i'm going to bring alistair ross in. a former dupjunior to bring alistair ross in.agreement the british government has to be neutral, has to be totally impartial when it comes to the peace process so how can they be impartial, neutral when they are doing a deal with the dup? ifi can say neutral when they are doing a deal with the dup? if i can say the neutral when they are doing a deal with the dup? ifi can say the dup isa with the dup? ifi can say the dup is a socially conservative party, but northern ireland is socially conservative, you know, in comparison to the rest of the united kingdom and other parties also hold the same view that the 196 abortion act shouldn't be extended to northern ireland. it is notjust the dup, the sdlp and most of the unionist party would hold that view as well. in terms of the process, i have heard a lot about this from particularly labour mps in the last 24 hours. it would almost suggests that the labour party when they were in government didn't try to do deals with the dup and of course they did and they would have taken sides at di

some very important points made by jonny dymond, alistair ross, a formerjunior minister jonny dymond,ont assembly with the dup joins me now. thank you for coming to talk to us. on the main point here that sinn fein and some others are making, if the dup formed some sort of agreement with theresa may, the good friday agreement is in peril, what do you say? there are two responses, that nationalist parties in northern ireland have always held the view that the uk government are not mutual actors in northern ireland, that has not changed and secondly, for sinn fein, an all ireland party, their primary objective at the moment is in the irish republic, an actor in the good friday agreement structures as well, particularly north and substructures. it is a disingenuous position from sinn fein who i believe are under pressure at the moment. the prospect of direct rule, when the government is reliant on dup votes to get crucial legislation through the house of commons, i think it is a daunting prospect for sinn fein voters and for sinn fein members. to spell it out, you say that if there is so