DUP make ‘outline agreement’ to support Conservatives on ‘confidence and supply basis’
The Democratic Unionist Party have agreed to the principles of an outline agreement to support the Tories on a “confidence and supply basis”, Downing Street said.
Details of the deal have not been released.
The Prime Minister had made it clear she waned support from her “friends and allies” in Northern Ireland’s DUP to secure her minority administration ahead of the Queen’s Speech on June 19 and she sent Gavin Williamson to Belfast to lead the talks.
Downing Street said an outline agreement on a “confidence and supply” arrangement had been reached which will be put to the Cabinet for discussion on Monday.
The 10 MPs from the Northern Irish party could prove crucial in supporting the Conservatives on key votes after Thursday’s election saw Mrs May lose control of the Commons.
A Number 10 spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that the Democratic Unionist Party have agreed to the principles of an outline agreement to support the Conservative Government on a confidence and supply basis when Parliament returns next week.
“We welcome this commitment, which can provide the stability and certainty the whole country requires as we embark on Brexit and beyond.
Two of Theresa May’s closest aides quit following election disaster as DUP talks begin
Theresa May’s two closest aides have quit in the wake of the disastrous General Election result while the Prime Minister sought to shore up her position in Number 10 by sending her Chief Whip to lead talks with the Democratic Unionist Party.
Mrs May’s joint chiefs of staff Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill resigned in the wake of the election which saw Mrs May lose her Commons majority.
The Prime Minister has made clear she wants support from her “friends and allies” in Northern Ireland’s DUP to secure her minority administration ahead of the Queen’s Speech on June 19 and has sent Gavin Williamson to Belfast to lead the talks.
The role of Mr Timothy and Ms Hill as Mrs May’s joint chiefs of staff had been severely criticised by disgruntled Tories in the wake of the election result.
Mr Timothy acknowledged that one of his regrets was the way Mrs May’s social care policy – dubbed the “dementia tax” – by critics had been handled.
The Prime Minister was forced to perform an unprecedented U-turn within days of the publication of the Tory manifesto by announcing that there would be a cap on social care costs, something that had been absent in the original policy document.
- ○ May’s ‘abusive’ top staff removed as recriminations grow over poll failure | The Guardian |
○ Why is the DUP so controversial? The party’s stances on abortion, gay marriage and climate change explained | The Independent |
Ian Paisley Lord Bannside and the Rise of the DUP
Continued below the fold …
Theresa May’s plan to govern with DUP support thrown into confusion | The Guardian |
The DUP has been at the forefront of opposition in Stormont to legalising gay marriage and reforming the near-total ban on abortion in the region. Seeking a soft border would raise the question of whether or not the DUP backs the UK staying in the EU’s customs union. The party will also insist that there are no checks at English, Scottish or Welsh ports and airports on any citizens travelling from Northern Ireland after Brexit.
DUP sources said the list of demands would be similar to its 2015 “Northern Ireland” plan, when the party laid out its price for supporting either a minority Tory or Labour administration. That included more Treasury cash for Northern Ireland’s schools and hospitals. Also among the DUP’s conditions will be at least a 50% cut or the total abolition of air passenger duty in Northern Ireland.
Discussions between the DUP and the Conservatives will run parallel with negotiations this week involving all the main parties in Northern Ireland. The latter talks are aimed at restoring the power-sharing devolved government in Belfast. Writing in today’s Observer, Jonathan Powell, Tony Blair’s secret negotiator with the IRA after the 1998 Good Friday agreement, saidon Monday: “If Mrs May depends on the DUP– Ian Paisley’s party, not the old Official Unionists who used to work with the Tories – to form a government it will be impossible for it to be even-handed.”
