Focus on suspension move

BBC Northern Ireland political correspondent Mark Simpson explains why the government chose suspension of Stormont rather than elections.

The short-term suspension of the assembly was regarded by the government as the 'lesser of two evils'.

It was not seen as a positive option, but the one which would cause the least damage.

However, damage will be done.

The government decided that a short-term suspension was the 'least-worst' option

Mark Simpson

The stability - and credibility - of the assembly is undermined every time a suspension is called, and now there have been two in a period of only 18 months.

But many believe the government had no viable alternative.

One insider said: "Basically, the prime minister and the secretary of state were faced with a stark choice - suspension or election.

It was bit like jumping out of a window and having to choose between the 19th floor and the 20th floor.

"In the end, they went for the best soft-landing possible - a limited suspension."

Fears

The problem with an election - as far as the government was concerned - was that it was too big of a gamble.

There were fears that the Ulster Unionist Party would reject the election idea, withdraw their ministers from the Stormont Executive and force the government to suspend the assembly.

The upshot of that would have been a political process even more bruised and battered than it is at the moment.

However, a fresh election was under serious consideration.

Indeed, at one stage, it was said to be the prime minister's preferred course of action.

'Least worst option'

But in the end, the government decided that a short-term suspension was the 'least-worst' option - and they were convinced of this by the SDLP.

John Hume's party is believed to have privately advised both the British and Irish Governments on Thursday night that the only way to protect the progress made in recent months was a brief suspension, or a 'commercial break' suspension as one SDLP figure described it.

Amid the fall-out from the latest developments, the prime minister will be hoping that the parties' reaction to the so-called commercial break is not to switch off.