Stormont: no Assembly election to be held before Christmas

Chris Heaton Harris has ruled out a fresh Stormont Assembly election for Northern Ireland this year.

The Secretary of State announced he would outline his next steps in Parliament.

Chris Heaton Harris said he will outline his next steps in Parliament.

Mr Heaton Harris is obliged to call an election within 12 weeks of October 28 when the deadline for the Northern Ireland parties to form a fresh executive ran out.

He said he has listened to concerns about the impact and the cost of an election at this time.

"I can now confirm that no Assembly election will take place in December, or ahead of the festive season," he said in a statement on Friday morning.

"Current legislation requires me to name a date for an election to take place within 12 weeks of October 28 and next week I will make a statement in Parliament to lay out my next steps."

He added: "My objective, what the people of Northern Ireland deserve, is the restoration of a strong, devolved government.

"My duty is to create the right environment for the parties in Northern Ireland to work together to restore the devolved institutions and deliver on crucial issues impacting Northern Ireland's people.

"I do not take this duty lightly, nor do I overlook the very real concerns people have around their cost of living."

Sinn Fein Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill urged Mr Heaton-Harris to "outline now exactly what the British government intends to do to restore the political institutions".

She also said he must explain how the British government proposes to give people in Northern Ireland the £400 cost-of-living energy payment.

"Delays and indecision is not an acceptable situation for people here who need help now," she said.

She described his earlier announcement that there would not be an Assembly election in December as a "bizarre U-turn".

"Today's announcement is more dithering and indecision from the British Secretary of State and a continuation of the Tory chaos in London that is now paralysing our politics," she said.

"Chris Heaton Harris met with political parties this week and failed to give any indication of what he announced today.

"Instead, he has confirmed the bizarre U-turn he made last week but once again he provides no clarity or certainty on what his next steps even are.

"The British government are fuelling the political instability caused by the DUP's failure to recognise the result of the May election when the people voted for change.

"The British government and the DUP are leaving us in a prolonged state of political limbo with no Assembly, Executive or caretaker ministers.

"This is totally unacceptable at a time when workers, families and small businesses are struggling through the cost-of-living crisis and a cold winter, and when our health service needs immediate investment."

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has called for a "razor-sharp focus" on getting a solution by negotiation or legislation to unionist concerns around the Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP).

"There is no solid basis for a fully functioning Stormont until NIP is replaced with arrangements that unionists can support. Progress in NI only made when unionists & nationalists are aboard," he tweeted.

Alliance deputy leader Stephen Farry said an election in Northern Ireland would have created deeper divisions.

"We know that elections, particularly in a vacuum, will only make things worse, it'll put people on to even deeper red hooks and may create an even bigger mountain to climb in terms of what happens afterwards," the North Down MP said.

"We have a vacuum in that there is no executive in place and there isn't really a clear plan for the Northern Ireland Office and the wider UK Government as to how to get the devolution restored.

"The first thing is, we need to see much more rapid progress in terms of the UK-EU negotiations around the protocol.

"This crisis is probably slightly different than some of the ones we would have had previously in that the main point of contention lies elsewhere.

"Secondly, there are problems in Northern Ireland with the use of the veto.

"We have seen Sinn Fein collapse the institutions between 2017 and 2020 and now the DUP. The key thing that we need to see now is reform of the institutions to ensure that they are fit for purpose in terms of the modern world."