Mr Hammond (inset) is leading negotiations with the Unionist party who previously grabbed an extra £1billion of funding
Are the DUP about to back May’s Brexit plan? Deputy leader says party ‘wants a deal’ after ‘constructive talks’ over new legal advice – but laughs off claims they’ll only back PM at next week’s vote in return for ANOTHER £1billion
The DUP’s top MP smiled today as he denied Chancellor Philip Hammond offered the party cash to back Theresa May’s Brexit divorce in the Commons next week but said: ‘We want to get a deal’.
Deputy leader Nigel Dodds also revealed the party remains ‘very disappointed’ with Geoffrey Cox’s legal advice on the Irish backstop as pressure was heaped on the Attorney General to tweak it.
Mr Hammond is leading negotiations with the Unionist party who previously grabbed an extra £1billion of funding for Northern Ireland in exchange for its 10 MPs propping up the Government for two years until this summer.
But Mr Dodds insisted they were not talking money and said the Chancellor was there to discuss tax issues for Northern Ireland, calling the talks ‘constructive’.
He said: ‘We are not discussing cash. From day one, our focus has been on the red line of how Northern Ireland is treated separately from the rest of the UK.
He added: ‘For us the key problem with the Withdrawal Agreement is the Irish backstop. We have had good discussion today. Those discussions will continue’.
He said the Government was now ‘very focused’ on addressing the issue of the backstop, adding: ‘There is a renewed focus in Government on ensuring those issues are addressed’.
There is also growing pressure on Attorney General Geoffrey Cox to change his legal advice to ease fears that Britain would be trapped ‘indefinitely’ in the Irish backstop – and Mrs May’s top lawyer was also at today’s talks with Environment Secretary Michael Gove, Cabinet Secretary David Lidington and Tory Chief Whip Julian Smith.
Despite the DUP’s denial, insiders suggested that the Government could promise to pump more money into Northern Ireland. The party negotiated an extra £1billion of funding in exchange for supporting Theresa May in a ‘supply and confidence’ deal struck in 2017.
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Theresa May (pictured last night) appears to have a final shot to get her Brexit deal through Parliament with the EU demanding a major ‘rethink’ on Brexit by Britain if they are to offer an extension and Philip Hammond has been in talks with the DUP today
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Powerbrokers DUP leader Arlene Foster and Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar spoke at a Washington DC gala dinner last night with Ms Foster hinting she could back Mrs May’s deal
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European Council President Donald Tusk is greeted by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte in The Hague as the EU pushes for a longer delay to Brexit
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Attorney General Geoffrey Cox, pictured leaving the Commons last night, is said to be ‘updating’ his legal advice to include his view that the UK could withdraw unilaterally from the Irish backstop
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Amber Rudd arrived at No 10 Downing Street with Greg Clark and David Gauke together after they abstained in a Commons vote that saw Theresa May defeated and Mr Gauke was apparently told to resign but didn’t