NI Secretary chhcalling has said he will call an election if assembly is not restored by October 28 - but some are unconvinced.
In private, the consensus still largely appears that the government has been keeping up appearances but will ultimately step in to ensure another election doesn't have to take place immediately.
That is part of the UK's Brexit deal with the EU and ensures free trade can continue across the Irish land border. The Democratic Unionist Party has also maintained that it would not return to power-sharing unless any deal on the protocol meets its demands. What is not clear is how long the government could push things back by, if indeed it decided to intervene in this way.
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