The Secretary of State has insisted "elections always help" as he defended plans to call a snap Assembly poll if Stormont power-sharing is not restored by next week.
Chris Heaton-Harris said an election this winter is "not ideal" and he understood questions being raised, but he stressed that "democracy is a valuable thing".
The Northern Ireland secretary has repeatedly said he will follow through with his legal requirement to call an election if an Executive is not re-established by midnight on October 28.
