Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has promised that an Assembly election will take place in the first three months of 2023 if the impasse at Stormont remains unresolved.
The UK government announced on Wednesday it intended to extend the deadline for calling a fresh election in Northern Ireland and cut the pay of Stormont Assembly members while there is no return to devolved government.
Making a statement in the House of Commons, Mr Heaton-Harris said he will introduce legislation to “provide a short straightforward extension to the period for executive formation”.
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The deadline for Northern Ireland parties to form a fresh power sharing executive ran out on 28 October.
The current law stated Mr Heaton-Harris was obliged to call a fresh election within 12 weeks of the deadline passing – which would be 19 January.
Mr Heaton-Harris told MPs he was now extending the deadline for parties to…
