This is Eoghan Dalton here taking you through the “last-ditch” attempt to recall the Assembly. 

Sinn Féin leader Michelle O’Neill starts proceedings, saying that the public will be “watching bewildered” as they see the continued impasse.

She says civil servants have been “left in an impossible position” where come midnight they will be expected to run essential public services “and yet have no budget and no powers to do so”.

O’Neill blasted the DUP, claiming they are “continuing to deny and disrespect” the outcome of the general election earlier this year.

“The DUP want yesterday. It’s no longer available to you,” O’Neill says.

Concluding her address, she warns that there will not be a return to direct rule, with the “alternative to power sharing joint authority between London and Dublin”.

Outside the parliament, the DUP have been holding a press conference, where Jeffresy Donaldson has been adamant that “Unionists will never accept joint authority”, as indicated by governments in London and Dublin.

“Unionists will never accept joint authority.”@J_Donaldson_MP : “If the Irish Gov think by threatening me & my party with joint authority they are deluded”@BBCNewsNI pic.twitter.com/w4jkP29qDu

— Darran Marshall (@DarranMarshall) October 27, 2022

Back in the Assembly, Paul Givan, for the DUP, said the recall is “another flawed and failed attempt at trying to form a new executive”. 

Each time they had reentered the parliament unionist members had found their mandate “disrespected”, criticising his counterparts in Sinn Féin and Alliance.

“Power sharing if it has to mean anything has to be about consensus and not contempt,” Givan said.

In her party’s contribution, Alliance leader Naomi Long told the house that the restoration of the executive is vital as many “public services are “on their knees”, while those that aren’t “are teetering on the brink”.

She said that “nobody cared” who occupied the chair of speaker, only that it could be filled so that MLAs can “do the jobs that we were elected to do and serve the public to the fullest of our ability”.

UUP leader Doug Beattie warns members that they will be facing “anger” if they return to the polls. 

“There’s an awful lot of anger in here today and I can understand that, but I have to say the anger in here today is absolutely nothing compared to the anger that resides on the streets, the towns and the villages of Northern Ireland.

“I guess we’re all going to feel a little bit of that anger in the next six or seven, seven weeks. It’s gonna be fun.”

On the SDLP side, Matthew O’Toole says it is as “nihilist as it is untrue” to say that a devolved government can’t deliver for Northern Ireland.

He says people’s “trust in politics has fallen even further” due to the crisis, while “their lives have gotten harder”.

“My party isn’t responsible for that mess. But I’m ashamed by it. I’m ashamed of this place because unlike others in this chamber, I’m capable of shame.”

Jim Alister, leader of the Traditional Unionist Party (TUV), starts by declaring “How dare unionists stand up for themselves?”

He says sovereignty is the “fundamental issue” with the Protocol.

“It’s about the fact that we are subject to foreign laws,” he says. 

Alister directs a message to Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris that he, as TUV leader, will be there to “stiffen the resolve and make sure unionism does not roll over” in the event of an election. 

He adds that Heaton-Harris should be “making sure that the Union rules in Northern Ireland, not the EU”, but that he is “failing miserably in that job”, before drawing some shouts when by finishing with a final call. 

“No surrender is not just an historic slogan. It’s a present day necessity in opposing this union’s dismantling,” he says.

Tensions continue to rise in the Assembly, as Alliance leader Naomi Long hits back at “singling out” of MLAs when other members are speaking, calling it an attempt to “undermine” their integrity.

Meanwhile the DUP’s East Antrim MLA Gordon Lyons says today’s gathering is not “a serious attempt to elect a speaker” and instead is “a campaign launch” ahead of the increasingly likely election.

For People Before Profit, Gerry Carroll says the DUP’s focus on the Protocol is designed to “ramp up tensions and ultimately to shore up their own vote”.

“…Recent history has shown that no matter how much misery they inflict on our communities, no matter what the very real damage caused by their actions, they continue their song and dance with the protocol,” the West Belfast MLA says.

South Antrim MLA Steve Aiken notes it may be the “last time” many MLAs speaking in the Assembly, predicting it may be a “long, long time” before it will return.

The UUP representative also directs a message to the Secretary of State, saying he finds the idea of an election “that people don’t want” an “incredulous” idea.

He adds that Heaten-Harris’ own government had “wasted” billions of public money “by their own ineptness” during the brief Liz Truss premiership.

