The UK government’s Northern Ireland minister, Chris Heaton-Harris, signaled renewed determination this week. He stressed that elections in Northern Ireland could be called if the parties fail to form a functioning government by 28 October, following the events of last May.
The Conservative minister warned that if the executive remains blocked by the Democratic Unionist Party’s reluctance to cooperate with Sinn Féin, the responsibility to seek a fresh mandate falls to the leaders of the last election. This stance persists until the dispute over the Brexit protocol is settled.
Heaton-Harris spoke at a press briefing hosted by the Irish Secretary of State after the Anglo-Irish Intergovernmental Conference. Simon Coveney acknowledged a preference for resolving the issues without another poll, while stressing that Northern Ireland’s institutions must be able to serve families and businesses in the region.
Yet Coveney cautioned that a new election would once again sharpen debates around the Protocol, underlining the fragility of the power-sharing arrangement amid disagreements on how to implement the accord.
Northern Ireland Protocol Division
British and Irish ministers described a constructive atmosphere between the United Kingdom and the European Union regarding a potential settlement to the Protocol dispute. They anticipated a flurry of diplomacy before 28 October as talks continue.
Heaton-Harris, who has led the government since September under the new administration, said all sides are working in a constructive spirit to secure changes that could enable a negotiated solution. The aim is to reduce tensions and stabilize governance in Northern Ireland.
Coveney argued that a final, comprehensive agreement within the three-week window was unlikely, but he emphasized that any tangible step forward would be significant in persuading the unionist community to engage with the government and proceed with governance in Northern Ireland.
London has pressed Brussels to revise the Protocol, which imposes controls on goods moving between Great Britain and Northern Ireland to prevent a hard border on the island. The talks have faced resistance from some parties who argue the current terms threaten the integrity of the United Kingdom, while others see the Protocol as essential to the peace framework established in 1998.
The elections held this May resulted in Sinn Féin achieving a historic win, with the resignation of the then-DUP leader and deputy prime minister earlier in the year shoring up DUP’s stance against the Protocol. The DUP, which placed second in the vote, refused to nominate a minister and has pressed for a change in London’s approach to the EU agreement.
The process remains a focal point for Dublin, which has a direct interest in the negotiations, and for London, which faces domestic political pressures as new leadership takes the helm. Observers note that progress would be a positive signal for the institutions in Northern Ireland and for the broader peace process that underpins governance in the region.