May attempts to ease Irish fears

OPPOSED: ALLIES THERE REJECT HER BREXIT DEAL

British PM writes in newspaper about ‘bright’ future for Northern Ireland.

London

British Prime Minister Theresa May made a direct appeal to Northern Irish voters yesterday to back her Brexit deal, writing in the Belfast Telegraph that the deal would put the region in a “fantastic position”.

She said: “Under this deal the future is certainly bright for Northern Ireland. It will be a gateway to both the EU market and the rest of the UK’s market.”

The newspaper is known for its support of continued British rule of the province.

May’s deal has met angry resistance from Northern Ireland’s largest party, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which props up her government in the British parliament.

The move breaches the DUP’s deal with May and throws further doubt over whether she has the numbers to approve a draft Brexit deal in parliament.

Since striking a draft divorce deal with the EU a week ago, some lawmakers in her Conservative Party have tried to trigger a leadership challenge and her Northern Irish allies have said the deal threatens the unity of the UK.

May vowed to fight on and has repeatedly cautioned that if they topple her, the UK will be thrust into a potentially disorderly departure on March 29 or that Brexit could be put off or cancelled.

But in an ominous sign for her Brexit deal, which must be approved by the British parliament, the DUP failed to back her minority government in several votes on a finance Bill on Monday.

“We had to ... show our displeasure,” its Brexit spokesperson Sammy Wilson said.

The votes, he said, were “designed to send a political message to the government: ... keep your side of the bargain otherwise we don’t feel obliged to keep ours.” More than two years after the UK voted by 52-48% to leave the EU, it is still unclear how, on what terms or even if it will leave as planned on March 29, 2019.

May needs 320 votes out of the 650-seat parliament to get approval.