Deadline extended yet again for deal on North government

A NEW deadline for the formation of a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland has been set for June 29 – with a deal still proving elusive.

Northern Secretary James Brokenshire has introduced legislation at Westminster that will give Stormont’s rowing parties a three-week window to strike a deal after the UK general election on June 8.

This is the fourth deadline in the deadlocked process, with the previous three having fallen by the wayside amid ongoing stalemate between local political leaders. The two main parties – Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionists – are still struggling to reach a deal.

Mr Brokenshire said that since the North’s Assembly election on March 2, ‘our focus has been on re-establishing inclusive, devolved government’. He said that if an agreement is not possible before the general election, ‘it is right that we provide flexibility for an incoming government to act in the best interests of Northern Ireland and the space for the parties to conclude a deal’.

‘This Bill gives the parties the legal authority to convene the Assembly, appoint ministers and get on with the resumption of devolved government at any point up to June 29,’ he added.

Northern Ireland has been without a devolved government for more than seven weeks, with a senior civil servant currently in charge of public spending.

Sinn Féin demands for legislative protections for Irish speakers and an end to the North’s ban on gay marriage are among the issues of dispute between it and the DUP.

The republican party has accused the DUP of preventing the formation of a ‘rights-based’ government.

However, the DUP has dismissed this, claiming Sinn Féin is focused only on the wish-list of its own supporters, and is failing to appreciate that others want movement on other issues. A further snap Assembly poll could still be an option if the parties fail to reach agreement before the June 29 deadline.