NI election date to be confirmed soon - Steve Baker

The date for another Stormont election will soon be confirmed by the secretary of state, Northern Ireland Office Minister Steve Baker has said.

Chris Heaton-Harris failed to set a date for a poll after Friday's deadline for restoring the institutions passed.

Legislation requires an election to be held within the next 12 weeks.

Speaking after meeting Mr Heaton-Harris today, the Irish foreign minister said they had discussed options but "no decisions have been made yet".

"We don't believe an election at this time is a good thing for Northern Ireland," said Simon Coveney.

"I don't think we will have to wait very long on a decision."

Speaking on Wednesday during a Westminster debate, Mr Baker told MPs: "In line with his legal obligation, the secretary of state will soon confirm the date of the next Northern Ireland Assembly election as required by law.

"Following that election and regardless of the result, the parties do need to come together to restore the devolved institutions and lead the people of NI through challenging times ahead."

Mr Coveney said he and Mr Heaton-Harris would have ongoing discussions in the coming days, adding: "There are difficult decisions for the British government due to its legal obligations."

He added that he would continue to regularly visit Northern Ireland despite opposition from some loyalist groups.

The Loyalist Communities Council has spoken out against Irish government ministers visiting Northern Ireland, while Mr Coveney was forced to abandon a speech in north Belfast in March after an elaborate bomb hoax blamed on the Ulster Volunteer Force.

"Small numbers of people with hard-line thinking making hard-line statements are not going to put us off," Mr Coveney said.

Mr Coveney added that joint authority - an approach already ruled out by Mr Heaton-Harris - was "not our focus".

Sinn Féin has said there can be no return to direct rule of Northern Ireland from London if the deadlock at Stormont is not broken, and that London and Dublin should take a "joint approach".

The Social Democratic and Labour Party has made a similar call.

But Mr Coveney said the Irish government was focused on getting the "institutions of the Good Friday Agreement up and running again".

"I think there's been too much talk, to be honest, about about joint authority and not enough talk about getting an executive back up and functioning again," he added.

On Tuesday, the Northern Ireland secretary met four of the political parties to discuss next steps, after last week's deadline to restore power-sharing was missed.

Sinn Féin wants clarity about a vote, while the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) had said more talks were "pointless".

In the coming weeks, Mr Heaton-Harris could have to pass legislation to delay the requirement for another election, if he decides not to press ahead with another poll.

The most recent assembly election in May resulted in Sinn Féin winning the most seats for the first time.

That meant Michelle O'Neill was entitled to the role of first minister.

The DUP was returned as the second-biggest party, but it refused to nominate a deputy first minister, meaning a ruling executive for Northern Ireland could not be formed.

The DUP has blocked the restoration of power-sharing in its protest against post-Brexit trading arrangements for Northern Ireland known as the protocol.

Expect more pavement politics on Wednesday, but don't expect a date for an election.

After being told by the prime minister last week to put his election plan on hold, is the secretary of state now moving in another direction?

His statement on Tuesday night focuses more on the sorry state of Stormont finances than the need for an election.

It feels like Chris Heaton-Harris is now preparing the ground for his budget bill, a more positive intervention than an election.

Might he use that legislative move to tag on an amendment to make the prospect of a poll go away?

That is the hope of many, but the secretary of state may have another plan.

If he does, it will need the blessing of the prime minister.

Theirs is a growing relationship and we are told the new Downing Street administration has a preference to let the UK-EU protocol negotiations run their course without the disruption of an election.

We don't normally see or hear about such prime ministerial interventions.

If we are heading for a complete back-track on his election pledge a meeting with business leaders may also provide some extra cover for Mr Heaton-Harris.

The protocol keeps Northern Ireland aligned with some EU trade rules to ensure that goods can move freely across the Irish land border.

The DUP has said it will not re-enter government until the protocol is changed and has urged Number 10 to have "a razor-like focus" in getting a solution with the EU.

The government could also have to pass a budget for Northern Ireland at Westminster, if the deadlock continues.

On Wednesday night, Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Micheál Martin said he was encouraged by his conversations on the protocol with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

He said the Irish government was listening and that the EU was "determined to find a solution".

Parties have also urged Mr Heaton-Harris to provide senior civil servants within Stormont departments with additional powers to ensure some decisions can still be taken.

If an election is to happen before Christmas, the Northern Ireland secretary will need to make a final decision on it within the next week.

The last date that an election could happen within the current legislation would be 19 January.