N. Ireland gets £1bn in deal
May reaches agreement with DUP
LONDON: The United Kingdom’s Government has agreed to increase spending by £1 billion over two years as part of a deal to ensure the support of Northern Ireland’s’s biggest Protestant party for Prime Minister Theresa May’s minority government.
‘‘Today we have reached an agreement with the Conservative Party on support for government in parliament,’’ DUP leader Arlene Foster said in Downing Street. ‘‘This agreement will operate to deliver a stable government in the United Kingdom’s national interest at this vital time.’’
‘‘Following our discussions, the Conservative Party has recognised the case for higher funding in Northern Ireland, given our unique history and indeed circumstances over recent decades,’’ Foster said. ‘‘We welcome this financial support of £1 billion in the next two years.’
After May lost her majority in Parliament on June 8 with a failed gamble on a snap election, she tried to secure the backing of the small Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and its 10 politicians, although talks had dragged on for more than two weeks.
May and Foster presided at the signing of a deal at Downing Street last night. They smiled and joked as negotiators from both sides, the DUP’s Jeffrey Donaldson and the Conservatives’ Gavin Williamson signed the deal.
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 £2 billion in extra funding for Northern Ireland in return for its support, the BBC reported.
Under the ‘‘confidence and supply’’ arrangement, the DUP will back the Government in key votes, such as on the Queen’s Speech and Budgets, which would threaten the Government’s survival if they were lost.
On other legislation, however, the DUP’s support is not neces sarily guaranteed.
The deal will allow May to pass legislation as she attempts to negotiate Britain’s exit from the European Union.
Her position remains insecure, however, amid speculation she could face a leadership challenge.
Some senior Conservatives have voiced unease at a deal with the DUP, saying it could put at risk the 1998 peace settlement in Northern Ireland, known as the Good Friday Agreement.
Foster earlier said a deal with May could help drive a second deal on power sharing in the province.
Northern Ireland has been in crisis since Sinn Fein pulled out of government in January, prompting an election in March and a series of missed deadlines to restore the compulsory coalition between Irish Catholic nationalists and proBritish Protestant unionists.
‘‘I think that this agreement will bring the prospects of doing a deal at [the Belfast parliament] Stormont closer because this will have a positive impact in relation to Northern Ireland,’’ Foster told Sky. — Reuters