Connect with us

Brexit

#Brexit: Marginalised May forced to seek a ‘confidence and supply arrangement’ with DUP

SHARE:

Published

on

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Arlene Foster, Leader of the DUP and Prime Minister Theresa May meeting in 2016

The result of last Thursday’s general election has been disastrous for the UK’s credibility, just ten days before it enters into Brexit negotiations. But could the biggest loser in this general election be the hard-won Northern Irish peace process?

Writes Catherine Feore

"A good night for the Union," Arlene Foster, Leader of the DUP

If ‘every crisis is an opportunity in disguise’ only one real winner emerged from last week’s elections, the DUP.

The Democratic and Unionist Party (DUP), established by the late-Reverend Ian Paisley, is the largest unionist party in Northern Ireland, the DUP are known for their opposition to abortion, equal rights for LGBT people in the provision of services and marriage, climate-change science and Europe. Like Sinn Fein, they have also had links with paramilitary organisations.

The DUP are the only Northern Irish party that supported Brexit. Indeed, not only did they openly support Brexit, they covertly funded the Leave campaign in Great Britain, making use of political funding rules that exceptionally allow for anonymity for donors to Northern Irish parties – this is linked to the region’s violent history.

Open Democracy have done much research into large donations made to the DUP, the DUP appear to have failed to ask about the source of party donations, a failure that could lead to bankruptcy for the party. Among other things, they funded a wrap-around advert in the Metro magazine - which is not distributed in Northern Ireland - costing £250,000. Open Democracy point out that this is far more than any Northern Irish Party has ever spent on their own election campaigns.

Advertisement

Northern Ireland’s peace process

In yesterday’s cabinet reshuffle, James Brokenshire was re-selected as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. Brokenshire is already seen as partisan by nationalist politicians. The 29 June deadline for resuming the power-sharing Northern Ireland Assembly is looming. A Secretary of State that is perceived as partisan and a government dependent on ten DUP votes bodes ill for an amical resumption of the executive.

When the EU-27’s Chief Negotiator Michel Barnier addressed the Irish Houses of Parliament (11 May) he repeated the EU’s commitment to the Good Friday Agreement, saying that it must be respected in all its dimensions. The EU has made Northern Ireland one of the three priority issues to be settled in the first phase of the negotiation, together with citizens' rights and the financial settlement.

Though the details of the Conservative Party’s agreement with the DUP have not been fully hammered out, it is thought that the relationship will not be a formal coalition but what is called a ‘confidence and supply agreement’. Nevertheless, nationalist parties and the nationalist community of Northern Ireland are unlikely to be convinced that the UK will be able to act as an impartial party to the Good Friday Agreement.

What do they really want?

There is a lot of speculation about what concessions the DUP will want in return for propping up the government. When it comes to Europe, there is one glimmer of hope. Though the DUP campaigned against Brexit they appear to support the idea of a ‘soft border’ between the North and South of Ireland. Northern Ireland has very close economic relations with the Republic of Ireland. Pressure from both the DUP and Ireland could result in an arrangement that could keep Northern Ireland within the EU customs union. It will be complicated to resolve this technically, but with political will on both sides a solution could be found.

However, it is not entirely clear if the DUP will forcefully make the case for a soft border. The Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) who supported Remain lost all seats in the general election. The UUP are more representative of unionists living in rural areas, who will be more keenly aware of the damage Brexit will bring to the rural and food processing economy. The DUPs support is largely based in larger urban areas, such as Belfast and Larne.

Share this article:

EU Reporter publishes articles from a variety of outside sources which express a wide range of viewpoints. The positions taken in these articles are not necessarily those of EU Reporter.

Trending