Britain says no fresh election in N.Ireland this year

British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris walks outside Number 10 Downing Street on the day of cabinet meeting, in London, Britain, October 26, 2022. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File Photo

BELFAST (Reuters) - The UK government will not call fresh elections in Northern Ireland before the end of the year and will announce how it intends to proceed beyond that next week, the British minister for the region said on Friday.

The deadline passed last week for forming a power-sharing government following elections in May and Britain's minister for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris said at the time that he was legally obliged to call new elections within 12 weeks.