Court challenge to Commons pact with DUP hits crowdfunding target
A MENTAL health worker has reached a crowdfunding target to pay for a legal challenge to the UK Government’s deal with the Democratic Unionists.
Ciaran McClean, an unsuccessful Westminster candidate for the Green Party NI in the general election, claims the confidence-and-supply arrangement will undermine the Northern Ireland peace process.
The Co Tyrone father-of-three launched an online bid to raise £20,000 for a court bid and last night he passed the target with more than 900 donations. A fresh target of £100,000 has now been set.
Accusing the Government of “buying DUP votes” to hold on to power, Mr McClean argues that it has contravened a commitment laid out in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement to act with
“rigorous impartiality”. The Commons deal saw the DUP’s 10 MPs agree to support the Conservatives’ minority government in a series of key votes. In exchange, Northern Ireland’s largest party secured £1 billion of Treasury investment in the region. Mr McClean
intends to take a judicial review against Theresa May’s administration.
Mr McClean said the arrangement was in
“direct violation” of the Good Friday peace accord.
He is being represented in the private action by London law firm Edwin Coe LLP.