Stormont parties given extra time to strike deal and avoid direct rule

THE Northern Ireland Secretary has given the parties at Stormont more time to reach a power-sharing deal after the deadline for an agreement passed yesterday.

James Brokenshire said the opposing parties have a “short few weeks” to form a new executive after a snap election earlier this month.

A deadline had been set of 4pm yesterday, after which Northern Ireland faced the prospect of either another election or direct rule from Westminster.

However, Mr Brokenshire indicated he would delay taking action and give the region’s political leaders further time to resolve their differences.

An election was triggered after the late Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein quit as deputy first minister in January amid a bitter row over the Democratic Unionist Party’s handling of a botched green energy scheme.

The Assembly vote saw a surge in support for Sinn Fein, which came within one seat of becoming the biggest party at Stormont behind the DUP.

Without an executive or agreed budget for the upcoming financial year, control of Stormont’s finances will be handed to a senior civil servant tomorrow, albeit subject to tight spending constraints – a situation Mr Brokenshire said was “not sustainable”.

“I think there are a short few weeks in order to resolve matters,” he said.

After the deadline passed Mr Brokenshire said there was “no appetite” for an immediate election.

He rejected criticism of the Government’s handling of the talks and the fact Prime Minister Theresa May did not participate in the process. He said the Government had played a “positive and active” role and Mrs May had been kept updated throughout.

Under current legislation, the Government is required to call another snap election if a deadline for forming an executive passes.

However, there is no obligation to set a poll date immediately, rather within a “reasonable period”.

The Government could theoretically reintroduce direct rule, something that would require emergency legislation, but that is unlikely unless as a last resort. Mr Brokenshire said there was “an overwhelming desire” among politicians and the public for “strong and stable devolved government”.

He said there was a “short window of opportunity” for a new executive to be formed.

Mr Brokenshire will today make a full statement in the House of Commons on the issue.

Sinn Fein and the DUP have blamed one another for the breakdown of the power-sharing talks on Sunday night.

Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, claimed Sinn Fein’s “inflexible” approach to negotiations was to blame. She said she did not believe another election would solve anything.

Michelle O’Neill of Sinn Fein claimed the DUP had failed to live up to previous agreements and were standing in the way of progressive policies.

Talks collapsed after Sinn Fein announced it would not be nominating a deputy first minister in the Assembly before the deadline. Without both first and deputy first ministers, it is impossible to form an executive.