Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland secretary, hinted at a voting day of December 8 or 15 during evidence to a House of Commons select committee. It would be the second election for Northern Ireland this year. Heaton-Harris told MPs he was focused on “trying to charm, cajole, cajole everybody” into returning to Stormond by the October 28 deadline. However, with the DUP’s ongoing boycott over the Northern Ireland protocol, this is seen as unlikely. The devolved government has not been fully operational since February, when the DUP withdrew its senior MPs, including the First Minister, in protest at the Brexit trade deal protocol, which imposes controls on goods entering Northern Ireland from Greater Ireland Britain. The DUP continued its boycott following May’s election, in which Sinn Féin overtook the party for the first time. Heaton-Harris told MPs: “If we don’t have a reformed executive by one minute after midnight on October 28, I will call an election, that’s what the law requires me to do and that’s what I will do.” The resumption of talks between the UK and the EU over the protocol dispute prompted speculation that the Heaton-Harris would delay the second election. But he told MPs that even if he had the mind to do so, he could not “see the scope” for the necessary emergency legislation. Stephen Farry MP, deputy leader of the cross-community Alliance party, said it was “probably realistic to think we won’t have a staff in the next few weeks”. Pressed by the DUP’s Ian Paisley on whether an election could be held on December 8 or December 15, Heaton-Harris replied that he “would like to think it would be a relatively short campaign”. He said Paisley was “in the right zone” and confirmed any election would be before Christmas. His comments come amid heightened interest in Northern Ireland, with a flurry of visits to Belfast amid hopes a deal can be reached on the protocol row. On Tuesday, US Ambassador to the UK Jane Hartley visited Belfast, underscoring Joe Biden’s continued commitment to cementing the peace deal 25 years after it was signed. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Today I am making my first official visit to Northern Ireland – a place with so many strong and enduring links to the United States. I look forward to working with leaders and unsung heroes who promote stability and prosperity in the region. pic.twitter.com/FZRbdHuRrH — Ambassador Jane Hartley (@USAmbUK) October 18, 2022 On Monday, the head of the taio, Micheál Martin, met with political parties, while last week a delegation of the European Parliament met with politicians and political leaders. Next week, Northern Ireland Secretary Steve Baker will meet the leader. Heaton-Harris told MPs that talks with the EU were “tough” but they were talking about what a resolution would look like at the highest level. “Things are very complicated on all sides … There are discussions about what a landing zone could look like,” he said. The negotiations are being led by Foreign Secretary James Cleverley, with the latest talks with the EU’s chief negotiator Maros Sefcovic on Monday. “Everyone is approaching this in a positive and grown-up way, but just because the musical mood has changed doesn’t mean the conversations aren’t tough enough,” Heaton-Harris said.
