No new elections until 2003, Reid says

New elections to the North's Assembly will not be held before May 2003, the Northern Secretary John Reid said today.

Hard-line unionists had been clamouring for Dr Reid to hold fresh votes following days of high drama at Stormont which resulted in David Trimble being returned as First Minister today.

The Rev Ian Paisley's DUP insisted he had acted illegally in resisting their demands so that members of the centre-ground Alliance Party could strike a deal which allowed Mr Trimble to overcome their opposition.

But Dr Reid said today: "I see no reason why the next elections should be any earlier than May 1, 2003."

The Northern Secretary also paid tribute to the decision by the Alliance Party and the Women's Coalition to redesignate Assembly members as unionists to get Mr Trimble and the SDLP's incoming leader Mark Durkan re-elected as Stormont's First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

The price Alliance leader David Ford had demanded before allowing his members to make the temporary switch had been to re-examine Assembly voting structures.

Effectively they take only nationalist and unionists MLAs into account.

Dr Reid confirmed: "I intend that review itself should commence on November 19".

He refused to comment on the brawl which erupted at Stormont earlier today among rival Assembly members following the crucial vote.