Aiken further derides the proposal for joint authority between London and Dublin as something he finds “absolutely incredible”, calling for all in the chamber to “start listening to the real concerns of all people” who have issues with the Protocol.

In Dublin, the Tánaiste has told the Dáil that the results of May’s election were “clear and should be honoured”, rather than a new vote taking place. 

“We believe that Northern Ireland doesn’t need a new election,” Leo Varadkar told Leaders’ Questions.

“It had an election 24 weeks ago. The results were clear and should be honoured. What Northern Ireland needs is a functioning assembly and a functioning executive to give effect to that choice and to provide leadership during the difficult period ahead.

So every effort should be made to avoid, and further in my view, an unwanted election.”

Vardakar says today is the “last chance to do so, with “one political party . . . blocking the formation of the executive”. 

“The decision of one party to block the operation of the Northern Ireland executive runs counter to democracy and risks undermining the faith of the people in the potential for democratic politics to respond to their needs.”

Different MLAs have been laying out the cost of what having no functioning executive means.

“Yes we can give out vouchers for food banks but we can’t tackle the reasons people need to go to them,” the SDLP’s Sinead McLoughlin says.

She adds that politicians “can raise cases with the Health Trust” but “can’t bring down waiting lists.

“No, an executive won’t solve all our problems but it has the power to set our priorities,” McLoughlin says, “and is the very, very least people should expect of us.”

She is the latest MLA to note the absence of DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson from the debate.

Danny Donnelly, an Alliance MLA who left his career as a nurse to enter politics, picks up on the theme of other speakers.

“But since the election six months ago, I’ve been prevented from doing what I was sent here to do,” singling out the cost of living crisis and health issues as the key items the Assembly needs to focus towards.

“I’m unable to take part in important issues in this chamber, or attend committee meetings to scrutinise the work for ministers or departments who want us over the last six months however, I have met with many people in groups who have strongly expressed their wish that this assembly is up and delivery for everyone in Northern Ireland as soon as possible.”

He is supported by party colleague and Belfast East MLA Peter McReynolds who calls a new election “indulgent” given those issues facing Northern Ireland.

He says he supports the election of a speaker at today’s sitting and supports devolution, before saying he wanted to “plead with the DUP”.

“Nominate a speaker, get this place up and running again and go back to work.”

Voting has started on whether to elect the SDLP’s longtime MLA Patsy McGlone as speaker, after his selection was challenged.

Members have started filing to cast their vote…

MLAs in the chamber awaiting counting to be completed on the election of a speaker

The results are in. While there were 45 votes in favour of McGlone – with all nationalist members supporting him – only one unionist MLA went in his favour. 17 members from the ‘Others’ also voted for him.

Despite that, the motion falls.

A second vote is now underway for another candidate.

The second vote goes the same way as the first and fails.

The Ulster Unionists’ Mike Nesbitt has also failed to secure the necessary cross-community support from MLAs.

“The Assembly has today been unable to elect a speaker and been unable to conduct its first item of business. Therefore, we proceed no further,” the chamber hears.

MLAs agree to adjourn the sitting, with a second election in six months now almost guaranteed.

Proceedings have ended in the Assembly but we’ll be back to report on further developments later ahead of the election deadline.

With no speaker elected, UUP leader Doug Beattie has labelled this afternoon’s Assembly proceedings as “farcical”.

“All we saw today was angry accusations,” Beattie said, speaking to the media outside the chamber.

We need to get the executive up and running again, to get the executive up and running again we must sort out the protocol, and we need to do it now.

It can be done and the Secretary of State needs to stop putting his fingers in his ears and being blind to what’s going on, and start getting the EU and UK Government to do something right to get the executive up and running again by dealing with the protocol

The UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, and EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic have spoken over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

In a tweet, Sefcovic said that the two had a “good conversation” and that their teams will continue to work on the Protocol.

“The EU’s commitment to finding joint solutions remains unwavering. It’s the only way to ensure certainty and predictability in Northern Ireland,” Sefcovic said.

📞 Good conversation with @JamesCleverly. We agree that our teams will continue to engage on the Protocol on IE/NI.

The EU's commitment to finding joint solutions remains unwavering. It's the only way to ensure certainty and predictability in Northern Ireland.

