Tag Archives: Theresa May

UK Prime Minister Theresa May greets Arlene Foster, leader of the DUP, on Downing Street this morning

The DUP’s 10 MPs will back the Tories in key Commons votes, starting with the Queen’s Speech later this week, but there will be no formal coalition.

The talks focused on financial support for Northern Ireland and Brexit.

The DUP has claimed the UK government has agreed to improve the treatment of military veterans in Northern Ireland as part of the agreement but played down reports that it had sought £2bn in extra funding for Northern Ireland in return for their support.

FIGHT!

Conservatives agree pact with DUP to support May government (BBC)

Pic: PA

Update:

DUP and the Conservative party have agreed to:

Keeping the triple lock for pensions

Keeping winter fuel payments for all pensioners

Keeping defence spending at 2% of GDP

Extending the armed forces covenant to Northern Ireland

There is also a financial package worth £1bn over two years. There will also be “new flexibilities” in terms of how £500m already committed to Northern Ireland can be spent.

£1bn Tory/DUP deal will retain pensions lock and winter fuel payments – Politics live (Guardian)

This afternoon.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar meets the British Prime Minister Theresa May outside No 10 in London.

It’s not a caption competition until you say so…

Update:

Leo Varadkar ‘reassured’ about DUP deal (BBC)

Video: Today FM

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and British Prime Minister Theresa May at a joint press conference after a meeting at Government Buildings in Dublin in January

RTE reports:

The British government attempted to block a move by Taoiseach Enda Kenny to insert an Irish unity declaration into the text of an extraordinary summit of EU leaders at the end of April, during which they adopted the EU’s negotiating mandate ahead of the Brexit talks.

The text spelled out that in the event of a future unity referendum in Ireland, as envisaged by the Good Friday Agreement, Northern Ireland would automatically rejoin the European Union.

However, RTÉ News understands that the British government attempted to get the declaration delayed until after the UK General Election, so as not to damage Theresa May’s chances of victory.

…The so-called unity clause was to be inserted into the minutes of an extraordinary summit meeting in Brussels on 29 April.

However, two days beforehand, Irish officials were subject to what one source described as a sustained diplomatic offensive by Britain to try to block the declaration.

…In the event, Mr Kenny requested the clause, and it was unanimously adopted by the other 26 member states.

UK tried to block Kenny move on unity clause (RTE)

Rollingnews

“I’ve just been to see Her Majesty, the Queen, and I will now form a government, a government that can provide certainty and lead Britain forward at this critical time for our country. This government will guide the country through the crucial Brexit talks that begin in just 10 days and deliver on the will of the British people by taking the United Kingdom out of the European Union.”

“It will work to keep our nation safe and secure by delivering the change that I set out, following the appalling attacks in Manchester and London, cracking down on the ideology of Islamist extremism and all those who support it, and giving the police and the authorities the powers they need to keep our country safe.

“The government I lead will put fairness and opportunity at the heart of everything we do so that we will fulfil the promise of Brexit together. And, over the next five years, build a country in which no one and no community is left behind.”

In the last 30 minutes.

British Prime Minister and Conservatives leader Theresa May speaking outside No10, Downing Street in London.

Live: May to form government to guide UK through Brexit (RTE)

Screen Shot 2017-04-18 at 11.09.14

“I have just chaired a meeting of the Cabinet where we have agreed that the Government should call a general election to be held on the 8th of June.”

British Prime Minister Theresa May speaking outside No.10 in London a few minutes ago.

Pic: Theresa May to make surprise Downing Street statement – Politics live (The Guardian)

Meanwhile..

may:corbyn

UK Prime Minister Theresa May (left) and Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn

So, what now?

Bernard Purcell writes:

Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May, who, with her party, is currently more than 20 points ahead of her nearest rival in the opinion polls, called for a General Election on 8 June.

Because of the Fixed Term Parliament Act that was agreed as the price of Liberal Democrats going into coalition with David Cameron’s Tories in 2010 Mrs May cannot – as so many of her predecessors could – call a snap election.

She needs a two-thirds majority of Commons MPs so needs the support of Jeremy Corbyn’s opposition Labour Party.

If the Mrs May’s poll lead translates into General Election votes it means that many Labour MPs will find themselves on Wednesday in the position of turkeys being asked to vote for Christmas.

Early calculations suggest that if the election goes Mrs May’s way could come back with a far greater majority than her current 17 seats, perhaps as many as a hundred seats.

Given that at the moment her only mandate to be in Number 10 came from Tory MPs in post-Referendum party leadership contest – after David Cameron abdicated all responsibility for the mess he left behind – that would be very welcome to her and her supporters.

It should be noted that this forthcoming election will be contested on existing electoral boundaries, which will favour Labour – or at least ameliorate an otherwise unappettising prospect for the party.

The Prime Minister justified her call for a fresh electoral mandate by saying the opposition parties – Labour, the Liberal Democrats and Scottish Nationalist Party – had all pledged to thwart her government over Brexit.

As such she is looking for a fresh Brexit mandate. The Liberal Democrats leader Tim Farron was quick to accept the challenge and embrace the mantle of the official Brexit opposition – a move that should help his party recover its disastrous losses in the last election.

Labour, typically, was slow to react but still faster than it has been. In a statement issued in Jeremy Corbyn’s behalf the Labour leader accepted the electoral challenge – but conspicuously avoided any reference to Brexit.

Irish citizens living in the UK do have the right to vote in UK General Elections, as UK citizens in Ireland likewise can elect TDs to Dail Eireann.

Bernard Purcell is editor of the London-based Irish World.

Pics: Getty