Northern Ireland

Legislation for 'cooling off' period in event of Executive collapse to be progressed later this year

Parliament Buildings in Stormont, Belfast. Picture by Peter Morrison, Press Association
Parliament Buildings in Stormont, Belfast. Picture by Peter Morrison, Press Association Parliament Buildings in Stormont, Belfast. Picture by Peter Morrison, Press Association

LEGISLATION to introduce a 'cooling off' period in the event of a collapse of the Executive is to be progressed later this year, the British government has said.

The New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) deal, agreed in January 2020 to restore Stormont, extended the time allowed for a new First and Deputy First Minister to be appointed after one of the two resigns.

The deadline was increased from 7-14 days to 24 weeks.

If no-one is appointed, the Secretary of State must announce an election within a further 12 weeks.

The provision, which would amend the Northern Ireland Act 1998, was agreed amid criticism of the collapse of Stormont in January 2017 and the subsequent deadlock which left Northern Ireland without a government for three years.

The issue has come to the fore again this week amid claims the DUP is considering collapsing power-sharing in protest at the post-Brexit border in the Irish Sea.

David Campbell, chairman of the Loyalist Communities Council, an umbrella group representing loyalist paramilitary groups, claimed that First Minister and DUP leader Arlene Foster told it that collapsing the Executive was within her party's "thinking" but only after all other avenues to ditch the Northern Ireland Protocol had been exhausted.

Mr Campbell's claim was later strongly rejected by DUP minister Peter Weir.

"The reality is in terms of the meeting that was held between the DUP and David's group, we didn't raise the issue of bringing down the assembly, it wasn't discussed, it's not within our thinking, and I think that would be counter-productive," he said.

In today's Irish News, columnist Newton Emerson questioned why the provision agreed as part of the NDNA deal has still not been made law.

He said the change would have "profound consequences for the evolution of power-sharing".

"What all this means is that walking out would hand power to your opponents for between six months and a year, with a trip to the ballot box at least every nine months for as long as the stand-off lasted," he said.

"The Alliance surge indicates the electorate's likely verdict."

He added: "The necessary amendment to the Good Friday Agreement legislation would be unopposed in Westminster - all (Secretary of State Brandon) Lewis has to do is apply the rubber stamp."

A spokesman for the British government told The Irish News yesterday: "We are making good progress with this legislation which will be brought forward during the second parliamentary session."