PM May’s party confident of sensible deal with N. Irish DUP
LONDON — British Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party is confident of securing a “sensible” deal with the small Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said on Tuesday.
“We’re having good constructive discussions and I’m confident that we’ll reach a sensible agreement,” Mr. Grayling told BBC radio. “The talks are going on, they are going well.”
Ms. May lost her parliamentary majority in a snap election she called on June 8, and she will need the support of the DUP to pass laws.
Mr. Grayling said the DUP were not interested in another election and added there should not be a change of prime minister amid questions over Ms. May’s own position after the botched election campaign and her response to a deadly London tower block fire in which at least 79 people died.
‘CLIFF EDGE’
Meanwhile, British Finance Minister Philip Hammond pressed his case for a smooth Brexit that would avoid a damaging “cliff edge” for businesses as the country heads out of the European Union (EU).
“We’ll almost certainly need an implementation period, outside the (EU’s) customs union itself, but with current customs border arrangements remaining in place, until new longterm arrangements are up and running,” he said in a speech at London’s Mansion House on Tuesday.
Mr. Hammond also said he wanted Britain to lead a “crusade” for the opening up of services markets around the world as it leaves the European Union and he said the country wanted to remain open to skilled workers. —