N Ireland politics hits PM May’s coalition talks

Hobbled by a lack of majority after the June 8 election, Prime Minister Theresa May’s efforts to strike a coalition with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to shore up her minority government have been hit by a backlash from key parties in Northern Ireland.

The ruling Conservative Party won 318 seats in the 650-member House of Commons, falling short of the majority. Talks with DUP are ongoing but the opening of the new Parliament is set for Wednesday.

On the agenda is the Queen’s Speech (equivalent to the president’s address in India’s Parliament), which is drafted by the ruling party and mentions its policies. Failure to get the speech passed in the House is seen as the ruling party losing confidence.

May, however, expressed confidence about getting the speech passed, even if a deal is not reached with the DUP before the state opening of Parliament. She has held meetings with key Northern Ireland leaders, including the DUP.

Several leaders have cautioned against the coalition since it would compromise London’s neutral position between the contending groups in Northern Ireland — the Republicans and Unionists — and adversely hit the Good Friday Agreement.

Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein told May specifically of his opposition to the coalition during a meeting with her at Downing Street.

May held talks with the new Ireland Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar, after his confirmation in the post in the country’s Parliament on Wednesday. Ireland has a key role in the arrangements and structures set out in the Good Friday Agreement that has led to a period of peace in the troubletorn region. HTC