Stormont: SoS talks planned with party leaders

Chris Heaton-Harris was expected to hold talks today (Tuesday) with the leaders of Northern Ireland's political parties.

It comes just days after the Secretary of State failed to set a date for an Assembly election despite vowing to do so after the deadline for calling the poll passed on Friday.

Last week Mr Heaton-Harris indicated he would still call for an election and would update this week.

Meetings are set to take place with all of the main parties at the Northern Ireland Office headquarters in Belfast.

It is understood Mr Heaton-Harris will address the issue of MLAs' pay and whether that should be cut during this period of limbo.

But doubts remain around whether Mr Heaton-Harris will outline an election timetable to the parties during Tuesday's meetings.

Asked whether the Northern Ireland Secretary would be providing an update on the election during the talks with local politicians, a Downing Street spokesman said on Monday: "I'm not aware of any plans for that during those visits. The rules are the date needs to be announced as soon as reasonably practicable."

The DUP says it will not return to power-sharing until decisive action is taken to remove the protocol's economic barriers on trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Government has vowed to secure changes to the protocol, either by a negotiated compromise with the EU or through proposed unilateral domestic legislation, the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill, which would empower ministers to scrap the arrangements without the approval of Brussels.

The European Commission says the latter approach would breach the terms of an international treaty and potentially prompt retaliatory action.