Brexit crisis pushes Northern Ireland to the brink of new elections

LONDON (AP) — Politicians in Northern Ireland will make a final push Thursday to break a Brexit-triggered political deadlock that has halted the formation of a functioning government in Belfast. If they fail, the British government announces that it will call new elections for Northern Ireland on Friday.

Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly have come together to try to elect a speaker – the first step towards restoring a power-sharing government that has been frozen since May’s election. Britain’s main unionist body, the Democratic Unionist Party, said it would veto the move as part of its protest against post-Brexit customs controls.

« We don’t believe enough progress has been made to address the issues that concern the people we represent, » party leader Jeffrey Donaldson said.

If no executive is in place on Friday morning, there will be an election, which could break the political deadlock but would certainly bring more uncertainty.

“I have always been clear that if the executive is not formed by October 28, I will call an election,” said British Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris. « Time is running out and the people of Northern Ireland deserve locally elected decision-makers and an executive capable of responding to the issues facing individuals, families and communities across Northern Ireland at this difficult time. »

The crisis comes at a time of change in Northern Ireland, which has been led by Protestant trade unionists loyal to the UK since its formation in 1921. In the May election, Sinn Fein – which wants the union of Ireland North with Ireland – became the largest party in the UK. the assembly of 90 seats, right to the post of Prime Minister. The DUP came second.

Sinn Fein’s Northern Irish leader Michelle O’Neill said voters wanted « adult politicians » to grapple with a worsening cost of living crisis.

« People need to know we have our backs, » she said, accusing the DUP of wanting to go back to « yesterday. »

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that shares a border with an EU member, Ireland. When Britain left the bloc in 2020, the two sides agreed to keep the Irish border free of customs posts and other checks because an open border is a key pillar of the decades-ending peace process of violence in Northern Ireland. Instead, some goods entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK are checked.

This solution turned into a political crisis, with unionist politicians refusing to form a government because they consider the checks to be an attack on their British identity and on the place of Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom.

The DUP says the trade rules, known as the Northern Ireland Protocol, are destabilizing Northern Ireland’s peace deal, which relies on support from unionist and nationalist communities. While the DUP wants the protocol scrapped, most other parties in Northern Ireland want to keep it, with adjustments to ease the burden on businesses.

Earlier this year, then-Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s UK government introduced legislation to suspend controls and tear up part of its legally binding Brexit treaty with the EU. This unilateral decision led to legal action by the EU and the risk of an all-out trade war.

Following Johnson’s departure last month, the UK refused to drop the treaty-busting bill, which is pending in parliament. But Britain and the EU have also reignited talks on a negotiated solution, and the appointment this week of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has raised hopes for a thaw in relations.

Sunak spoke with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday in what she called a « really good » phone call. Sunak’s office also issued a positive note, saying the two leaders « underlined the importance they both place on UK-EU relations, and working together as friends. and allies ».

Jill Lawless, The Associated Press