Oh dear: New Election coming soon

[AtW]

DUP expresses doubts about UK-EU post-Brexit Irish border deal - Politics live

She said the DUP would not accept any “regulatory divergence” between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. This is awkward for Theresa May, because it implies the DUP want the ‘regulatory alignment with the EU after Brexit’ condition to apply to the whole of the UK - something which is unacceptable to Tory Brexiters.

She says the DUP would oppose anything that would lead to regulatory divergence between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

She says the DUP wants to see a sensible Brexit.

The Irish government claim to be guarantors of the Belfast agreement. But they are seeking to unilaterally change it, she says. She says the DUP will not stand for that.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics...-politics-live

[BrilloPad]

You actually think the DUP will vote against the Torys?

[meridian]

You actually think the DUP will vote against the Torys?

Depends if they have their bung from the Tories in the bank or not. If the cash has been received, then anything goes :-)

[DaveB]

You actually think the DUP will vote against the Torys?

Yes if there is even the slightest hint that NI will be made somehow different from the rest of the UK. They will see it as the first step towards a united Ireland.

[jamesbrown]

I'd politely suggest that you hold your horses and wait until later today or tomorrow, when we know the true nature of the inevitable fudge that has been agreed.

Unlike our own gov't, the EU is rather effective at briefing.

OTOH, the DUP and Tory whips are coordinating closely. There's no way that May will sign-up to something that immediately implodes the agreement w/ the DUP so, if there IS an agreement (and I wouldn't necessarily trust the press just yet, for the reason I mentioned above) the DUP will be onboard, and that means no countenance of regulatory divergence between NI and rUK.

[BlasterBates]

Foster, the DUP leader, did not explicitly condemn the UK-EU border deal. She expressed reservations about it, but did not firmly condemn it.

No election, not on that issue anyway. I suspect Scotland may end up in a similar kind of half out status as well.

[jamesbrown]

Yes if there is even the slightest hint that NI will be made somehow different from the rest of the UK. They will see it as the first step towards a united Ireland.

Agreed, the DUP do not BS (unlike HMG). If they don't like something, and they can influence it, it won't happen.

[BrilloPad]

Yes if there is even the slightest hint that NI will be made somehow different from the rest of the UK. They will see it as the first step towards a united Ireland.

Understood. But would they go as far as voting with a motion of no-confidence? They really hate Labour.

I am not an expert on this. Just curious......

[BlasterBates]

...which raises the most likely outcome of what is essentially not a Hard Brexit or a Soft Brexit but is a "Dog's Brexit".

[chopper]

The BBC's political editor said Mr Lamberts said the UK was prepared to accept that Northern Ireland may remain in the EU's customs union and single market in all but name.

(Source: UK and EU 'appear close to Brexit breakthrough' - BBC News )

I don't even see how that could work, without the SNP kicking off (they'd rather like the same deal as an NI in the single market) and without a return to the troubles?