May’s allies upbeat after talks

Senior Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) figures say they held constructive Brexit talks with ministers yesterday, raising the prospect that they could back British Prime Minister Theresa May’s deal in a crunch vote next week.

Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, is in Washington, DC for the buildup to St Patrick’s Day but was due back in Britain today and could join further talks.

Negotiations between her party and Conservative Party ministers have intensified as May prepares to ask MPs to support her Brexit agreement with Brussels for a third time, after two crushing defeats in the House of Commons.

The DUP is seeking assurances over the Irish backstop, the insurance policy designed to prevent a hard border in Ireland. Critics claim that it could leave the United Kingdom trapped in a customs union with the European Union.

The party is understood to want guarantees from the government about a ‘‘Stormont lock’’, giving the Northern Ireland assembly a veto over changes to the backstop. The party is also seeking assurances about Northern Irish trade with mainland Britain.

A delegation of DUP MPs yesterday met Michael Gove, the environment secretary, David Lidington, May’s de facto deputy, Julian Smith, the chief whip, and Sir Mark Sedwill, the cabinet secretary. The group later had lunch with Smith and Philip Hammond, the chancellor.

Speaking afterwards, Nigel Dodds, the DUP’s Westminster leader, said the talks had been constructive and would continue. ‘‘We have always said that we want to get a deal, but it has to be the right deal.’’ He added that many of the issues his party had raised were not new but that there was "a renewed focus in government on ensuring those issues are addressed".

It is understood that talks between the two parties stepped up after Wednesday, when May suffered a second Commons defeat on her deal. The DUP’s 10 MPs guarantee her parliamentary majority, and the party’s support for her Brexit deal could unlock the votes of dozens of Conservatives.

Many Tory MPs have said that they cannot back the deal because of the effect it would have on the integrity of the UK. However, DUP support would be expected to offer them enough reassurance.

Esther McVey, who quit as work and pensions secretary in protest against the deal, suggested yesterday that she and other pro-Brexit MPs might vote for it next week. – The Times