prices

   • Household Payment Stances

   • Inflation and Transport Cost Freezes

2. Healthcare:

   • NHS Staffing

   • Waiting Lists

   • Mental Health Stances

3. Climate Based Policies:

   • Alternative Energy

   • Planning

   • Electricity Markets / Single Electricity Market (SEM)

4. Economy:

   • Household Payments

   • Invest NI Reform

   • Trade Deals

5. NI Protocol:

   • For or Against the NI Protocol

   • Proposed Alternatives to the Protocol

6. Infrastructure:

   • Road Projects

   • Rail Projects

   • New Infrastructure Project Plans

7. Education:

   • Primary Schools

   • Tertiary Education and Universities

   • Apprenticeship Support

8. Civil Rights:

   • LGBTIQ+ Policies

   • Women’s Rights

   • Bill of Rights Stance

9. Housing Policies:

   • Rent Control(s)

   • Planning

   • Building Regulations

10. Crime and Justice:

    • Paramilitary Actions

    • PSNI

    • Justice Reform

Manifesto Sources:

We took the time and effort to parse through each of the published manifesto’s from the below 8 political parties though if you wish, we have also provided links for our information sources for each of the parties included in our Mapper tool:

• The Alliance Party - 2022 Manifesto

• Democratic Unionist Party - 2022 Manifesto

• Green Party (NI) - 2022 Manifesto

• People Before Profit - 2022 Manifesto

• Sinn Féin Party - 2022 Manifesto

• Social Democratic and Labour Party - 2022 Manifesto

• Traditionalist Unionist Voice - 2022 Manifesto

• Ulster Unionist Party - 2022 Manifesto
  

Disclaimers and Limitations:

While we think Manifesto Mapper is a fantastic tool for grouping the relevant party positions together, it can not accurately compare all positions a party holds.

The main limitation being that parties, while not mentioning specific policy points in their manifesto, it doesn't they don't hold a predetermined policy view.

This is where looking at a party's social media output and voting history in the Assembly would help address that and fill in those blanks. 

Please see our disclaimer page for further context on this matter or contact us if you would like more tailored information to suit your needs.

Further Analysis:

If there is a blank policy position and you would like a more in depth analysis on that party's viewpoint with voting and social media data, please contact us at beyondnorthernireland@gmail.com.