SECRETARY of State Chris Heaton-Harris has been accused of a "bizarre u-turn" after he failed to give a date for fresh assembly elections.
The Tory minister was speaking hours after politicians failed to form a new Stormont executive before Thursday's deadline.
The DUP refused to take its seats following May's assembly election unless the British government takes action on the Northern Ireland Protocol, which puts a border down the Irish Sea.
Under laws passed earlier this year, new elections had to be called if power-sharing was not restored within six months.
Any new poll must be held within 12 weeks and December 15 had been suggested as the most likely date.
However, during a on-street press conference in Belfast city centre yesterday Mr Heaton-Harris failed to set a new election time-frame but insisted one will take place.
In an unusual move some members of the media ignored an embargo on reporting the detail of the briefing set by the Northern Ireland Office.
Mr Heaton-Harris said he has held "lots and lots of talks" with political parties.
"I hear it when parties say that they really do not want an election at all but nearly all of them are parties who signed up to the law that means I need to call an election," he said
"So you'll hear more from me on that particular point next week."
Sinn Féin deputy president Michelle O'Neill said people have been "left in limbo uncertain as to what's going to come next".
"He is doing a bizarre u-turn, one of which he obviously communicated to the media in advance of speaking to the local parties, from my understanding at least," she said.
"I think just think it is bizarre, it reflects the chaotic nature of the Tories, it is more dysfunction, it is spilling into our politics."
DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson last night said it is unclear if there will be an election.
"The chaos continues and we do not yet know whether we are going to have an election in Northern Ireland or not," he said.
"The Northern Ireland Office has been talking up now for some time the prospect of an election but evidently no decision has yet been taken."
SDLP leader Colum Eastwood last night said a line should be drawn under the election plan.
“The secretary of state’s failure to outline details of an assembly election today should be the end of the idea," he said.
