Theresa May has STILL not secured a deal with the DUP despite tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech just HOURS away – as Northern Irish party warn PM they can’t be ‘taken for granted’
PM sets out her legislative measures tomorrow but talks are still ‘ongoing’ to get the support of party’s 10 MPs
THERESA May has still not secured a deal with the DUP to help her form a Government - as the Northern Irish party warned that talks are not going as they had expected.
The Prime Minister sets out her legislative measures for the coming two years in the Queen's Speech tomorrow - but talks are still “ongoing” to get the support of the Northern Irish party’s 10 MPs.
She needs them to vote with her to get her plans through the House of Commons after losing her majority in the disastrous general election.
But having declared an agreement on a “confidence and supply” basis was done as long ago as last weekend, Downing Street was forced to concede no deal had actually been done.
DUP leader Arlene Foster has been in London as Mrs May tried to hammer out a deal amid reports opposition parties will try to bring her down with a series of targeted amendments to the Queen's Speech.
This afternoon the Northern Irish party said that talks between the party and the Government "haven't proceeded in a way that the DUP would have expected".
Sky reported that the party is urging the government to give "greater focus" to the talks and remember that the "party can't be taken for granted."
And any deal - which is now believed to be secured on Thursday at the earliest - faces a landmark legal challenge over claims it breaches the Good Friday agreement.
The plans have hit further choppy water after an experienced legal team is planning to apply for a judicial review of the deal.
The is reporting they will ask High court judges to examine whether the pact breaches the British government’s commitment to exercise “rigorous impartiality” in the Good Friday agreement – which formalised peace in Northern Ireland.
Mrs May has insisted any deal with the DUP would not damage the peace process, despite claims by Sinn Fein and others.
Yesterday the PM said she was still pushing for an alignment with the unionist party, after she held talks with Irish counterpart Leo Varadkar.
She said: "We continue our discussions with the DUP. We are talking about a confidence and supply agreement with them.
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“On reaching such an agreement we will make sure that the details of that are made public so that people can see exactly what that is based on.
"As a UK Government we remain absolutely steadfast in our commitment to the Belfast Agreement (and) its successor agreements."
And this morning Cabinet minister Chris Grayling says the Tories have plenty of time to get the DUP’s support, with the vote on the Queens’ Speech not until next week.
The Transport Secretary said the talks were "going well", predicting that a "sensible" deal will be struck.
He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The talks are going on but one thing I am absolutely certain of is that the DUP do not want to see another election and Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street.
"We are having good, constructive discussions and I am confident we will reach a sensible agreement."
What do the DUP want in return for Government support?
In 2015, the party set out a list of priorities if there was a situation where they would hold the balance of power.
It said it would fight for:
- A guaranteed seat at the Cabinet for a Northern Ireland Secretary
- Allowances removed from parties who refuse to attend the House of Commons (such as Sinn Fein)
- Assistance from the UK government to attract more investment to Northern Ireland
- The UK government to encourage international events in Northern Ireland
- Increased infrastructure investment
- More marketing of Northern Ireland through agencies and embassies around the world
- Support to reduce electricity costs for businesses
- Capital investment from Westminster for schools and hospitals
- The removal of the bedroom tax
- More support for the Armed Forces
- Tougher immigration policy
- Northern Ireland to get a fair share of national government contracts
This list is being used as a starting point for talks between the Tories and the DUP.
A DUP source said: “There will be no formal coalition and we have other priorities – not least Brexit – for the negotiations. But we won’t support any changes to the pensions triple lock.”
If the PM was to lose a vote it could bring down her Government, but Mr Grayling replied: "I am not pessimistic about this. I think we will have a sensible arrangement.
"We have got some days until we have a vote on the Queen's Speech. It is not on Queen's Speech day.
“The vote happens many days later as we have an extended debate first and I am sure we will have a sensible arrangement between the parties when that time comes."
