DUP to use May's desperate coalition to disrupt Brexit with 'migration concessions'

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Prior to the 2015 election, with the pollsters predicting a hung parliament, the DUP ruled out a potential formal coalition with the Conservatives, instead indicating its support would be offered in a confidence and supply arrangement from the opposition benches. While the DUP has always been Eurosceptic, it does not want to see a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

As only people in Northern Ireland can vote for the DUP, a lot is not known about them.

But Dodds said the DUP would block any attempt to give Northern Ireland a "special status" within the European Union to avoid a hard border, something Irish nationalist rivals Sinn Fein is seeking. Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Arlene Foster celebrates the election of Gavin Robinson in East Belfast at the Titanic exhibition centre in Belfast where counting is taking place in the general election, Friday June 9, 2017.

The Tories are expected to close the final tally at 318, with the 10 DUP MPs giving it the backing it would need to govern and get legislation passed.

Mrs May said the government formed with the DUP's help would provide "certainty" for the future.

Philip Hammond will remain at No 11 Downing Street as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Amber Rudd will be home secretary, Boris Johnson foreign secretary, David Davis in charge of the department for Exiting the European Union or so-called Brexit secretary, and Michael Fallon stays in charge of the ministry of defence.

Others noted that the party now was one of the most socially conservative in Europe, having sought to maintain some of the continent's strictest restrictions on abortion and consistently opposed gay marriage.

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The loss of Conservative seats that forced the party to turn to Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has focused attention on a right-wing party typically given little attention nationally.

"We're there as the Labour Party with our points of view, everybody knows what they are and everyone can see the huge increase in our support because of the way we conducted the election and the comprehensive nature of the programme we put forward", he said.

The move has been slammed as a "coalition of chaos" by Lib Dem leader Tim Farron, who condemned Mrs May for putting her "party before her country".

During the Northern Irish peace process, they stood their ground against British prime ministers, Irish taoisigh (prime ministers) and USA presidents.

"Our two parties have enjoyed a strong relationship over many years", she said.

Mrs Foster, flanked by each one of her representatives in the House of Commons, did not take any questions after confirming plans for talks with the Conservatives.

"We want to make sure that Brexit is properly introduced and we will be the effective and possibly sole voice in parliament from Northern Ireland on Brexit", Ian Paisley Jr, a DUP member of parliament, told BBC television. Those values could come up in any power-sharing talks with the Conservatives.

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