Sunak blocks Northern Ireland snap election
Pre-christmas vote is postponed amid fears of damaging hopes of a Protocol deal with the EU
RISHI SUNAK has blocked a fresh election in Northern Ireland amid fears it would damage hopes of a Protocol deal with the EU.
The Prime Minister “intervened” to prevent a poll which would have stalled negotiations until after Christmas, according to the BBC.
In doing so he overruled Chris Heaton-harris, the Northern Ireland Secretary, who had promised to call one immediately.
Mr Sunak’s decision means MPS will now almost certainly have to pass legislation to extend the caretaker administration in Belfast.
The DUP has been boycotting the Stormont assembly since the last election in May in protest over the impact of the Protocol.
Legally another ballot must be held by January 19 at the latest, unless Parliament votes to prevent that from happening. But there is not enough time in the New Year to hold a full six-week campaign before that deadline, making another poll unlikely.
Instead, ministers could extend the mandate of the caretaker ministers who had been running the Belfast executive for another six months.
Announcing the about-turn, Mr Heaton-harris said he had “listened to sincere concerns about the impact and cost of an election at this time”.
“I can now confirm that no Assembly election will take place in December, or ahead of the festive season,” he said.
Simon Coveney, the Irish foreign minister, welcomed the decision and said it would “create space for progress on other matters”.
But parties in Northern Ireland tore into the UK Government over the chaos and confusion its announcements had caused.
Michelle O’neill, the Sinn Fein leader at Stormont, hit out at “dithering and indecision”, which she called a “continuation of the Tory chaos in London”.
“The British government and the DUP are leaving us in a prolonged state of political limbo with no Assembly, Executive or caretaker ministers,” she said. “This is totally unacceptable at a time when workers, families and small businesses are struggling through the cost of living crisis and a cold winter.”
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP leader, said there would be “no solid basis” for a new executive until the Protocol is scrapped or overhauled.
“We need a razor sharp focus on getting a solution, whether by negotiation or legislation,” he said in response to the decision.
A fresh election was only likely to entrench the domination of Sinn Fein and the DUP at Stormont, with other parties getting squeezed.
There were fears a fiery campaign focussed on the Protocol would have made it even harder to find an agreement with the EU that satisfied all sides.
“I suspect some people in the Northern Ireland Office realised the election may not make a deal more likely,” a source told The Daily Telegraph.
One senior Tory MP said it was “clear Heaton-harris has been leant on” by No 10 and that Mr Sunak wanted to avoid a battle with Brussels.
“The Prime Minister will be thinking there are too many things happening at the moment, we don’t want this additional headache,” they said.