The Northern Ireland secretary was put in the hot seat on Monday when a BBC presenter asked him whether Brexit was “now actually done” after “eight years of uncertainty”.

Northern Ireland politicians are making a last-ditch attempt to break a political impasse triggered by Brexit that has stopped the formation of a functioning government in Belfast.

Today, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris announced legislation that would push back the legal deadline for Northern Ireland Assembly elections to be called to 18th January 2024, after 12 months of political deadlock over the Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP).

Sinn Féin accuses UK government of ‘Tory petulance’ claiming its leader Mary Lou McDonald had been excluded from the talks.

The North is facing another toxic, polarising and futile Assembly election.

The DUP collapsed the devolved executive last February in protest at Brexit’s Northern Ireland Protocol.

Many Conservative party members will be wondering where they go from here. / There is talk of damage limitation and trying to save as many seats as possible in the next election.

Marks & Spencer’s chairman has become the latest business leader to criticise the Government’s economic policy, with Archie Norman calling plans to ease post-Brexit trade “overbearing” and “baffling”.

Costs finally revealed, as Northern Ireland secretary claims too much ‘doom and gloom’ around Brexit. / New post-Brexit border checks set to come into force in 2024 will cost UK companies at least £330m a year, Rishi Sunak’s government has admitted.

There will be no renegotiating the new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland, says Chris Heaton-Harris.

Chris Heaton-Harris says "no", leaving the EU has not damaged the economy. / Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris was left struggling to defend the economic case for Brexit, after being put on the spot by Sky News’ Sophy Ridge.

The DUP is boycotting devolution as part of its protest against Brexit’s Northern Ireland Protocol.

Conservative minister Steve Baker has said he is “really sorry” to the EU for “not always behaving” in a way that did not foster trust.

The Taoiseach was responding to comments earlier in the week from NI Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris. / Irish premier Leo Varadkar has said the UK would be required to engage with the European Union to resolve any issues about proposed new EU laws being introduced in Northern Ireland.

We may never know exactly what Conservative MP Chris Heaton-Harris intended to do with the information he tried to obtain on academics who teach about Brexit. But it certainly shouldn’t be treated as “just a polite request for information” as if this were some routine event.