May Goes To Palace To Ask Queen To Form Minority Government After DUP Support
THERESA MAY is set to visit the Queen this afternoon to try and form a new minority government after the DUP pledged to support her after her disastrous election gamble landed us with a hung Parliament.
The PM was left scrambling to stay in power after a political earthquake overnight, which saw a stunning Labour resurgence from Jeremy Corbyn and significant gains across the country.
The arrangement is believed to be support from the DUP for a minority Tory government, rather than a formal coalition like that entered into with the Lib Dems in 2010.
Despite the Tories topping 42 per cent of the vote share for the first time since 1987, with almost all seats declared they were mathematically unable to get a majority of MPs.
The PM, who now knows she made a catastrophic miscalculation when she ordered the snap poll in April, has to rely on the support of minority parties to keep her in No10.
And she has acted quickly this morning to ensure she stays in post – after Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell started talking of getting into No10 by the back door with a potential left-wing coalition.
The Conservatives are set to offer a “confidence and supply” deal – which is not a formal coalition, but an agreement only to help them on a vote-by-vote basis.
A DUP source told The Guardian: “We want there to be a government. We have worked well with May. The alternative is intolerable.
“For as long as Corbyn leads Labour, we will ensure there’s a Tory PM.”
Mrs May was set to deliver a speech on the steps of Downing Street and reveal her next move, but this is thought to have been scrapped for the meantime as the Tories pore over the wreckage of a race they seemed set to win easily just a few weeks ago.
Earlier in the night, a deal seemed less likely. Arlene Foster, the DUP leader spoke to BBC Radio Ulster overnight and was tight-lipped about the prospects of her party supporting the Conservatives.
nstead of providing “strong and stable” leadership she has plunged the country’s future into doubt, and having called the election to get a mandate for the tough Brexit talks in the days ahead, they may now be delayed.
This morning EU Commissioner Gunther Oettinger said the negotiations might not now start as planned on June 19, potentially damaging our chances of getting a deal during the Article 50 period.
Original Article: The Sun
Facebook Comments