Northern Ireland Stormont election could be held in April under Secretary of State plans

The Northern Ireland Secretary of State has announced proposals to push back a potential Assembly election until mid-April at the latest.

Chris Heaton-Harris had previously indicated he would call an election on October 28 once the deadline for restoring power sharing had passed with a return to the polls in Decmember.

However, he later backtracked. Asked if the Prime Minister had intervened, Mr Heaton-Harris told MPs he didn't believe he was overruled.

Later in the Commons on Wednesday, Mr Heaton-Harris announced he is to extend the deadline for calling a fresh Stormont election by six weeks to 8 December, with an option to extend it by a further six weeks to 19 January. That could push a poll to 13 April.

The secretary has also confirmed that he will take measures to cut MLA pay by 27.5%.

The Northern Ireland Secretary has said he will introduce legislation to "provide a short straightforward extension to the period for executive formation".

Making a Commons statement on Northern Ireland elections, he told MPs: "The one thing that everyone agrees on is that we must try and find a way through this current impasse.

"When I have a legal duty to call an election that few want and everyone tells me will change nothing.

"Thus, I will be introducing legislation to provide a short straightforward extension to the period for executive formation, extending the current period by six weeks, to December 8, with potential for a further six-week extension 19 January if necessary.

"This aims to create the time and space needed for talks between the UK Government and the European Commission to develop, and for the Northern Ireland parties to work together to restore the devolved institutions as soon as possible."

He told MPs in the Commons: "I must take limited but necessary steps to protect Northern Ireland's public finances and the delivery of public services.

"So, as has been done before, the legislation I introduce will also enable Northern Ireland departments to support public service delivery, make a small number of vital public appointments, like to the Northern Ireland policing board, and address the serious budgetary concerns I've already mentioned."

Mr Heaton-Harris also addressed the idea of joint authority with the Republic over Northern Ireland in the event of the Assembly being unable to form, saying "this will not be considered".

"The UK Government is absolutely clear that the consent principle governs the constitutional position of Northern Ireland, under which Northern Ireland is an integral part of the UK. We will not support any arrangements that are inconsistent with that principle."

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