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Updated 6.15pm
THE NORTHERN IRELAND Assembly will be dissolved on 26 January and an election will be held on Thursday, 2 March.
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland James Brokenshire confirmed the dissolution of parliament at a news conference this evening.
He said that under relevant legislation, he was obliged to provide a date for the next Northern Ireland Assembly election.
A second election in eight months was more-or-less guaranteed when Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness resigned the position of Deputy First Minister last week.
Last ditch efforts by Prime Minister Theresa May to encourage Sinn Féin and the DUP to reach a deal to save the power-sharing executive failed this morning.
Sinn Féin failed to nominate a replacement for McGuinness, leaving both the First Minister and Deputy First Minister positions vacant at the 5pm deadline and therefore collapsing the executive.
Brokenshire, who is due to make a further statement in parliament tomorrow, called for political leaders in the north to “use the time ahead as calmly as we possibly can”.
He refused to be drawn on speculation that the DUP and Sinn Féin will fail to reach an agreement to return to power-sharing even after polling day.
“There is a period between now and polling day and a short period after polling day – that three week period… We have to use all the time ahead to see there is open communication… and where there is difference, to see where it can be overcome,” he noted.
Brokenshire also confirmed that the elections would not impact when Article 50 is triggered to kickstart the process of Great Britain leaving the European Union. He said the British government “remains very intent” on doing so by the end of March.
Earlier
Arriving at Stormont today, outgoing First Minister Arlene Foster criticised Sinn Féin for forcing fresh elections, accusing the party of ‘pursuing political self-interest’.
“They did not like the election result last May and… they are looking at another go,” she said.
McGuinness said the botched Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and Foster’s refusal to stand aside temporarily to allow for an investigation were his primary reasons for quitting.
However, he also took aim at the DUP for undermining the institutions, describing the Unionists as ‘arrogant’.
Over the past week, Sinn Féin members have cited their former partner’s stance on the Irish language and LGBT rights as further sticking points.
Co-guarantors
Commenting on the dissolution of the Assembly, Ireland’s Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan called on all parties to ”act responsibly in word and deed so that the political institutions of the Good Friday Agreement will not be damaged in the longer term”.
“As a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Irish Government will continue to work with the British Government and the political parties to advance political stability, reconciliation and economic prosperity in Northern Ireland,” he added in a statement.
Was an avid viewer of them all, specially Corrie. All of a sudden, I just stopped. I don’t know what happened, I just suddenly lost complete interest in all of them. Go figure.
@Anna Carr: omg I’m the same no interest at all
@Anna Carr: same watched then all just stopped over pandemic, think I was just sick of all the doom and glum, and uv no interest now
I’d rather go to the dentist.
Every day.
I admit to it, freely and often but only ever one soap, that’s more than enough and, even after 60 years The Journal still managed to get that record holding actor’s character name wrong, it’s Ken not Kevin Barlow.
@Tom Hogarty: I used to go out with someone that had to watch all the soaps… Honest to god… Add up the amount of hours a week that is… Home and Away, Fair City, Neighbours, Coronation Street, Eastenders, Emmerdale, and Hollyoaks.
@FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: I guess you never went out so .
@Gearoid O Chorraigh: Clever boy! Haha
@FiannaFáilness FineGaelness: rented with a lad like that years ago, 10 sisters he had and they watched every soap made, a bit lighter straight after school, the Australian ones, warming up with the northern English soaps to follow, fair city and EastEnders to finish off, although he always said he didn’t like fair city..
Emigrated to Australia then 8 years ago and we havent heard from him since
The last time I watched soaps Emmerdale was still a farm and Dirty Den managed the Queen Vic
As someone born into the single TV generation in 1979, I had to watch them because my parents did. Though I chose to watch Home and Away after school back in the day.
@Reuben Gray: yeah has to watch Corrie growing up but I did watch Eastenders for a few years willingly. The shows I actively watched were Neighbours, Holly oaks and some US ones back in the day on Sky General Hospital and As the world turns
Tolka Row and The Riordans
I watched home and away fairly religiously for about 25 years, grand to watch with the dinner. Used to watch eastenders in fits and starts but got a bit too grim.
Have never watched a single episode of Corrie, Emmerdale Farm, East Enders, Fair City etc. Used to watch the Aussie soaps back in my school days when Scott & Charlene and Shane & Angel were a thing. Really showing my age. Lost interest in them at some point. Also watched Glenroe on Sunday nights; the theme tune still haunts me as once it was over, I had to go to bed ahead of a new school week
Ros na Rún all the way for me. Makes it all the better that it is set in rural Ireland in a Gaeltacht area
I do listen The Archers before turning in for the night. Does that count?
I used to watch Shortland Street but one day I didn’t bother and I never went back to it, that was about 2 years ago.
YouTube, Channel 4 player and (my father-in-law’s) Netflix all the way. Haven’t had “channels” in years and will never bother with them again.
Fair City and more recently i’ve become a fan of Ros na Rún – better than watching nonstop news and comment
Only watch Shortland Street, Neighbours and Home and Away. I used to watch Corrie and Emmerdale but I just didn’t enjoy them anymore.
@Carùl O’Hickey: only
@Gareth Keenan: they’re on at a time when people are preparing/eating and cleaning up afterwards, easy to leave on in the background and half pay attention
Real Life is shirty enough…
Amazon Prime, Netflix [piggyback], Now and YouTube. Haven’t watched terrestrial channels in a long time, except the Smithsonian channel on occasion. I like watching stuff that might educate me about the world, instead of rotting away my brain..
Absolute rubbish shows. I never watched them and the children were never allowed to watch then when they were younger.
Somebody must be watching the soaps because they have the highest TV viewing ratings.
But no one here wants to admit to it.
@Roger Bond: we probably get counted as watching eastenders tbh. We don’t. It’s just it’s on at a time where we are between programs, and using the time to do other things before having a final settle for the evening. So it’s on but not actually watched. I only know it’s eastenders from the horrible accents of some of them.
I don’t watch television unless visiting a pub or friend’s house. Darts is fascinating on tv.
Fair City only
@Veronica Conway: God love ya watching that scutter
@Daniel Carry: Fair $hitty
Doctors on BBC is the only soap we watch now. Used to watch corrie,but gave up when we were nearly 50 episodes behind and there was no hope of catching up. Deleted all the recorded episodes and just stopped.
I watched several as a teenager and they were fun for a while but I soon realised the plots were just recycled every few years and it felt like I was watching the same thing over and over on an endless loop.
No. I like things that have a beginning and an eventual end.
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