Secretary of State says it's time for decisions, after party talks

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has said that they have done "everything we can" in talks with the DUP over the Northern Ireland Protocol, and said it is "time for decisions to be made".

He was speaking after meeting with the Stormont parties at Hillsborough on Monday before Thursday's deadline for powersharing to be restored.

"As of - whatever it is, a minute past or a minute to midnight on - Thursday night, I might need to call an election," he said.

"I have a duty to decide whether an election is called. And also, actually, for an executive to be reformed I need a piece of primary legislation. So next week, I will be laying primary legislation before the floor of the House, which is an evolution of some of the things I've been saying.

"I will need to also, eventually, in the course of the next few weeks, pass a budget for next year, and all of those matters will be taken into consideration at that point."

Mr Heaton-Harris also said: "I'd like to think that it's a very generous financial package that's on offer for reformation of the Executive which would be attractive to all the political parties. I believe we've done everything we can in the space of the Windsor Framework talks with the DUP, answered all the questions that they've put to us appropriately, and now it is time for decisions to be made."

Turning to a major strike by public sector workers in Northern Ireland planned for Thursday, Chris Heaton-Harris insisted the matter is a devolved one.

"The industrial action taken by the unions will disrupt the lives of many people across Northern Ireland," he said.

"Public sector pay in Northern Ireland is devolved. This is properly a matter for locally elected politicians who are best placed, and I quote others here, to tackle the unprecedented challenges confronting citizens, public services, particularly the immediate matter of public sector pay today in Northern Ireland.

"If an executive has not been reformed by Friday, then as I say, I will have various decisions to make and I will set out my next steps in due course.

"To end, I do believe that all the conditions necessary are now in place for the political representatives in Northern Ireland to govern on behalf of the people who elected them.

"It is time for the talking and debate to finish. It is time for Stormont to get back to work."