Well as predicted the Unionists have refused to attend Stormont and so the assembly continues to be in limbo. Sinn Fein telling the Unionists to get round the table, the Taoiseach has also told the Unionists to get back to Stormont so we are just waiting for the 3rd arm of the Republicans to chime in, America and Joe (cut me in half and i'm emerald green) Biden.

It all comes back to Brexit and the Protocol and no mater what the UK Govt does on that, the Unionists will not accept it so over to the EU as they are the only ones that can alter it to be acceptable atm.

NI election 2022: DUP blocks new NI government in Brexit protest

The DUP will not go back into government in Northern Ireland until its concerns about post-Brexit trading arrangements are resolved, the party's leader has said.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson was among the party leaders to meet with NI Secretary Brandon Lewis in Belfast on Monday.

Thursday's historic election saw Sinn Féin become Stormont's largest party.

Would-be first minister Michelle O'Neill said there could be no attempt by the DUP to "punish the public".

Ms O'Neill and Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald held talks with Mr Lewis, who also met with the leaders of the Alliance Party, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) and Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP).

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is resisting pressure from the UK and Irish governments, as well as Northern Ireland's other main parties, to nominate ministers after the dramatic election result.

For months, the DUP has protested against the Northern Ireland Protocol, part of the UK's Brexit deal with the European Union which retains free trade across the Irish border.

It has angered some unionists for introducing new checks on some goods moving across the Irish Sea.

They also say it undermines Northern Ireland's place in the UK.

In his meetings on Monday, Mr Lewis urged the party leaders to respect the outcome of the election on Thursday and re-establish Stormont as soon as possible.

He said the government would have to address issues relating to the protocol and "continue to press the EU to agree the crucial changes that are urgently needed".

The NI Secretary stated that he will remain in close contact with all the party leaders over the coming days.

'Game of chicken'

Sinn Féin, whose ultimate goal is for Northern Ireland to leave the UK and become one country with the Republic of Ireland, won the most seats - 27 out of 90 - after Thursday's vote.

This means the party can nominate Northern Ireland's first minister, an unprecedented move for a nationalist party, but it is reliant on the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) taking up its position as deputy first minister.

The roles form a joint office, with equal responsibility, however, the allocation of the titles is regarded as symbolically important.

Sir Jeffrey said his party would not nominate ministers until there had been "decisive action" on the protocol.

"They (UK government) gave a firm commitment to protect our place in the UK internal market," Sir Jeffrey said.

"They have not done so, they have failed over the last two-and-a-half years to honour that commitment."

But Ms O'Neill said the DUP and the UK government must respect the election's outcome, and that it was down to Boris Johnson and the EU to resolve differences over the protocol.

"Brinkmanship will not be tolerated where the north of Ireland becomes collateral damage in a game of chicken with the European Commission," she said.

"Make no mistake, we and our business community here will not be held to ransom."

While some assembly members (MLAs) were at Stormont on Monday, the legislative body will hold its first sitting on Friday, when members will register and designate as unionist, nationalist or other.

On Monday, Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin said the DUP was wrong to place conditions on power-sharing.

"The mandate they all got was to take their assembly seats and get into the executive," he told broadcaster RTÉ.

Mr Martin said the EU had signalled its intention to make the Northern Ireland Protocol work more effectively, but that it would not be removed.

Today is a mixture of first day of school, a wedding and a wake - a lot of people all dressed up with nowhere really to go.

The only meeting some would say Brandon Lewis needs to have is with the DUP.

There is also an interesting leaders' meeting which will be led by Michelle O'Neill, the would-be first minister if there was anybody to be deputy first minister.

But all of that will lead nowhere unless someone can persuade the DUP to set aside its difficulties on the protocol.

MLAs are due to sign the Stormont register on Friday (the 13th if you're superstitious).

If that goes well, they will elect the speaker and are supposed to elect the first and deputy first ministers - and that is where the first big problem happens.

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-61373504