I support the limited agreement which has been reached, as it will allow the Government to function in light of the results of the General Election.
A look at these results and numbers of MPs from each Party in the House of Commons shows why this deal was necessary.
The Conservative Party, while being the largest by far following the election, is just short of the 322 seats required for a majority with 318 seats. The Lib Dems and SNP have chosen not to support the Conservative Party in the House of Commons.
The total number of MPs from the Labour Party, SNP, Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru and Green Party in the House of Commons only comes to 314, fewer than the Conservatives and short of a majority. They too would need to work with the DUP to form a Government. So given the result of the General Election it is likely that any party would need the DUP to form a Government.
Indeed, the Labour Party in both 2010 and 2015 sought to do a deal with the DUP if it would allow them to form a Government.
This will not be a coalition as some suggest, the DUP will not form part of the Government and will not have Ministers within it. Instead, the two parties have come to an arrangement based on ‘confidence and supply’, which means that the DUP will support the Government on the Queen’s speech, motions of confidence and budgetary legislation.
The UK needs a Government, and as the largest party with the largest number of votes and seats in the election the Conservative Party has the mandate to take the lead in forming a Government. Without relying on the support of the DUP, anyone attempting to form a Government is at the risk of losing a vote of confidence and then for there to be another General Election. This is the last thing anybody wants, and the last thing the country needs with Brexit negotiations underway.
This agreement will not lead to union between the Conservative Party and the DUP. We will not agree on every issue and so significant disagreements will remain.
Below is a copy of the agreement. You will see that there is no dilution of equalities, women’s rights or climate protections. In 2013 I voted in favour of same-sex marriage in a free vote, I have supported women’s abortion rights and I want to see the Paris Agreement on Climate Change succeed. I will not support any move to dilute the women’s or LGBT rights in this Parliament.
Indeed, in the Queen’s Speech the Government committed to “make further progress to tackle the gender pay gap, and discrimination against people on the basis of their race, faith, gender, disability or sexual orientation”, and to protect victims of domestic violence.
I do not want to see anything destabilise the Peace Process in Northern Ireland. The priority is that the parties in Northern Ireland get back around the negotiating table and to restore the power-sharing Northern Ireland Executive. The Government’s approach and objectives in these talks remains unchanged, and the Secretary of State is getting back to work facilitating the talks which are entirely separate from a deal with the DUP in the House of Commons, with the agreement stating “the DUP will have no involvement in the UK Government’s role in political talks in Northern Ireland”.
The DUP will not be part of the British Government, and so I trust the Secretary of State to act impartially and in the best interests of the people of Northern Ireland. To highlight this, the Secretary of State will not sit on the DUP/Conservative Party co-ordination committee.
Finally, the only alternative to the DUP supporting elements of the Government’s programme is for there to be another General Election. I do not think another suspension of talks to allow for an Election, and the third election this year in Northern Ireland, would do anything to help the Peace Process which we all want to succeed and prosper.