UK Prime Minister Theresa May's plan to solidify her majority before Brexit has back-fired as of yesterday, leaving her Conservative party with just 48.9% of Parliamentary seats after losing twelve seats. She has to reach out to another conservative group in order to bolster her majority. That group will be the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the major Unionist party of Northern Ireland, formed in 1971 by the extremist Unionist Ian Paisley. The 1.5% (10 members) that the DUP have in Parliament (after adding two seats today) will bring the Conservatives over the 50% line. Suddenly, it looks like this relatively small block will have out-sized negotiating power.
Meanwhile, the DUP's opposition within Northern Ireland (Sinn Fein) seems to see this historical election result--in which they gained three more abstentionist seats, bringing the total to seven--as making the way for their moment. According to the Belfast Telegraph's front page, Sinn Fein leaders Michelle O'Neill and Gerry Adams see this vote as a vote against Brexit, and as an opportunity to re-establish government within Northern Ireland at Stormont and designated status for the North within the EU. It seems to be a very volatile moment for the country, when things could go any of several different ways. The Irish Times' front page is reporting the result as strengthening the DUP's hand by emphasizing May's reference to her coalition with her DUP "friends and allies."
I am very interested and anxious to hear how all of our contacts in the North and the Republic are looking at today's news.
I enclose links to both the Telegraph and the Times coverage below:
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/sinn-fein-ready-to-resume-talks-aimed-at-reestablishing-stormont-executive-after-watershed-election-35809208.html
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/uk/uk-election-theresa-may-set-to-work-with-dup-friends-and-allies-1.3112046
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