May’s £1bn DUP deal faces crowdfunded High Court challenge

THERESA MAY’S £1billion deal to win the support of the Democratic Unionist Party for her minority government could be challenged in the courts on the grounds that it breaches the Good Friday agreement.

A crowdfunding campaign has been launched on the Crowdjustice website by Ciaran Mcclean, a peace campaigner and Green Party member in Northern Ireland, to raise funds for the challenge.

The online appeal had already met its initial aim to secure £20,000 in funding for legal fees last night. A fresh target of £100,000 has now been set.

Mr Mcclean believes the deal, which grants the Conservatives an overall majority with the support of the DUP’S 10 MPS, breaches both the 1998 Good Friday agreement and the Bribery Act.

The confidence and supply arrangement, signed on June 26, means that £1billion will go to Belfast for infrastructure, broadband, schools and hospitals in return for DUP support in key Commons votes.

Mr Mcclean’s legal team aim to issue High Court proceedings this week and will push for the case to be heard as early as possible. The basis of the claim is that the deal is in breach of the 1998 Good Friday agreement, under which the government undertook to exercise its power in Northern Ireland “with rigorous impartiality on behalf of all the people in the diversity of their identities and traditions”.

Mr Mcclean told the Guardian that the Government “has obligations under international law which are not being observed in this deal with the DUP”.

He also argued that the arrangement could be construed as “a bribe to patch together a parliamentary majority”.

He added: “The £1billion bribe actually threatens the institutions in Northern Ireland. How can there be impartiality when one of the executive parties has the UK government over a barrel?

“This case is not being taken for nostalgia value. The DUP deal threatens to undermine our democracy in Northern Ireland, so it is important that citizens can challenge it,” he said.

David Greene, a senior partner at Edwin Coe, Mr Mcclean’s solicitors, said: “This case is of huge public importance and demonstrates that individuals can call governments to account and the importance of that capability in a democracy.”

Joanna Sidhu of Crowdjustice said: “By launching a crowdfunding campaign to support this challenge, Ciaran is giving everyone the opportunity to be part of the fight to preserve our democratic values.”