Vote will take place on 2 March, James Brokenshire says, after deadline for deal passes, triggering collapse of power-sharing executive

Elections to a new Northern Ireland assembly will take place on 2 March, James Brokenshire has announced. The Northern Ireland secretary was forced to call the poll after 5pm on Monday when it became clear there would be no 11th-hour deal to bring the Democratic Unionist party and Sinn Féin together to save power sharing in the region.

Brokenshire was obliged by law to declare an election date after the deadline this evening, drawning a curtain over nearly a decade of cross-community coalitions between unionists and nationalists.



The present assembly will sit until 26 January, when it will be dissolved. The new election takes place just 10 months after the previous one, which resulted in a joint Sinn Féin-Democratic Unionist party government.

The devolved administration fell after a row over a bungled green energy scheme and the Democratic Unionist first minister’s refusal to temporarily stand down from her post.



Sinn Féin earlier on Monday refused to nominate a new deputy first minister in the Stormont parliament, thus triggering an election. The Democratic Unionists had once again put forward Arlene Foster as first minister.



But under the complex rules of power sharing in the province, a government could not survive if the main political representatives of one section of the community refused to participate in the administration.

Announcing the election, the Northern Ireland secretary said: “I am now obliged under relevant legislation to propose a date for the next Northern Ireland assembly election. The election seeks to have the views of the future of Northern Ireland and bring people back together again and assures those lines of communications remain open.”

Just before the collapse of the power-sharing coalition between Sinn Féin and the DUP, Theresa May telephoned Martin McGuinness and Arlene Foster to encourage them to reach a last-minute deal to save the devolved institutions. May told them that they needed to do so to strengthen Northern Ireland’s voice in the forthcoming Brexit negotiations with the EU.



A spokeswoman for the prime minister said: “She spoke to both Arlene Foster and Martin McGuinness to encourage them to use what time was left today to try to find a resolution to the situation in Northern Ireland, outlining the importance of finding a way forward – particularly in the context of wanting to make sure that Northern Ireland has a voice in the UK’s exit from the European Union as we approach the critical period before triggering article 50.”

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Her appeal failed to sway Sinn Féin, and the party declined to nominate a deputy first minister. Shortly afterwards, Foster appeared in Stormont’s Great Hall surrounded by DUP stalwarts including several of the party’s MPs at Westminster. She said: “Northern Ireland does not need an election; it needs stable government.”



The first minister said Sinn Féin had forced the election on Northern Ireland. “They have forced an election that risks Northern Ireland’s future and stability and which suits nobody but themselves,” she said.

If the DUP and Sinn Féin are once again returned as the two largest parties in the new assembly, the chances of them forming a fresh cross-community government appear at this stage to be remote. The atmosphere between the two parties remains toxic.



McGuinness, who is in ill health and being treated for a rare condition that attacks the heart and other vital organs, resigned as deputy first minister last Monday. He took the action in protest at Foster’s refusal to step aside while a public inquiry is held into the renewable heat incentive (RHI), an energy scheme whose costs have spiralled out of control.



It is unclear whether McGuinness will stand himself as a candidate in the forthcoming electoral contest. While Sinn Féin is keen for his name to be on the party’s slate in Foyle, it is understood that his family are concerned about his health and the impact a bruising election campaign could have on it.



If McGuinness does not stand again, one of the frontrunners to succeed him is Michelle O’Neill, the Sinn Féin health minister in the outgoing government. On Monday she highlighted the difficulties in piecing together a new power sharing arrangement with the DUP.



“Sinn Féin will only be part of institutions which work and deliver for all in the community,” she said. “There can be no return to the status quo. If something is broken, you stop and you fix it.”



The cross-community Alliance party said it wanted to keep the focus during the campaign on allegations of corruption and cronyism associated with the RHI scheme as well as other scandals. Naomi Long, the Alliance leader, said: “Our party isn’t to blame for the snap election called as a result of the DUP’s and Sinn Féin’s mess.

“But unlike some, we are not running scared of an election. We will be facing the people confident – and offering the electorate an alternative to the secrecy, corruption and cronyism that they are sick of at Stormont.”</s>Northern Ireland will hold elections on 2 March to choose a new Assembly following the collapse of the Stormont power-sharing executive.

The collapse came after Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness resigned as deputy first minister last Monday, following a row between his party and the Democratic Unionist Party over a green energy scheme.

The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) was designed to encourage businesses to use green energy source, however subsidies were found to be overly generous and ineffective, with projections estimating an overspend of £490m.

