NI Assembly Election 2017: Fall in number of candidates By Gareth Gordon

BBC News NI Political Correspondent Published duration 9 February 2017

media caption Stormont (re)loading... a guide to Election 2017 in Northern Ireland

A total of 228 candidates will contest the Northern Ireland Assembly election next month - 48 fewer than last time.

Only 90 will be returned to Stormont - compared to 108 from previous assembly polls.

Out of the 228 candidates, 70 are women. The election will take place on 2 March.

media caption How does the STV system work to elect MLAs in Northern Ireland?

Once again the DUP is fielding the most candidates with 38, followed by Sinn Féin on 34.

The Ulster Unionist Party has 24 candidates, while the SDLP and Alliance have 21 each.

The Green Party is fielding 18 candidates, the TUV, 14, the Conservatives 13 and People Before Profit seven.

The Workers Party has five candidates in the race, the cross-community Labour Alternative four, the PUP and the Citizens Independent Social Thought Alliance three each and the UKIP one.

There are also 22 independent candidates in the field.

West Tyrone, East Londonderry and East Antrim have the largest number of candidates standing, with 15 going on the ballot paper in each.

The constituency with the fewest - nine - is Newry and Armagh.

Related Topics Northern Ireland Assembly