It raises an interesting question whether the EU will be encouraged to take a harder line, given the concessions that the DUP have achieved. I think they'd be misleading themselves if they are, since the DUP had particularly good leverage here. I guess it all depends on how much pressure the EU themselves come under. At the moment, there's apparent concord between all the 27 other members, but you wonder how long that will last if there's a prospect of a UK/EU rift and smaller members see themselves at a disadvantage dealing with an important export market. So too, German industry, French agriculture etc if they genuinely think the negotiations will falter.
I posted something a few pages back Seagull, info from the Times saying illegal immigration running at 150-250,000 a year and over 1 million in the country. Most overstaying by visas but some entering the country illegally. Purely anecdotally, my wife volunteers at our local Citizens Advice Bureau once a week. Last week they had an Iraqi asylum seeker in with his heavily pregnant Portuguese girlfriend / 'fiancé'. He had arrived in the UK on the back of a lorry from Ireland and was facing challenges about his asylum claim. I thought you were supposed to claim asylum in the first 'safe' country you got to?
Scotland already gets huge subsidies from English tax payers. The Northern Irish need and deserve the money and it will help everyone in the province, whatever their political colour.
You'd think so, wouldn't you. Maybe the Scottish Conservatives will threaten to withdraw their support for Mrs May unless their own special case is catered for... Lucky old Northern Ireland, though, to find a compassionate government that recognises their needs and wants to help. So much better than having your arm twisted, eh?
Can't pretend I know too much on the subject but it does make me wonder whether they would have received that amount if they weren't needed to form the government or is that a tad cynical
..and the rest of the country couldn't do with the same level of support? Sadly we haven't got any votes to sell. It's a scandalous misappropriation of taxpayers money, potentially in breach of the Good Friday Agreement and is likely going to be subject to a legal challenge/judicial review on the grounds of a breach of impartiality by the UK Govt.
****ing hell, Col. It's one thing to blindly support them. To defend a bung so brazenly is outrageous. Why do NI deserve it any more than any other two million people when various public services are so clearly lacking funds?
On the face of it, I would expect any legal challenge to fail, since the DUP have pledged to spend the money on all the citizens in Northern Ireland. They will all benefit. There have always been deals done to prop up minority governments. Gordon Brown tried to buy the DUP's support in 2010. Shawn Woodward worked on an economic package.
Boris Johnson also said we should have access to the single market. Agree he''s a side player but he is in name secretary of state for foreign affairs.
...but it's not likely to be a challenge to where and how they spend the money, it will be about how the UK Govt has shifted the balance of power in the province towards the DUP - which goes against everything the Good Friday Agreement is there to protect.
Incidentally... May's DUP bribe could have bought NHS: 1000 MRI scanners 1500 CT scanners 35,000 junior doctors 65,000 nurses
Wouldn't worry about that. They'll soon remember that £350 million each week that they promised if we voted Leave. That'll make up for it. I'll even write the speech for Theresa in a way that she can work her magic with. "350 miillion a week for the NHS means 350 million week for the NHS. You wanted a magic money tree. Here it is. It will blossom and produce pots of gold for us once we're out."
That's because we do have access to it, and will do after we've left the EU. But during the referendum campaign, he said we would not keep membership. The Independent did drag up footage of him saying he'd like to stay a member...from 2013
I'd say the agreement itself is not a problem, indeed it has brought financial benefit to the region. Of course, if there is later evidence of conduct by government that prejudiced Sinn Fein, that might give a cause of action
