Secretary of State’s Assembly poll vow - Election imminent but DUP stand firm
Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris was in Northern Ireland yesterday to make it clear that an election will be triggered at one minute past midnight on October 28 should the Assembly not be functioning before then.
With the pressure on the DUP, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson took a delegation to Downing Street to remind Prime Minister Liz Truss why his party cannot return to Stormont.
Accompanied by Lord Dodds, MP Gavin Robinson and MLA Emma Little-Pengelly they reiterated to Ms Truss their position that the Protocol “must be replaced by arrangements that unionists can support if devolution is to be restored”.
On his visit to Belfast the NI Secretary met with Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney.
Afterwards, Mr Coveney said it was clear Mr Heaton-Harris was “not bluffing” on his intention to call an election.
On the prospect of a fresh election Mr Heaton-Harris said: “I’m pretty hopeful that we might be able to get somewhere different – never prejudge the outcome of an election.”