No early elections in Northern Ireland after first minister's resignation, says secretary of state

Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis has ruled out early elections following the resignation of the first minister, Paul Givan, last week.

Mr Lewis urged the EU to show more pragmatism over the Irish Sea border but confirmed the Stormont poll would go ahead on 5 May, as scheduled.

He said: “The most important and the best outcome would be that the parties renominate a first minister and a deputy first minister and get the executive back up and running and I’ve spoken to the leaders about that.

Polls will not be moved

“But if that doesn’t happen, then I think it is right that the election remains and people have got the certainty that it will be May 5.”

Until now, the resignation of the first or deputy first minister would have automatically triggered the collapse of devolved government, giving the Northern Ireland secretary one week to call an election.

But the legislation that saw Stormont restored two years ago finally went through the Commons on Monday night and will now be fast-tracked for royal assent.

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The legislation extends the deadline from seven days to six weeks, by which stage the Northern Ireland Assembly would be close to dissolution for election anyway.

The DUP’s Mr Givan resigned as first minister last week in protest over the Northern Ireland Protocol establishing a Brexit border in the Irish Sea.

DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson told Sky News that the prime minister was “distracted” by ‘partygate’ in Downing Street and needed to prioritise Northern Ireland.

‘EU needs to show pragmatism’

Mr Lewis said: “The prime minister, the foreign secretary and myself have been immensely focused on resolving the issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol.”

“We need to see the EU show some pragmatism and flexibility to allow products that are staying within the internal market of the United Kingdom to flow in the normal and proper way,” he added.

Defending his decision to travel to America during the current political crisis, the secretary of state said: “The US has always had an important role with Northern Ireland, going back to the Good Friday Agreement.

“They were honest brokers in the Good Friday Agreement and very supportive of prosperity and growth in Northern Ireland.

“So it’s right that we regularly and always do, both remotely and in person, liaise with our colleagues and friends in the US.”

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