The British government is taking powers to postpone elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly scheduled for next year in the event of a devolution deal this November. This was confirmed last night, on the eve of today's publication of an emergency Bill designed to facilitate the recall of the Assembly in transitional mode on May 15th.
Northern Secretary Peter Hain will take the Bill through its parliamentary stages next week. During this time he will also hold talks with the political parties about the standing orders for the Assembly's operation through the transitional period, which ends with a November 24th deadline for the appointment of a powersharing Executive.
Insisting that they are planning for a DUP/Sinn Féin deal by autumn, Whitehall sources say the postponement of next year's scheduled election would enable a new powersharing administration to bed down and take hold before the parties had to seek a renewal of their mandates.
At the same time, the British government is altering legislation already before the Commons that would have given Mr Hain the power to call a snap Assembly election later this year.