DUP to support minority Tory government after 'confidence and supply' deal reached

Barwell was one of the Conservative lawmakers who lost his seat in Thursday's election, which saw the party lose its parliamentary majority.

Davidson's Scottish Conservatives went from one seat to 13 in the election, giving the national party one of its few success stories on the night.

Theresa May looks set to be backed by the Democratic Unionist Party as she attempts to run a minority government following her General Election disaster.

The DUP forged its combative brand of British nationalism in the Protestant areas of 1970s Belfast as the bloody "Troubles" pitched hardline unionists fighting to remain part of Britain against mainly Catholic nationalists seeking a united Ireland.

In a resignation statement on the Conservative Home website, Timothy conceded that the campaign had failed to communicate "Theresa's positive plan for the future", and missed signs of surging support for the opposition Labour Party.

Timothy said he was taking responsibility for his role in the "disappointing" election result.

He said the Conservative election manifesto — which Hill and Timothy were key in drafting — was "a full assault on the core Tory voters, who are senior citizens".

After confirming on Friday that her top five ministers, including finance minister Philip Hammond, would keep their jobs, May must name the rest of her team, who will take on one of the most demanding jobs in recent British history. Beleaguered May is appointing new members of her government after several.

"I didn't know who the DUP were, I had to Google them, as many people no doubt in this country would have had to Google them".

In an opinion piece in The Times entitled "Working in No 10, I was staggered by the arrogance of Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill" she said how both aides For were rude and abusive to Cabinet members.

She also confirmed to German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a phone call yesterday that Britain was ready to begin Brexit negotiations "as planned in the next couple of weeks", reassuring European Union leaders who had expressed doubts after May's electoral losses.

In 2008, DUP MP Iris Robinson, the wife of then party leader and First Minister Peter Robinson, described homosexuality as an "abomination" that made her feel "sick" and "nauseous".

She added: 'I could not care less what people get up to in terms of their sexuality, that's not a matter for me - when it becomes a matter for me is when people try to redefine marriage'.

A deal between the government and the DUP could also unsettle the precarious balance between Northern Ireland's British loyalist and Irish nationalist parties.

Instead they will have to get the support of another party, so that together they have enough seats to make a government.

Without even mentioning her shock losses, the Prime Minister returned from a meeting with the Queen to declare getting closer to the DUP would mean the Tories could offer stability to Britain.

She seems secure for the immediate future, because senior Conservatives don't want to plunge the party into a damaging leadership contest.

The Times newspaper's front page declared "May stares into the abyss".