Stormont: Westminster to extend assembly election deadline

Legislation to extend the deadline to hold an assembly election is due to be fast-tracked through Westminster.

The new deadline of 8 February provides more time for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to decide if it plans to return to power-sharing at Stormont.

If it fails to do so, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris will be obligated to call an election.

It is understood he may also put new governance arrangements in place including a greater role for London.

The Northern Ireland Executive Formation Bill is expected to pass all stages in the House of Commons and House of Lords today and the government hopes the bill will receive Royal Assent by the end of the week.

About three hours have been set aside for MPs to debate the bill in the Commons.

Mr Heaton-Harris will open Wednesday's debate in the Commons chamber.

He has said the bill will allow for the reformation of the Stormont Executive.

He added that "significant progress" had been made towards restoring devolution and he believed the bill "with the constrained timescales will be sufficient".

The DUP has been blocking devolved government since February 2022 due to its concerns over post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland.

Sinn Féin's deputy leader Michelle O'Neill said it was now "decision time" for the DUP and called on its leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson to show "mature and positive" leadership.

The DUP said the decision to introduce the bill was recognition that an agreement had not been reached.

The party said it was seeking to "successfully finalise all the remaining outstanding issues".

The Social Democratic and Labour Party has put forward two amendments, including one to change the process for electing a Stormont Speaker to a majority vote - removing the ability of one party to wield a veto.

A second amendment seeks to place an obligation on the Northern Ireland secretary to award a pay increase to public-sector workers in a bid to end ongoing strikes.

But it is unlikely the amendments will be selected by the Commons Speaker.

This feels like a last throw of the dice by the government

It is providing a two-week window for the DUP to finally decide if it intends to return to power sharing.

Some in government believe Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is almost there, while others are more sceptical and feel the DUP is simply dragging out the process.

If nothing changes in the next fortnight, the Northern Ireland secretary will come under even more pressure to set out how Northern Ireland is to be governed in the absence of an Stormont Executive.

That may see some form of "hybrid government" or light-touch direct rule.

It is a prospect Chris Heaton-Harris will regard as a failure, hence he is willing to gamble his own reputation on one last chance to get Stormont back.

Meanwhile, one of the bodies overseeing the implementation of the Windsor Framework is holding its first meeting of the year on Wednesday.

The Specialised Committee is made up of senior officials from the UK and EU.

They will discuss the continued implementation of the deal and the feedback they are receiving from Northern Ireland stakeholders such as business groups.

The next major milestones are due to come in September with the introduction of a green lane/red lane system for customs and new arrangements for parcels.

A green lane/red lane system for food products began operating in October.