DUP MPs warn Brexit talks could endanger party's deal with Tories

[muriel_volestrangler]

DUP MPs have told senior government officials in Downing Street that any Brexit deal giving Northern Ireland a separate customs or trade regime from the rest of the UK would jeopardise the deal that keeps Theresa May in power.

The Conservatives’ minority government is propped up by the DUP’s 10 MPs, in a confidence and supply arrangement that sees them back the Tories in key votes.

But senior DUP figures demanded a meeting on Thursday after reports that the government was preparing to agree that trading relations in areas such as agriculture and energy would remain harmonised between Northern Ireland and the EU after Brexit.

One DUP MP, Sammy Wilson, said publicly that any move to “placate” the Irish government and the EU – by seeking to keep Northern Ireland in the customs union, for example – could see the DUP withdraw its support.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/nov/30/mp-sammy-wilson-warns-brexit-talks-endanger-tory-dup-deal-northern-ireland

The fundamental problem the DUP has is that it was too stupid and blinkered to think through its support of Brexit. It fell for the "have our cake and eat it" claims of Boris Johnson, without considering the border problems. Northern Irish voters were more intelligent, which is why they voted Remain, even though Unionists continue to get a majority of the vote in elections. Now the DUP are having to make threats, without being able to suggest a workable solution.