Politicians are to be recalled to Stormont today, Thursday, in a last-ditch attempt to restore the North’s Assembly and avoid a Christmas election.
The Northern Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris held talks with the North’s political parties on Wednesday to try and break the deadlock which has left Northern Ireland without a functioning Assembly or Executive since the last election in May.
The DUP has refused to re-enter the power-sharing government at Stormont until its concerns over the Northern Ireland protocol are addressed to its satisfaction.
The party’s position is not expected to change ahead of Friday’s deadline for the restoration of the Assembly, with the DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson telling reporters yesterday there was “still some way to go” to solve the issues around the protocol and he did not see how an election would achieve this.
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But he said his party was “ready to fight in that election, I’ve just been signing off on our election literature” and if the Northern Secretary called a poll he was “not afraid to take my case to the people”.
The first minister designate, Sinn Féin’s vice president Michelle O’Neill, who met Mr Heaton-Harris yesterday evening, conceded a fresh election appeared likely, telling the BBC “we look like we are on course for a second election, a second election that comes six months after the May election, and that election result should still stand”.
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She made an 11th-hour appeal to the DUP “even at this stage . . . to change their mind, to come around the executive table with the rest of us, make politics work and support people through this period of time”.
Yesterday evening the Northern Secretary also played down the likelihood of a breakthrough. Asked by the BBC if he had “seen any movement” from the parties on Wednesday, Mr Heaton-Harris replied, “I can’t say I have”, adding that he was “ever hopeful”, but confirming an election could be called on Friday.
If, as expected, the DUP will not agree the nomination of a speaker on Thursday – without which no other business can take place – an Assembly cannot be formed.
At 00.01 on Friday the deadline to do so will expire and the Northern Secretary will be legally obliged to call a fresh Stormont election.
Mr Heaton-Harris has repeatedly emphasised in recent days that he intends to fulfil this legal obligation, a move which could come as early as Friday, with voters likely to go to the polls on December 15th.
Ministers – who remained in post in a caretaker role following the May election – would also cease to hold office on Friday.
In a post on social media on Wednesday, Mr Heaton-Harris said his priority was for “NI’s political leaders to come together and restore the Executive”.
“The people of Northern Ireland deserve a fully-functioning Executive, so I understand the public’s frustration. However, if the parties will not re-form, I will call an election.”
On Wednesday, the Taoiseach appealed to the DUP to return to the Northern Executive, saying it was a “denial of democracy” not to do so.
