On October 28, the time for Northern Ireland parties to establish a new power-sharing administration expired.
The government of the United Kingdom has declared its intention to prolong the timetable for conducting new elections in Northern Ireland and to reduce the salary of Stormont Assembly members.
Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris announced in the House of Commons that he will bring legislation to “give a brief, uncomplicated extension to the period for executive formation.”
The deadline for the parties in Northern Ireland to establish a new power-sharing executive expired on October 28.
The current statute required Mr. Heaton-Harris to call a new election within 12 weeks after the expiration of the deadline, which would be 19 January.
Mr. Heaton-Harris informed the members of parliament that he was extending the deadline for parties to create an executive by six weeks, until December 8, with the possibility of a further six-week extension.
The 12-week clock for calling an election will now begin on either 8 December – meaning a vote must be held by March – or 19 January – six weeks later – meaning a vote must be held by April at the latest.
While Stormont remains deadlocked, the Northern Ireland secretary did not specify how much he intends to lower MLA compensation.
The measures afford the parties in Northern Ireland additional time to overcome the impasse at Stormont.
To implement the recommendations, legislation must be passed at Westminster.
“Everyone believes that we must find a way out of the current impasse,” Mr. Heaton-Harris told the House of Representatives. “I have a legal obligation to call an election that few want and all agree will accomplish nothing.”
“Consequently, I will introduce legislation to allow a brief, uncomplicated extension to the period for executive formation – extending the existing period by six weeks to 8 December, with the possibility of a second six-week extension to 19 January if necessary.
This is intended to provide the necessary time and space for negotiations between the United Kingdom and the European Union to progress and for parties in Northern Ireland to work together to restore devolved institutions as quickly as practicable.
He proceeded: “People throughout Northern Ireland are frustrated that MLAs continue to get a full salary despite not carrying out all of their elected responsibilities.
“I will thus seek the cooperation of the House to lower the salary of MLAs accordingly.”
As the standoff persists, Mr. Heaton-Harris has also indicated that he will grant Stormont civil officials additional authority to manage the region’s public services.
Since the election in May of this year, the formation of a government has been thwarted by the Democratic Unionist Party’s (DUP) boycott of the devolved institutions in protest of Brexit’s Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP).
The protocol was intended to avoid a hard border with Ireland, but it has put economic hurdles on the movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, infuriating many unionists and loyalists.
The DUP has refused to return to Stormont until the issue is resolved with serious action.
In response to the Northern Ireland secretary’s decision, DUP MLA Edwin Poots stated that until the Protocol is replaced with unionist-friendly measures, there would be no basis for restoring devolution in Northern Ireland.
“Our objection to the Protocol is unrelated to compensation. The sooner the government addresses the Protocol, the sooner the restoration of Stormont may occur “he stated.
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, head of the DUP, told Mr. Heaton-Harris in the House of Commons that while courage, understanding, and compromise are “wonderful words,” what is required is “a solution that restores Northern Ireland’s institutions on the basis that it is an important part of the United Kingdom.”
Ireland’s foreign minister, Simon Coveney, praised the decision, stating that it creates further room for development in EU-UK negotiations.
I urge the UK authorities to take advantage of this newfound chance to engage positively and expeditiously,” he said in a statement. The European Commission has listened closely to the concerns of people throughout Northern Ireland, including and especially unionists.
Michelle O’Neill, vice president of Sinn Fein, stated that the uncertainty surrounding an election was unacceptable.
She told reporters in Stormont, “We now have new deadlines, different deadlines, in which he may or may not call elections.”
“Therefore, this environment is insufficient for human habitation, and I believe the essential question of the day is what comes next.
What steps does the British government propose to take to get an agreement on the protocol?
Ms. O’Neill also questioned why Mr. Heaton-Harris did not target DUP MLAs who refused to participate with devolved institutions for a salary decrease.
Colum Eastwood, leader of the SDLP, applauded the decision to reduce MLA compensation, stating that the DUP “has no reasonable excuse to dither while people’s homes grow cold and their pantries run dry.”
While Alliance Party leader Naomi Long applauded the Northern Ireland secretary’s “clarity,” she added: “Nonetheless, the overarching situation remains unchanged. As long as any group can captive the institutions, they will.
Therefore, we must restructure the assembly and administration to prevent this from occurring; otherwise, we may easily be back in the same predicament within a few months.
The Northern Ireland secretary indicated last week that a Stormont election will not be conducted in December, citing “sincere concerns” across the area regarding the impact and expense of a new election at this time.
The government of the United Kingdom has committed to seek revisions to the deal, either through a negotiated compromise with the EU or through proposed domestic legislation that would allow ministers to reject the arrangements without Brussels’ permission.
Opponents have compared the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill to “putting a gun on the table” in solution-seeking talks with the EU, alleging that it violates international law and risks a trade war.
