DUP fails in bid to collapse Assembly

The Democratic Unionist Party’s latest attempt to collapse the Northern Assembly has failed at the first hurdle.

A DUP motion to collapse the institutions and force early elections failed to win support at the Assembly’s business committee stage today, meaning the Assembly will not debate the proposal.

Instead, a Sinn Fein motion calling on all parties to unite against sectarianism will be discussed in the chamber next Tuesday.

Sinn Fein said its attempts to gain support from all pro-Agreement parties failed when the UUP refused to co-sign the motion.