The Government is to extend a deadline for calling an election in Northern Ireland and cut the pay of Stormont Assembly members.Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris confirmed the moves in the House of Commons on Wednesday as he outlined his next steps in response to the powersharing crisis in the region.Existing legislation gave the Stormont parties almost six months to form an executive following the last election in May, which saw Sinn Fein emerge as the largest party for the first t

The Government is to extend a deadline for calling an election in Northern Ireland and cut the pay of Stormont Assembly members.Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris confirmed the moves in the House of Commons on Wednesday as he outlined his next steps in response to the powersharing crisis in the region.Existing legislation gave the Stormont parties almost six months to form an executive following the last election in May, which saw Sinn Fein emerge as the largest party for the first time.The deadline to establish a new executive lapsed on October 28, at which point the Government assumed a legal responsibility to hold a fresh poll within 12 weeks - January 19.