Chris Heaton-Harris says DUP have a 'choice' over early election

Chris Heaton-Harris said there are "many domestic issues in Northern Ireland" that the DUP could help to sort out

Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has said the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has a "choice" to prevent an early Stormont election.

Speaking to Sky News, he called on the party to re-enter devolved government.

Stormont ministers lost much of their powers in February due to a DUP protest over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Mr Heaton-Harris has repeatedly said he will call an election if the Stormont executive is not fully restored by 00:01 on 28 October.

"The Democratic Unionist Party have got an opportunity to come back in," he told the Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme.

"It's really important, I think, that they do because there are so many domestic issues in Northern Ireland that would be helped by their re-entering into the executive.

"They've got some really talented politicians themselves who can help sort those issues out.

"There is a choice that people can make to stop an election happening but it has got to be made by elected representatives in Northern Ireland going back into the assembly."

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Mr Heaton-Harris has publicly backed Boris Johnson to return to Downing Street as prime minister, as the race to replace Liz Truss continues.

However, his colleague in the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), Steve Baker, said Mr Johnson would be a "guaranteed disaster" and confirmed he is supporting the former chancellor Rishi Sunak.

Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office Steve Baker said the next PM should not to deviate on the Northern Ireland Protocol

"I'm not willing to lay down my integrity for Boris Johnson," Mr Baker said.

"If Boris is in charge, his premiership will implode and we'll be back here."

NIO split over new PM

Analysis by BBC News NI political correspondent Darran Marshall

Two Northern Ireland ministers, both former ERG chairmen, endorse two different candidates for the top job.

Chris Heaton-Harris was Boris Johnson's chief whip and says his old boss has a proven track record.

His rival for the job, Rishi Sunak, has managed to win the backing of Julian Smith, Simon Hoare, Lord Frost, and now Steve Baker. Those four men rarely agree on much these days.

Baker's endorsement seems significant - it shows Sunak has the ability to win over hard-line Brexiteers.

Heaton-Harris and Baker took to the airwaves to give full throttle endorsements of their candidates.

But then both took to Twitter for a political love-in.

Mr Baker warned prime ministerial candidates that they must stick to the government's current course on the Northern Ireland Protocol if they wanted to stay in power.

"Irrespective of what I think, those Eurosceptic colleagues who I know and love like brothers and sisters will absolutely not tolerate any divergence from what we've said we are going to do," he said.

"Look at the recent past. It doesn't matter whether people like it or not - they will do what they will do and they will bring down any prime minister who doesn't do what they say they will do."

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Mr Baker said he had spoken to Mr Sunak three times in the past 24 hours.

He said he was "absolutely not concerned that Rishi will follow through" with plans to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol in its current state.

"The same policy must be carried forward," said Mr Baker.

"I'm very pleased that (chair of the Northern Ireland Affairs committee) Simon Hoare and I have united on this point.

"Everyone needs to understand that the legitimate interest of unionists is to end the jurisdiction of EU law in Northern Ireland.

"We will not have devolved government in Northern Ireland until it is done.

"That means we will not be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement - this is big stuff."

He added: "We can offer friendship and humility and apologies when they're needed but in the end, we've got to end the jurisdiction of EU law in Northern Ireland."