Following the collapse of the Assembly, Sinn Féin and the DUP both called for the election to be brought forward, but the UUP, SDLP and Alliance Party opposed the idea.[36][37] Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis ruled out an early election,[38] saying that the priority was to get the Assembly up and running again.[39] Two weeks later, however, Lewis claimed there was "a real risk" that the Executive would not return after the election.[40]