Sinn Féin had until midday to nominate a replacement for Mr McGuinness, which they refused to do, meaning the Northern Ireland Assembly is no longer able to continue to govern.

It gave Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, authority to call a snap election after 5pm.

He confirmed in a statement shortly after the deadline that elections would be held on Thursday 2nd March and that the Assembly would be dissolved from the 26th January, with its last sitting day held on 25th.

"No-one should underestimate the challenge faced to the political institutions here in Northern Ireland and what is at stake,” he said in a statement.

"While it is inevitable that debate during an election period will be intense, I would strongly encourage the political parties to conduct this election with a view to the future of Northern Ireland and re-establishing a partnership government at the earliest opportunity after that poll. This is essential for the operation of devolved government. And this means that all must remain open to dialogue.”

He also confirmed the Government’s continued commitment to the Belfast Agreement and promised a further statement in Parliament on Tuesday.

"The Government continues to stand firmly behind its commitment to the Belfast Agreement and its successors, and our responsibilities to safeguard political stability here in Northern Ireland,” he said.

"We will continue to do all that we can to find a way forward and secure the continuation of devolved government.”</s>(CNN) Northern Ireland is facing a snap election after a breakdown in the fragile power-sharing agreement that has ensured peace for nearly 20 years.

The British government called the new elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont, outside Belfast, in an effort to resolve a political crisis that has been brewing for months.

James Brokenshire, the Northern Ireland minister in the UK government, confirmed the new elections would be held on 2 March.

The crisis came to a head last week when the nationalist Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, resigned.

McGuinness had quit over differences with his partners in government, the Democratic Unionist Party. The unionist First Minister, Arlene Foster, had refused calls by Sinn Fein to stand down while an investigation into a controversial energy scheme was investigated.

The 1998 agreement ended 30 years of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, which remained part of the UK when Ireland was partitioned in 1922.

Nationalists, broadly made up of the Catholic population, want the end of British rule and the reunification of Ireland, while unionists -- mostly Protestants -- want to remain part of the UK.

Between 1968 and 1998 thousands of people died in an upsurge of sectarian violence, often referred to as "The Troubles."

According to the Press Association, Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill told the assembly on Monday: "The DUP have treated these institutions and sections of the community with contempt and arrogance" and that Sinn Fein would only return to government if there was "real and meaningful change."

Foster then accused Sinn Fein of engineering the poll, with PA quoting her as saying: "They have forced an election that risks Northern Ireland's future and stability and which suits nobody but themselves."

But Brokenshire urged everyone to be open to dialogue for the good of Northern Ireland and to "bring people together again."

He told reporters that he wanted to see a partnership government re-established "at the earliest opportunity" after the poll.

"This is essential for the operation of devolved government," he said.

Earlier Monday, UK Prime Minister Theresa May reportedly contacted both leaders in an attempt to prevent the collapse of the devolved government.

According to PA, the Prime Minister's official spokeswoman said May wanted to make sure Northern Ireland had "a voice" in the run-up to the start of EU withdrawal talks

In the last Northern Ireland election in May 2016, the Democratic Unionists won 38 seats in the assembly and Sinn Fein won 28.</s>Northern Ireland's shattered unity government will be dissolved next week to make way for an early election demanded by the coalition's main Irish Catholic party, the secretary of state for the British territory announced Monday. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire said the election to re-elect the Northern Ireland Assembly would be held March 2, six weeks after its dissolution.

Start the conversation, or Read more at WINK-TV Fort Myers.</s>The British government called the new elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont, outside Belfast, in an effort to resolve a political crisis that has been brewing for months.

James Brokenshire, the Northern Ireland minister in the UK government, confirmed the new elections would be held on 2 March.

The crisis came to a head last week when the nationalist Deputy First Minister, Martin McGuinness, resigned. His party, Sinn Fein, refused to nominate a replacement and under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement , the power-sharing administration collapsed on Monday.

McGuinness had quit over differences with his partners in government, the Democratic Unionist Party. The unionist First Minister, Arlene Foster, had refused calls by Sinn Fein to stand down while an investigation into a controversial energy scheme was investigated.

According to the Press Association, Sinn Fein's Michelle O'Neill told the assembly: "The DUP have treated these institutions and sections of the community with contempt and arrogance" and that Sinn Fein would only return to government if there was "real and meaningful change." But Foster accused Sinn Fein of engineering the poll, with PA quoting her as saying: "They have forced an election that risks Northern Ireland's future and stability and which suits nobody but themselves." The 1998 agreement ended 30 years of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, which remained part of the UK when Ireland was partitioned in 1922. Nationalists, broadly made up of the Catholic population, want the end of British rule and the reunification of Ireland, while unionists -- mostly Protestants -- want to remain part of the UK. The Good Friday Agreement put in place a structure that ensures representation from both groups at the top of Northern Ireland's political institutions. In the last election in May 2016, the Democratic Unionists won 38 seats in the assembly and Sinn Fein won 28.</s>Power-sharing has collapsed in Northern Ireland, ending more than a decade of joint-rule between unionist and nationalist politicians.

Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness resigned as Deputy First Minister last Monday. The party had until midday to nominate a replacement for him, however in a midday motion in the devolved parliament, they have refused to do so. This means the Northern Ireland Assembly can no longer continue to govern.

At 5pm today,Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, will have the authority to call for fresh elections, in the hope of returning a new government to parliament.

Mr McGuinness resigned on Monday, citing concerns about the Democratic Unionist Party’s “arrogance” at how they had handled allegations of a financial scandal. The party’s leader, Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster, is implicated in a government scheme which was badly handled under her tenure.

The Renewable Heat Incentive scheme, which was set up in 2012, was designed to encourage local businesses to use renewable heat sources, however it appears to have been seriously flawed in its implementation and instead paid businesses money to pointlessly burn fuel. It is estimated that the affair has cost the tax payer more than £490 million.

One of Ms Foster’s party colleagues added further criticism when he alleged she had asked civil servants to alter documents in order to reduce the appearance of her role in the scheme. She denies the allegations.

Ms Foster denies any wrong doing and has refused calls to step down. Mr McGuinness therefore resigned on Monday. Under power-sharing rules, both politicians must govern jointly. Therefore, if one resigns, their counterpart also loses their position.

Snap elections are now expected in a bid to elect a new government.

While Stormont is collapsed, Theresa May might be unable to trigger Article 50 as the Northern Ireland Assembly will be unable to approve the plans. Speaking to The Independent, leader of the anti-sectarian Alliance Party Naomi Long, said Ms May could face a court challenge if she attempts to do so while Northern Irish politicians are not in parliament to be consulted on such plans. This raises the possibility that Brexit could be delayed by several more months.

The Supreme Court is currently considering whether Stormont is entitled to approve plans to trigger Article 50, through a mechanism put to the devolved assemblies known as a ‘legislative consent motion’. A decision is expected to be announced by the judges in the coming days.

Northern Ireland voted to keep the UK in the EU, by a margin of 56 per cent voters for Remain. As the only part of the UK which shares a land border with another EU country, in the form of the Republic of Ireland, concerns have been raised about how this border could be affected by Brexit.</s>Northern Ireland will hold snap elections on March 2 in a bid to resolve its worst political crisis in years after the power-sharing executive collapsed on Monday.

Britain's Northern Ireland Secretary, James Brokenshire announced the province's assembly would dissolve on January 26 and urged its feuding parties to mend fences and keep devolved government going in Belfast.

The elections were triggered as a Monday deadline passed for Catholic socialists Sinn Fein to nominate a new deputy first minister to the executive to replace Martin McGuinness.

"No one should underestimate the challenge faced to the political institutions here in Northern Ireland and what is at stake," Brokenshire said in Belfast.

"I would strongly encourage the political parties to conduct this election with a view to the future of Northern Ireland and re-establishing a partnership government at the earliest opportunity."

If, after the elections, the largest Protestant British Unionist and Catholic Irish nationalist parties cannot agree to form a new executive, the province could end up being governed from London.

McGuinness resigned in protest over a botched green heating scheme, following weeks of tensions with the Protestant, conservative Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

The scheme was instigated by First Minister Arlene Foster, leader of the DUP, when she was economy minister.

She repeatedly refused to step aside temporarily to allow an investigation into a scheme which could cost Northern Ireland taxpayers up to £490 million ($590 million, 560 million euros).

Foster said Monday that with the challenges of Brexit, a new US president and the volatile global economy, Northern Ireland needed stable government more than ever.

"NI does not need nor does its people want an election," she said.

Sinn Fein "have forced an election that risks Northern Ireland's future and its stability, and suits nobody apart from themselves."

Sinn Fein warned they would not return to the executive without the DUP shifting ground.

"Today we have called time on the arrogance of the DUP... because we could no longer accept how these institutions were being treated with contempt," assembly member Conor Murphy, backed by his colleagues, told reporters.

"There will be no return to these institutions... unless there is fundamental change to the approach of the DUP and how they do power-sharing."

Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive and assembly were formed under the 1998 Belfast Agreement that effectively ended three decades of political violence in Northern Ireland.

