Talks aimed at forming a government in Belfast will continue before a date is set for a new election, in a situation described by the Northern Ireland secretary as “really serious”.
The deadline by which power sharing should have been restored at Stormont passed without a solution yesterday, but Westminster refused to put a date on when voters would be asked to go to the polls. Chris Heaton-Harris, the Northern Ireland secretary, insisted he would call an election since a devolved government could not be formed, but would not say when.
Speaking in Belfast, Heaton-Harris said: “This is a really serious situation. As of a minute past midnight last night, there are no longer ministers in office in the Northern Ireland Executive.
“I will take
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