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What do the votes for abortion and gay marriage in Northern Ireland mean for devolution?

Politics Explained: The move by MPs could be seen as a shift towards direct rule from Westminster

Andrew Grice
Wednesday 10 July 2019 18:07 BST
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MPs vote for legalising Northern Ireland abortion

Two landmark votes by MPs to extend gay and abortion rights in Northern Ireland have reopened the debate about when devolved government will be restored to the province.

The Commons voted by big majorities on Tuesday to legalise gay marriage and widen abortion rights. The decision means the UK government will have to change the law in Northern Ireland if the Stormont assembly has not sat by 21 October. It has been mothballed since January 2017 following a dispute between the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Fein.

Some UK ministers hope the intervention by MPs will give new impetus to peace talks aimed at restoring the Belfast assembly and power-sharing executive, which have been running for 10 weeks. There have been some flashpoints but no breakdown and ministers are cautiously optimistic that some progress has been made.

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