We'll speak soon. pic.twitter.com/2T9ZpBJIBu

— Maroš Šefčovič🇪🇺 (@MarosSefcovic) October 27, 2022

On the UK side, Cleverly said that the priority must be “upholding the Belfast (Good Friday) Agreement and protecting political stability in Northern Ireland.

The SDLP’s Matthew O’Toole has said that a winter election is “unwanted” in Northern Ireland, saying that the likely outcome will be to further polarise society and increase cynicism.

We cannot be knocking on the doors of people across the North, who are struggling to heat their homes and put food on their table, and asking them to vote, but that’s the situation the DUP’s boycott has left us in with the likely result achieving nothing more than further polarising society here and increasing cynicism. 

Getting the Assembly and Executive up and running again would not be a panacea for the issues impacting people in our communities, but it’s ridiculous to say that local representatives taking decisions on everything from the cost of living emergency to our crumbling health service would not be in the best interests of people here.

If the political chaos here continues it is inevitable that people’s attentions will turn to building a new North, in a new Ireland, inside Europe. Everyone here deserves more than what they’ve been getting from their politics and the SDLP will keep working to deliver a social democratic new Ireland that lifts people out of poverty and delivers a better life for everyone on this island

MLA salaries should be cut

The leader of the Alliance Party, Naomi Long, has called for the Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris to introduce a bill that would cut salaries for MLAs and provide more power to senior civil servants to run departments.

Long said that she was ashamed to be a part of the ongoing “circus” and added that new elections were not the solution.

The solution to the problem is this: emergency legislation in Westminster to suspend these institutions until the negotiations with the EU and the UK Government can reach conclusion, potentially within weeks.

“He [Heaton-Harris] should in that Bill include powers to cut MLA salaries. It is unconscionable that we are continued to be paid for a job that we are prevented from doing while other people are suffering whilst working hard.

He should include power for permanent secretaries to take over the running of their department within enhanced ability to be able to make decisions that are necessary and he should include a budget for Northern Ireland so we can start to get control of our public finances and protect our absolutely essential public services.

The United States senator, who oversaw the negotiation of the Good Friday Agreement, is before a Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Agreement.

He has told the committee that even if a solution is found to the current impasse, it is unlikely to be a permanent solution.

“Even if this were magically solved, in the next 60 days, let’s say, and the government is restored, no-one should think that that’s a perfect permanent solution,” the former US special envoy to Northern Ireland said.

He added: “I think the challenge for Northern Ireland, for the political leaders, now is figure out a way, a practical, workable way to get this process back on track, to get the Assembly functioning, the first and deputy ministers in place and deal with practical day-to-day problems that people in Northern Ireland have, and don’t worry about doing, creating something that will last for all time, forever.

The North’s Health Minister Robin Swann has expressed frustration that he will leave office at midnight with no confirmed budget and a projected £450 million overspend.

“I warned a month ago that the current stalemate amounted to the sabotage of our current health service,” he told reporters at the Department of Health in Belfast.

“I’m angry that politics has got in the way of making the progress that our patients require because it’s hard to find the words to how disgusted, how frustrated and how angry I am today.

“I believe that an election won’t help anyone, it will simply get in the way of the work that needs doing.”

No political leadership, no budget and no decision-making ability.

Health Minister Robin Swann is scathing in his criticism.

He said the health service was in a fragile position and has now been left with no political leadership, no budget and no decision-making ability.

“I am truly fearful for what lies ahead,” he said.

“I believe, and it’s not easy to say this, I believe that the public has been let down by the politics here in Northern Ireland.”

Ready to fight an election

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood met with NI Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris in London today.

While Eastwood says his party stands ready to fight an election, he adds that it will do nothing to solve the issues facing people across the North.

Eastwood said: “During my meeting with the Secretary of State, I stressed the futility of calling an Assembly election that will waste millions of pounds without solving one single issue or changing the political situation which the DUP is using as justification to stop every other MLA from doing their job.”

That’s all from us on the liveblog for today. Thanks for sticking with us throughout today. 

Northern Ireland’s secretary of state Chris Heathon-Harris has previously vowed to call for an election “as soon as is practicable” if no solution is found by midnight.

The last-ditch effort today to elect a Speaker has failed.

Tomorrow, sitting ministers will be removed from office and the Government will assume responsibility to call an election within 12 weeks.

It is understood the election could be called for 15 December, less than seven months after the last one.