The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has confirmed an Assembly election will not be held in Northern Ireland before Christmas.
The deadline has passed for the Assembly to get up and running following May’s vote and Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris is now obliged to call an election.
Current legislation requires him to name a date for an election to take place within 12 weeks of 28 October.
The election was expected to be called before Christmas but Heaton-Harris has so far avoided setting a date.
In a statement released this morning he confirmed that an election will not be held before Christmas.
He said he has listened to sincere concerns about the impact and cost of an election at this time.
Next week, he will make a statement in British Parliament to lay out his next steps.
A potential ballot isn’t expected to change anything about the make-up of the Assembly.
The last elections were held in May, but the DUP – who lost their majority to Sinn Fein for the first time in those elections – have boycotted the assembly over the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Mr Heaton- Harris’ full statement – Following discussions with NI party leaders, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Chris Heaton-Harris MP, confirms an election will not take place in December.
Heaton-Harris said:
“At midnight on 28 October, I came under a duty to call an Assembly election. Since then, my engagement with the political parties has continued. I have had valuable conversations with people across Northern Ireland, including business and community representatives. I have listened to their sincere concerns about the impact and 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. Current legislation requires me to name a date for an election to take place within 12 weeks of 28 October and next week, I will make a statement in Parliament to lay out my next steps.
“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.”
