Conservative-DUP deal could be delayed until next week due to Grenfell Tower fire in London – pushing back Queen’s Speech and Brexit talks
A POSSIBLE deal between the Conservatives and the DUP is set to be delayed further today as a result of the Grenfell Tower fire in West London.
DUP sources said that any agreement where the Northern Irish party would support votes in Parliament would not be announced today.
London Fire Brigade is still tackling the enormas blaze in North Kensington after a fire broke out in a 24-storey tower block in the early hours of the morning.
Police have confirmed that at least 12 people have died so far, and 68 people have been taken to hospital. The death toll is expected to rise.
But no parliamentary statement can be made on the blaze - as MPs are not yet sworn in to their positions.
The DUP said today that "95 per cent of it is already agreed" but that nothing official would be announced today.
This is likely to affect the timing of the Queen's Speech - which was set for Monday.
Brexit talks were also set to start next week too - but officials have now been unable to set a specific date due to the political uncertainty.
However, on delays to the deal, No 10 said this morning that reports were "not coming from us".
Issues including Brexit, the economy, taxation and counter-terrorism measures have so far been discussed.
But former Prime Minister John Major spoke out against the deal, saying it could threaten peace in Northern Ireland and cost the Tories a "bucketload" of votes in the next election.
And Sinn Fein leaders Gerry Adams and Michelle O'Neill are to meet the Prime Minister tomorrow - to discuss the DUP deal and Stormont.
A condition of the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland is that the UK Government remains impartial - but it could be seen to be biased if the Tories do a deal with the DUP to keep them in No10.
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The Northern Irish Party leader Arlene Foster arrived in London yesterday for talks in Downing Street with her deputy Nigel Dodds.
She said that discussions were "going well" and they hoped to reach an agreement "soon".
The Conservative Party will have to rely on the support of their 10 MPs if it wants to guarantee passing vital votes in the Houses of Commons.
The party is expected to support them on key votes like the Queen's Speech and the Budget - but not on a day-to-day basis.
But the DUP will also be hoping to gain more concessions from the Conservatives in exchange for that backing.
Mrs May’s party has many differences with the DUP, but it is likely to be the price she has to pay to keep Jeremy Corbyn out of Downing Street.
The Conservatives may be forced to compromise on a number of aspects of their manifesto if they reach a deal – including on their cuts-first approach.
It is unclear exactly what the party want from an arrangement, but they are opposed to many benefit cuts and scrapping the triple lock on pensions – and are likely to want more money for Northern Ireland.
They also want to ensure that a hard border does not fall between Northern Ireland and the Republic, and that any deal for leaving the customs union doesn’t hurt their economy.
A draft agreement between the Conservatives and Democratic Unionist Party came close to a formal “confidence and supply” deal in the days after the 2015 election,
It said the party would support the Government in no confidence motions, but would vote as it decides on:
- Welfare reforms
- Matters relating exclusively to Northern Ireland
- Matters related to devolution of powers