The sectarian voting patterns that have always characterised elections in the province's deeply divided society could remain intact in the next vote, bringing little prospect of an end to the political stalemate.

If the two biggest parties are returned as expected but the deadlock remains, then a second election could be called if there is failure to form an executive within three weeks of the vote.

The other option would be that Northern Ireland reverts to being governed from London.

The last period of direct rule ended in 2007.

In last year's Brexit referendum, 56 percent of Northern Ireland voters favoured staying in the European Union compared to the UK-wide result of 52 percent choosing to leave.

The DUP was the only one of Northern Ireland's main four political parties that called for the UK to leave the bloc.

British Prime Minister Theresa May has said she plans to launch the EU exit procedure by the end of March.

Brokenshire insisted that the snap elections would not have an impact on the timing of Britain launching the Article 50 departure process.

May spoke to Foster and McGuinness on Monday to stress the importance of finding a way forward, particularly to make sure Northern Ireland has a voice in the Article 50 process, the prime minister's spokeswoman said.</s>Britain's Cabinet minister for Northern Ireland says the territory's unravelling unity government must be dissolved and an early election will be held on March 2.

Secretary of State James Brokenshire told reporters he had no power to compel the opposite sides in Northern Ireland's nearly decade-old government coalition to keep working together as the territory's 1998 peace accord intended.

Mr Brokenshire expressed hope that the Irish Catholics of Sinn Fein and the British Protestants of the Democratic Unionist Party would repair their broken relationship following the vote, which comes just 10 months after a previous election.

He spoke hours after Sinn Fein refused to fill its top post in the two-party government, denounced its Democratic Unionist partners as corrupt and bigoted and called for a new vote.

Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy slammed Democratic Unionist Party's (DUP) "scandal after scandal" as his party refused to fill Martin McGuinness' position last year, triggering Northern Ireland elections.</s>DUBLIN—Northern Ireland’s shattered unity government will be dissolved next week to make way for an early election demanded by the coalition’s main Irish Catholic party, the secretary of state for the British territory announced Monday.

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire said the election to re-elect the Northern Ireland Assembly would be held March 2, six weeks after its dissolution.

Brokenshire’s declaration became inevitable once the Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party refused hours earlier to fill its vacated top post in the nearly decade-old coalition with the major British Protestant party, the Democratic Unionists.

The warring parties face a potentially brutal election that could determine whether their unity government — centerpiece of Northern Ireland’s peace accord — can ever be put back together again.

Brokenshire appealed to both camps not to make their relationship even worse with bitter accusations on the campaign trail.</s>DUBLIN: Northern Ireland appears headed for snap elections at a time when Britain will be moving to leave the European Union, with no sign of ending a bitter political impasse before a key deadline on Monday.

The election would almost coincide with Britain’s launch of the formal procedure for leaving the EU and could either delay the talks or deprive Northern Ireland of a voice in them.

Following fruitless negotiations seeking to break the deadlock that led to the resignation of deputy first minister Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein last week, Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire signaled that elections appeared almost certain.

“Sinn Fein have indicated that they’re not intending to put a replacement forward. The clear indications are that we are moving towards an election,” Brokenshire told the BBC on Sunday.

The regional assembly will sit on Monday but if Sinn Fein fulfils its promise not to appoint a deputy first minister to replace McGuinness by 1700 GMT, Brokenshire will be forced to call an election which would have to be held within six weeks.

The crisis over a renewable energy subsidy scheme instigated by First Minister Arlene Foster of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) when she was economy minister has been simmering for months.

She repeatedly refused to step aside temporarily to allow an investigation into the botched scheme and McGuinness last week quit his position, accusing Foster of “deep-seated arrogance.”

Northern Ireland’s power-sharing executive and assembly was formed under the 1998 Belfast Agreement that effectively ended three decades of political violence in Northern Ireland.

The sectarian voting patterns that have always characterized elections in this deeply divided society could remain intact in the next vote, bringing little prospect of a political stalemate.

If the two biggest parties are returned as expected but the deadlock remains, then a second election could be called if there is failure to form an executive within three weeks of the vote.

The other option would be direct rule of Northern Ireland from the British parliament in London.

In the Brexit referendum, 56 percent in Northern Ireland voted to stay in the EU. The DUP was the only one of the main political parties which voted to leave the bloc.

In the absence of a local assembly, there is growing concern in the province that Northern Ireland will have little or no voice in the forthcoming Brexit negotiations. AFP
The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire announces a snap election is to take place on March 2 to elect members to the Northern Ireland Assembly after the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin failed to agree on a power-sharing agreement.