After narrowly securing victory but failing to establish a majority in the snap elections conducted on June 8, the Conservative Party is considering a deal with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to guide Britain through Brexit talks to be held on June 20.
Prime Minister Theresa May had called the snap elections in an effort to gain a stronger majority in the parliament. However, the results have not gone in favour of May’s Conservative Party, failing to secure the 326 seats needed to form a majority government by securing just 318 seats.
However, there is still hope for May to secure the majority to form the government. DUP leader and first minister of Northern Ireland, Arlene Foster has backed Theresa May and the Conservatives to continue in power. Foster has informed that she was entering discussions with May over the details of any arrangement that would prop up a minority government.
Foster said the election in Northern Ireland, which saw 10 DUP MPs, including two new ones, elected to the Commons, was a “great result” for the union.
DUP and May’s party share cordial relations since she became prime minister 11 months ago and are likely to enter into an agreement so as to stop Jeremy Corbyn becoming prime minister.
There are worries that a union between the Conservatives and the DUP could block Irish nationalist efforts to break from the UK and form a united Ireland.