Stormont: party leaders meeting with Secretary of State

Michelle O'Neill said today (Tuesday) that Chris Heaton-Harris gave "no clarity" as to how he will deal with the Stormont impasse.

The Sinn Fein vice president was speaking after meeting with the Secretary of State in Belfast.

Mr Heaton-Harris was having talks with all of the main party leaders today amid continuing uncertainty over whether he intends to call an Assembly election.

Mr Heaton-Harris failed to set a date for a new poll last Friday, despite repeatedly indicating that he would do so the minute a legislative deadline for calling the poll passed.

Speaking after their meeting, Ms O'Neill said he provided "no clarity" about the events on Friday or his "bizarre U-turn" in not immediately setting a date for an election.

"The Secretary of State told us that he had a legal obligation, that he would call that election at one minute past midnight (on Friday)," she said.

"Then what we saw unfold last Friday was a bizarre U-turn, the failure to continue in that vein.

"We've met with him again this morning. We've asked him a number of questions, but I have to say (he) provided no clarity, he provided no further information as to the U-turn.

"We're left with no information in terms of what happens next, or at least what he intends to do next.

"It's very clear he has a legal obligation in which to call an election if an Executive is not formed.

"But he did not colour in the lines today. He certainly did not provide any clarity around what he intends to do next, apart from to say that he's here to meet with people."

The 24-week deadline for forming a functioning power-sharing executive in Belfast following May's election ran out at midnight on Friday.

Once the deadline passed, the UK Government assumed a legal responsibility to call a fresh election within 12 weeks.

But Ms O'Neill said she is "none the wiser" as to whether Mr Heaton-Harris intends to call a poll.

"I think that the public, again, are left in limbo. I think he's (Chris Heaton-Harris) doubled-down in that approach again today. I just don't think that's acceptable," she added.

"I am none the wiser today in terms of his next step; he didn't make that very clear.

"He didn't say what his next move was. But you can't escape the reality that there's a legal obligation on him to call the election.

"Instead, he's created a political vacuum."

She went on: "It appears to be pandering to the DUP, and both the British Government and the DUP have left the public here in limbo and don't know what's going to happen next.

"I think the public deserves good government. They voted for it back in May.

"The DUP are the only one party that are continuing to block the outcome of the May election, and that's not lost on the wider public.

"But people are living through the hardest times and living through a cost-of-living crisis like they've never been through before."

Meanwhile, Alliance Party leader Naomi Long has described her meeting with Chris Heaton-Harris as "constructive".

She said he was "taking time to reflect" before making any decision on an election.

"From our perspective, we welcome the fact that the Secretary of State has listened to what's been said by the people of Northern Ireland, that he has paid attention to the issues that have been raised and he is clearly taking time to reflect on the way forward."

Mrs Long said Mr Heaton-Harris should take action to ensure Stormont had a budget and that civil servant had more powers to make decisions in the absence of elected ministers.

She said MLA pay also needed to be cut if the powersharing impasse continued.

"I've been very open and honest in saying that I don't believe a situation where we continue to be paid on full salaries with no prospect of a return to government is sustainable," she said.

Mrs Long said the time to call an election would be when a deal between the EU and UK on the Northern Ireland Protocol was achieved.

"It seems to me that if we are close to a position where there may be a deal that that would be the moment to hold people's feet to the fire about reforming an executive and call an election if they refuse to do so," she said.

"It seems that now it might be slightly premature and we could end up actually making any deal more difficult to achieve and more difficult to sell into the Northern Ireland public."