Chris Heaton-Harris '100% committed' to election timetable

Chris Heaton-Harris rejected suggestions he could "backtrack" and delay another poll

The government will "push the button" to call a fresh Stormont election if power-sharing is not restored by the end of this month, the Northern Ireland secretary has said.

Chris Heaton-Harris denied he could "backtrack" and delay another poll.

However, he declined to give a guarantee the government would not legislate to amend the timetable.

Under current rules, if devolution is not restored by 28 October, he must set a date for an assembly election.

Mr Heaton-Harris gave his first broadcast interview on Tuesday to BBC News NI at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham.

The Stormont executive is not sitting due to the Democratic Unionist Party's (DUP) ongoing opposition over the NI Protocol.

The last assembly election took place in May and saw nationalists Sinn Féin returned as the largest party for the first time and entitled to the role of first minister.

But the DUP, the second largest party, said it would not nominate a deputy first minister until "action" is taken to change the Northern Ireland Protocol.

• Why could parts of the Brexit deal be ditched?

It was the deal agreed by the UK and EU around post-Brexit trade arrangements to keep an open border on the island of Ireland.

But under the arrangements, it means checks on some goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, which led to concern from unionists about trade barriers within the UK.

'Funny stupor'

The Northern Ireland secretary rejected suggestions that another election "would not change anything" and maintained that a functioning executive was crucial for managing public services and passing a budget.

"If there is no election then Stormont will just be stumbling around in this funny stupor it's in now," he said.

Legislation passed by Westminster in February states that if devolution is not restored by 28 October, Mr Heaton-Harris must call a fresh election to take place within 12 weeks.

He would not give a guarantee that the government would not amend the legislation, in order to delay this requirement but said he was "100 percent committed" to the current timetable.

"You won't find me giving a guarantee - when politicians give guarantees or sign things in blood invariably, they backtrack, I'm not going to backtrack - this will be done," he added.

"I mean what I say, and I will be calling an election on 28 October if we do not have an executive."

The secretary of state also said he was "really confident" that the UK and EU could reach a deal on changing parts of the NI Protocol, that could help end the current Stormont impasse.

He confirmed technical talks on the matter had resumed.

"I think we're going to get a negotiated solution, if that comes about it will work for all communities in Northern Ireland," he said.

He added that he was "absolutely convinced" that it would have the support of the DUP.

On Tuesday, the UK's Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said there were weeks, "rather than many months" to reach a negotiated settlement on the protocol.

He said it had to be resolved before a UK bill on the trade issue becomes law.