Under the Act the Parliament of Northern Ireland was given the legislative power to alter the electoral system from three years after its first meeting.

The use of STV was criticised strongly among the grassroots of the governing Ulster Unionist Party, who viewed it as "un-British"[1] (apart from four university constituencies, the rest of the United Kingdom used First Past the Post).

Rather than deal with questions as to why it faced declining popularity the party replaced STV by the non-proportional (and so less helpful to minorities) First Past the Post.

While Unionists within Northern Ireland became reconciled to their form of home rule, Nationalists remained alienated from the structures of the state and pursued an abstentionist policy.

For many years the most effective opposition came from various independent Unionists, most notably Tommy Henderson (served 1925–1953) who was famous for his near ten hour speech on the Appropriation Bill in May 1936.

The Parliament emulated some of the more bizarre traditions, such as giving a First Reading to the Outlawries Bill immediately after the Speech from the Throne as a token gesture of defiance of Royal authority.

King George V gave a famed address where he called for reconciliation between Irish people and for Northern Ireland to be free of discrimination against the minority.

The main building was also changed, with plans for a United States Capitol-style dome being abandoned, leaving a plainer neoclassical structure.

Between them hung a large chandelier from Windsor Castle which had been given to the King by his cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, but had been put in storage during the First World War and remained so until given to Stormont.

Northern Ireland was dogged by allegations of Unionist misrule, and political gerrymandering at local government level, during the 1960s.