Northern Secretary will not call Assembly election right away

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris will not call a fresh Assembly election immediately after the period for restoring the Stormont Executive expires at midnight.

Writing on The Irish Times website today, Mr Heaton-Harris said he would “use the next few weeks” to “assess carefully all options”.

He also said he would “continue to talk to all interested parties before I make any decisions”.

Legal obligation

Under the current rules, Thursday is the last day an Executive or Assembly can be formed before Mr Heaton-Harris comes under a legal obligation to hold a new election within 12 weeks.

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A similar scenario arose last year when despite insisting that he would call a fresh poll if an Executive did not reform by “one minute past midnight” on October 28th, Mr Heaton-Harris introduced legislation in November to extend the period for Stormont’s return.

The six-week extension until December 8th was carried forward for a further six weeks until today to “create the time and space necessary” for talks between the UK government and the European Commission on the Northern Ireland protocol to continue.

The development comes as Mr Heaton-Harris travels to Dublin later to co-host a meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference with Tánaiste Micheál Martin.

As negotiations intensify between London and the EU on resolving the dispute around the post-Brexit trade deal, the conference will focus on Northern Ireland’s political deadlock.

There have been five failed attempts to restore the Executive since last May’s Assembly elections, but the DUP continues to boycott the powersharing institutions and says it will only re-enter government when the party’s concerns about the protocol are addressed.

[ Chris Heaton-Harris: ‘Difficult decisions’ needed if Stormont fails to return ]

Irish Government sources told The Irish Times there is “a momentum” to “try to find a solution that works for everyone”.

In his opinion piece today, Mr Heaton-Harris adds: “This is not a situation any of us want to be in. The people of Northern Ireland deserve to have the votes that they cast in May honoured, they deserve locally elected decision-makers getting back to work, delivering on the issues that matter most to them.”

Meanwhile, the UK government’s controversial Bill to deal with the legacy of the Troubles — fiercely opposed by the North’s five main political parties, victims and human rights groups and the Irish Government — will also be on the agenda at the intergovernmental meeting.

Mr Martin last week travelled to Armagh to meet with victims and survivors of Troubles-related violence.

On Tuesday evening, the UK government announced several minor changes to its draft legislation, which has been condemned by the victims’ group as a breach of international human rights law that will “close down paths to justice”. UK defence secretary Ben Wallace this week expressed his support for the Bill by saying it will end the current “merry-go-round” of court cases.

Civil cases

The law would provide immunity for perpetrators accused of Troubles-related offences as long as they co-operate with a new truth recovery body; it would also halt future civil cases and inquests linked to killings during the conflict.

Mr Heaton-Harris says the UK government is “determined to deliver better outcomes for those most affected by the Troubles” and “welcomes continued engagement with all stakeholders, including the Irish Government, as the legislation passes through parliament”.

In a statement, the Department of Foreign Affairs said that in addition to discussing the North’s political developments, today’s meeting will examine “matters of mutual interest” including security co-operation, UK proposals for an Electronic Travel Authorisation scheme and plans for the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Belfast Agreement in April.