Gary Gibbon
At Prime Minister’s Questions, Theresa May signalled that another round of intensive talks to get Stormont up and running again might not be far off. Mrs May sounded determined to avoid direct rule if she could.
Gary Gibbon
Yesterday No 10 accidentally mis-briefed that the DUP deal was contingent on Stormont power-sharing getting up and running. It set a lot of hares running, briefly, before the correction was rung through. It was a particularly lively moment because DUP insiders believe that the Northern Ireland office had, at the end of last week, been…
First Secretary of State, Damian Green, says the Government’s deal with the DUP is “designed to give confidence that we will be able to get our legislative programme through”. He says the extra £1bn promised to Northern Ireland, as part of the deal, is the result of a strong economy – and is not a…
Theresa May has promised that EU citizens living in Britain will have their rights protected after Brexit. Those who have lived in the country for five years before a still-to-be-agreed cut-off date will be granted “settled status”, but there are still questions about the level of protection on offer. The pledge came after the Prime…
Gary Gibbon
The DUP have rattled their sabres telling the UK government to get on with the deal that’s been sought to prop up Theresa May’s minority administration. They’re telling Downing Street to focus and there are probably a few things going on here. DUP sources have talked of finding Downing Street to be in chaos since…
After a major political shock in Northern Ireland’s assembly elections, fraught negotiations are under way to form an administration.
Gary Gibbon on the positions of the parties in Stormont and the British Government.
They’ve lost the election – but Sinn Fein have hailed last night’s result as a “watershed moment” in Northern Ireland politics. The republicans came within one seat of the Democratic Unionist Party and have – for the first time – prevented the unionists having a majority at Stormont. Under the rules of the Northern Ireland…