We are ready to dance

THE leader of the party Theresa May hopes will keep her minority administration afloat called yesterday for a “sensible Brexit that works for everybody”.

Meanwhile, Democratic Unionist Party talks continued with the Conservatives.

And a new poll showed Boris Johnson as favourite successor to the Prime Minister.

Arlene Foster, of Northern Ireland’s DUP, spoke in Dublin after meeting new Irish prime minister Leo Varadkar.

Crucial

Talks between the DUP and the Conservatives are expected to continue over the weekend, although Mrs May herself and many of her ministers have had to switch their focus to dealing with the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire tragedy.

The aim is a deal under which the pro-Brexit DUP’s 10 MPs would support the government in crucial Commons votes, but short of a full coalition.

In a move seen as a bid to pressure the DUP into an agreement, Mrs May has already announced that the Queen’s Speech setting out her government’s agenda for the year ahead will be on Wednesday – just two days later than originally planned before the Tories’ shock loss of their Commons majority.

In Dublin, Mrs Foster was asked if she expected to strike a deal with the Tories within a week and to be Northern Ireland First Minister in a fortnight leading a restored power-sharing devolved Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, left, tops poll to replace Theresa May who is still in talks with the DUP’s Arlene Foster, right government in Belfast. She replied: “It takes two to tango and we’re ready to dance.”

She added: “We want to see a Brexit that works for everybody, not just in Northern Ireland from my perspective but in the Republic of Ireland as well, so it is about a sensible Brexit.”

Mrs Foster is keen to avoid a hard border with Ireland. She added: “I know people want to talk about soft Brexit, hard Brexit, all of these things but what we want to see is a sensible Brexit and one that works for everybody.”

Mrs Foster also said she believed her party could reach a deal with republican rivals Sinn Fein to re-form power sharing in Northern Ireland by the UK government’s June 29 deadline. Sinn Fein said it was “do-able”.

The province has been without a First or Deputy First Minister since January when power-sharing collapsed amid rows with Sinn Fein over Mrs Foster’s role in a botched green energy scheme.

Meanwhile, with under-fire Mrs May’s position viewed as highly precarious, Boris Johnson was named in a poll as the most popular figure on a list of Tories to succeed in the event of a leadership election.

Pollsters YouGov found the public evenly split on whether Mrs May should stand down.

Favoured

also

Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson was not universally popular, but 18 per cent thought he would be the best PM if Mrs May stood down before the next election, rising to 31 per cent of Tory voters.

Brexit Secretary David Davis was favoured by five per cent of the public and nine per cent of Tories.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd was preferred by four per cent of the public and six per cent of Tories.

Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson – who could not be Prime Minister unless she becomes a Westminster MP – was favoured by eight per cent of the public and Conservatives.