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Stormont: No NI Assembly election to be held in December NI Assembly election will not be held in December
(37 minutes later)
There will not be a Northern Ireland Assembly election in December, the secretary of state has confirmed. There will not be a Stormont assembly election in December, the Northern Ireland secretary has confirmed.
Chris Heaton-Harris had said he would call another poll after the deadline to restore power-sharing passed last week.Chris Heaton-Harris had said he would call another poll after the deadline to restore power-sharing passed last week.
The law requires an election to take place within 12 weeks but it will not happen next month. The law requires an election within 12 weeks of that 28 October deadline but it will not happen next month.
Mr Heaton-Harris said no election would "take place in December, or ahead of the festive season". Devolved government has not functioned since February, with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) blocking the formation of the ruling executive.
He said that since 28 October, he had listened to people's "sincere concerns about the impact and cost of an election at this time". The party has taken that stance in its protest against the post-Brexit trading arrangement known as the Northern Ireland Protocol.
"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," he added. What has Chris Heaton-Harris said?
Mr Heaton-Harris said no election would "take place in December or ahead of the festive season".
He said that since the 28 October deadline he had listened to people's "sincere concerns about the impact and cost of an election at this time".
"Next week I will make a statement in Parliament to lay out my next steps," he added.
Chris Heaton-Harris has a legal duty to call an election in a bid to resolve the Stormont crisis
"My objective, what the people of Northern Ireland deserve, is the restoration of a strong devolved government."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."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.""I do not take this duty lightly, nor do I overlook the very real concerns people have around their cost of living."
On Wednesday, Northern Ireland Office Minister Steve Baker said a date for another Stormont election would be confirmed soon. His comments come two days after Northern Ireland Office Minister Steve Baker said a date for another Stormont election would be confirmed soon.
The leaders of the Stormont parties who would sit on the Northern Ireland Executive met Mr Heaton-Harris on Tuesday but they said he gave no clarity about when an election might be held. Why is Stormont in crisis again?
Devolved government in Northern Ireland has not functioned properly since February. The DUP has refused to return to power-sharing at Stormont until the Northern Ireland Protocol is scrapped or changed.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has blocked the restoration of power-sharing in its protest against the post-Brexit trading arrangement known as the Northern Ireland Protocol
The protocol keeps Northern Ireland aligned with some EU trade rules to ensure that goods can move freely across the Irish land border after Brexit.The protocol keeps Northern Ireland aligned with some EU trade rules to ensure that goods can move freely across the Irish land border after Brexit.
Unionist parties argue that it has undermined Northern Ireland's place within the UK by effectively creating a trade border with England, Scotland and Wales.Unionist parties argue that it has undermined Northern Ireland's place within the UK by effectively creating a trade border with England, Scotland and Wales.
The DUP has refused to return to Stormont until the protocol is scrapped or changed.
The UK wants a fundamental rewrite of the treaty while the EU believes sufficient "flexibilities" can be found within the existing text.The UK wants a fundamental rewrite of the treaty while the EU believes sufficient "flexibilities" can be found within the existing text.
The protocol keeps Northern Ireland aligned with some EU trade rules to ensure that goods can move freely across the Irish land border after Brexit. You can almost feel the collective sigh of relief.
Unionist parties argue that it has undermined Northern Ireland's place within the UK by effectively creating a trade border with England, Scotland and Wales. The Northern Ireland secretary's decision to scrap his December election plan is an early Christmas present for the political parties.
The DUP has refused to return to Stormont until the protocol is scrapped or changed. They dreaded the prospect of going to the polls 10 days before Christmas in an election which was only ever going to deepen the political crisis.
The UK wants a fundamental rewrite of the treaty while the EU believes sufficient "flexibilities" can be found within the existing text. But the U-turn by Chris Heaton-Harris has damaged his creditability and raised questions about how it was managed by the Northern Ireland Office.
Read more: Stormont crisis explainedRead more: Stormont crisis explained
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Who is NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris?
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