The 1973elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly took place following the publication of the British government's white paperNorthern Ireland Constitutional Proposals which proposed a 78-member Northern Ireland Assembly, elected by proportional representation.
A cross-community coalition of the UUP under Brian Faulkner, the SDLP and the Alliance Party was agreed in November, and following the Sunningdale Agreement, a Power Sharing Executive was established from 1 January1974. After opposition from within the UUP and the Ulster Workers Council Strike, the executive and assembly collapsed in May 1974.