Northern Ireland's unionist kingmakers may help shape PM May's Brexit

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Chancellor Philip Hammond, meanwhile, is reported to have told the Prime Minister that she needed to put "jobs first" in negotiating a new deal with Brussels, in comments seen as a coded attack on her focus on controlling immigration.

Let's back up a little.

Britain's general election has ended with no party winning an outright majority, bringing the second so-called hung Parliament in the last three elections.

May is under pressure after the Conservatives lost their parliamentary majority in Thursday's election.

ROGER SCULLY: Well, I think a major thing that happened is that the Conservative Party effectively undermined the core message of their own campaign.

Following an audience with the Queen, the Prime Minister has been granted permission to try and form a government with the support of the Democratic Unionist Party.

Steve Crowther, who is standing in as Ukip leader following Paul Nuttall's resignation, said an end to freedom of movement must be secured in the Brexit talks.

Perhaps for these reasons, David Cameron ruled out entering into a deal with the DUP in 2010 and during his time as prime minister. The main opposition Labour Party took 262. She called the early election with her party comfortably ahead in the polls in the hope of increasing her majority and strengthening Britain's hand in exit talks with the European Union.

Some senior Tories have made the removal of Hill and Timothy a condition for continuing to support May, who has vowed to remain prime minister despite the Conservatives' losing their overall majority in Parliament.

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"However, we need to do it in a way that respects the specific circumstances of Northern Ireland, and, of course, our shared history and geography with the Republic of Ireland".

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

A deal between the DUP and the Conservatives would risk destabilising the delicate political balance in Northern Ireland and could significantly complicate talks due to start next week to restore the province's power-sharing agreement.

"I would have thought that's enough to go, actually, and make way for a government that will be truly representative of all of the people of this country".

May's authority over her party was shattered by the election result.

Some opine now that DUP's being part of the government may be a chance for the party to introduce the kind of controversial policies it implements in Northern Ireland.

MARTIN: But she is talking to a party out in Northern Ireland called the Democratic Unionists in an effort to form a coalition that would allow her to govern.

Cooper, who was defeated by Corbyn in the 2015 Labour leadership contest, said the Parliamentary Party had "changed a lot" since last year's European Union referendum and was now fully behind Corbyn.

The source said the DUP was likely to seek a role in Brexit negotiations but was likely to steer clear of social issues such as abortion and gay rights, where it disagrees with Conservative Party positions.

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