Theresa May’s slim majority put in jeopardy as DUP threaten to walk away from a deal
The unionist party said talks to provide a confidence and supply arrangement had not progressed 'as expected'
THERESA MAY’S thin majority was put in jeopardy last night as the DUP warned it could walk away from a proposed deal to prop up her minority Government.
The unionist party said talks to provide a confidence and supply arrangement had not progressed “as expected”.
And they warned their backing “cannot be taken for granted”.
It threatens the PM’s future - which depends on her winning a vote on her legislative agenda outlined in tomorrow’s Queen’s Speech.
One Tory Minister admitted the chances of a full confidence and supply agreement for the next five years were now only “fifty-fifty” given the scale of the DUP’s cash demands for Ulster.
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But an insider told the Sun: “There’s already an absolute majority there.”
The talks continued yesterday but failed to find an agreement – TEN DAYS after the government first boasted a deal had been struck.
It means Theresa May will go into the state opening of Parliament today without a working majority.
And DUP sources in Northern Ireland demanded “greater focus” from the Tories on the talks in a withering attack which mocked the PM’s chances of getting a good deal from the EU.
A DUP source said: “Negotiations haven’t proceeded in a way that the DUP would have expected.”
They added there appeared to be a “lack of negotiating experience” on the Conservative side.
Another slammed the chaos in No.10 saying young aides “probably couldn’t find Northern Ireland on the map”.
The coordinated blast came hours after the emergence of a letter allegedly from DUP leader Arlene Foster objecting to the idea of same sex marriages being recognised in Northern Ireland.
It prompted Conservative sources to insist the party was “continuing to work towards” an arrangement with the DUP.
The source said: “Both parties are committed to strengthening the Union, combating terrorism, delivering Brexit and delivering prosperity across the whole United Kingdom.”