Stormont elections: Westminster laws set to cause further delay By Jayne McCormack BBC News NI Political Reporter The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) is to bring forward legislation on Thursday to further extend its legal power to delay the requirement to hold a fresh assembly election. The provision, contained in an act which became law last November, was due to expire in March. But the law gave NI Secretary Karen Bradley the ability to order a one-off extension, which ends on 25 August. The bill will be brought before the Commons later. MPs will debate the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) early next week. A cross-party group of MPs has said it plans to table an amendment to the bill seeking to legalise same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. On Wednesday, Labour's Conor McGinn - who has previously put forward similar amendments - told MPs he planned to do so again and called on the Northern Ireland secretary to support it. Mrs Bradley reiterated she is in favour of same-sex marriage being legal in Northern Ireland and that if the matter came before Parliament, the government would allow MPs a free vote.Take action It is not clear by how long the NIO plans to suspend the date that would require Mrs Bradley to call a fresh Stormont election by, but sources have suggested it could be pushed back until October. The NIO has so far declined to comment. Parliament is due to rise for recess on 25 July, a day after the new prime minister is in place. It had been thought the NIO would need to take action of a further delay before recess, in case a deal to restore Stormont was not in place by the time the current legislation expires next month. When Mrs Bradley first extended the legislation in March, she told MPs she did not want to do so - but that it would give the Stormont parties "more space" to try and reach a deal to end more than two years of political deadlock. In May, the British and Irish governments convened a fresh talks process, after the murder of journalist Lyra McKee - but it is now in its ninth week and it is thought the parties are not nearing an agreement.
New laws set to further delay Stormont elections
Stormont elections: Westminster laws set to cause further delay By Jayne McCormack BBC News NI Political Reporter The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) is to bring forward legislation on Thursday to further extend its legal power to delay the requirement to hold a fresh assembly election. The provision, contained in an act which became law last November, was due to expire in March. But the law gave NI Secretary Karen Bradley the ability to order a one-off extension, which ends on 25 August. The bill will be brought before the Commons later. MPs will debate the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation and Exercise of Functions) early next week. A cross-party group of MPs has said it plans to table an amendment to the bill seeking to legalise same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. On Wednesday, Labour's Conor McGinn - who has previously put forward similar amendments - told MPs he planned to do so again and called on the Northern Ireland secretary to support it. Mrs Bradley reiterated she is in favour of same-sex marriage being legal in Northern Ireland and that if the matter came before Parliament, the government would allow MPs a free vote.Take action It is not clear by how long the NIO plans to suspend the date that would require Mrs Bradley to call a fresh Stormont election by, but sources have suggested it could be pushed back until October. The NIO has so far declined to comment. Parliament is due to rise for recess on 25 July, a day after the new prime minister is in place. It had been thought the NIO would need to take action of a further delay before recess, in case a deal to restore Stormont was not in place by the time the current legislation expires next month. When Mrs Bradley first extended the legislation in March, she told MPs she did not want to do so - but that it would give the Stormont parties "more space" to try and reach a deal to end more than two years of political deadlock. In May, the British and Irish governments convened a fresh talks process, after the murder of journalist Lyra McKee - but it is now in its ninth week and it is thought the parties are not nearing an agreement.
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