Fears deal May favor unionists

Posted By: June 10, 2017

John Manley. Irish News. Belfast. Saturday, June 10, 2017

THERE were fears last night that a DUP deal with Theresa May will result in concessions which strongly favor Unionism.

The Conservative leader announced she would form a government with the backing of the DUP after a disastrous election saw her fall short of a House of Commons majority.

Mrs. May spoke of the north’s largest party as “friends and allies” as speculation mounted over the price it would extract for its support.

Claire Hanna of the SDLP said the DUP’s record in negotiations often resulted in “partisan resource allocation.”

“I fear they will seek the totemic concessions on things like parading and the military covenant rather than acting in the wider interest,” she said.

Alliance leader Naomi Long also said the Stormont talks were in “real danger” and warned about Arlene Foster’s party dictating the direction of travel on Brexit: “This region only works by sharing and interdependence. That is made all the more difficult when one side of the two diametrically opposed parties here has untold influence over the government.”

Mrs. Foster said the DUP “will always strive for the best deal for Northern Ireland and its people” but also wanted “the best for all of the United Kingdom.”

Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams yesterday poured scorn on a Tory/DUP deal.

“History will show, alliances between Ulster Unionism and British unionism has always ended in tears. It is far better to look to our place, to all of the people here, to deal with the people of this island, this part of the island as one community,” he said.