so the dup is the only route.come out early and taken a clear davidson have come out early and ta ken a clear stance. davidson have come out early and taken a clear stance. -- ruth davidson. if there are such strictures and they say you will only have our support if you do so and so, what happens then because the brexit talks are about to begin? this is why britain is entering its most complex post—war period. this will be dependent on ten dups who have the nuclear option to bring it down. it will make it hard for the conservatives to get through any more austerities measures. there is a call for the abolition of the benefits —— bed tax and the conservatives are in opposition to lots of areas. fiscally conservative mps are worried people have forgotten the budget deficit. how will they get that under control? there are huge tension and there is the euro question. the dup want to maintain the customs area and frictionless and borderless areas. in fact, this whole area is opening up in fact, this whole area is openi

then mentioned tops of the dup.rvative chief whip has travelled to northern ireland to begin discussions. senior sinn fein leaders say they're concerned that a deal between the dup and the conservatives could put the northern ireland peace process at risk. power sharing in stormont broke down in january and nationalists say they expect the british government to remain neutral in efforts to revive it. one area of concern for people are the dup‘s socially conservative policies, for example, their opposition to gay marriage. it's an issue raised by the scottish conservative leader ruth davidson yesterday, who urged theresa may not to allow that to be a factor in the discussions, to encourage lgb t writes here in northern ireland. speaking just a while ago, conservative mp ed vaizey was asked if he had concerns about potential concessions that might have to be given to the dup to secure their support? i come from the liberal wing of the tory party and i'm not going to support any legislation that regard as socially libe

if the deal is done between the dup and theresa may, how sta ble between the dup and theresa may, howd be, and secondly can you envisage a situation where jeremy and secondly can you envisage a situation wherejeremy corbyn could be prime minister in the next short while? the daily mirror is carrying an opinion poll showing that labour underjeremy corbyn is now more popular than the conservatives under theresa may. so anything could happen in the next few volatile days and weeks. the electorate clearly have said to the political class, a plague of your house, especially the conservatives, although the tories did poll more votes than labour and retain more seats. right across the democratic world, in europe, in america, where we saw donald trump unexpectedly elected, last year in britain when brexit happened against all expectations, in france where the dominant party since the second world war have been brutally shouldered aside by a fascist party under marine le pen and then a emmanuel macron's centrist party, the old politics is dissolving under our feet, the old politics is dissolvi

would usherin dup would not do anything that would usher injeremy dup would not do anything that would even go back to the polls which in itself would be a significant risk of that happening but you could have had a situation here with theresa may where she was in office but she was not empowered, she was sustained that the minimum level by the dup and they would not have ordered extra in votes of no confidence or the budget or the queen's speech what you would have had stasis in government, no major legislation going through. going into a major brexit negotiation that would have been completely untenable position for any british in minister to be in and theresa may arguably needed this deal more than her party did, whoever comes in after her whether it is borisjohn and wherever else, they still know that theyjust do not have the votes in theyjust do not have the votes in the house of commons to get major legislation through so whoever they are they will have to negotiate. there is a long history with these kind of deals as they often for all thatis kind of deals as they often for all

lam not office, what are the dup scheme for?not going to negotiate on television, but we will be looking to act in the national interest. there has been a lot of hyperbole about the dup and a lot of stuff saved by people who do not really know what we stand for. but we want to bring stability to the government of the united kingdom. plenty of people lining up seeing that theresa may should quit. he called the prime minister a did women walking, but has been described as being sensationalist. of course, he was sacked in the cabinet reshuffle and is no one newspaper editor. but all this as very seriously damaged things going forward. i mean theresa may is a dead woman walking, it's just how long she's going to remain on death row... what's your guess? i think we will know very shortly. we could get easily to the middle of next week and it all collapses for her, or if it doesn't — and i agree with toby, there are many tory mps who don't want a leadership contest right now — it will be delayed. but be in no doubt — look at this week

the dup chose the back door to leave.two hours of talks the prime minister is first to emerge. there is no sign of the dup. i've been told the is dotted, but there is no sign of the deal. you cannot blame this small party to seeming cock—a—hoop at the newly public power. even though their involvement in government is anathema to some. i think there has been a lot of commentary around the issues we are talking about and it won't surprise anyone we are talking about matters that pertain of course to the nation generally, bringing stability to the uk government in and around issues around brexit. obviously around counterterrorism, then doing what is right for northern ireland in respect of economic matters. but relying on northern irish party for a government pact is a danger according to one former tory pm. risking northern irish peace by appearing to take one side. risking northern irish peace by appearing to take one sidelj risking northern irish peace by appearing to take one side. i am concerned about the deal, i am war

, then the dup said discussions were ongoing then we hear from dup said discussions were ongoing thenfrom downing street that discussions are indeed ongoing, said there has been confusion about what might happen in the future. we heard from the defence secretary today, michael palin, who said there would be no formal coalition with the dup, we knew that anyway, but this would be more about confidence and supply, which means the dup would back the government on big issues, things that the budget, the queen's speech. in response, or with some sequences on certain issues outlined by the dup, of course we have had no details of those so far, exactly what those as yours is, those conditions might be. but that is exactly what we would expect in the next few days as those discussions get finalised. and you mentioned michael fallon, he is still adamant that theresa may was correct to call the selection in the first place, i'm sure clearly not everyone agrees with that, though at the time she called it, seven weeks ago, the conditions looked incredibly favourable for her? they did, as, most im

she has made herself a hostage to the dup, which means she cannot be the dup, which means she cannot be the independent mediator between the two sides. labour took the conservative seat of kensington in west london — the final constituency declaration, after a third recount. we'll bring you the latest reaction from westminster, belfast and edinburgh, as questions remain about how long mrs may can remain as prime minister. also today, police reveal the terror attack is on london bridge tried to hirea attack is on london bridge tried to hire a seven—and—a—half—tonne truck but their cards were declined. police also discovered the safe house where they prepared for the attack. detectives want help in tracing three knives used by the attackers, and paid tribute to members of the public who put up a fight. people who came out armed with chairs, other items, throwing bottles a nd with chairs, other items, throwing bottles and then think they could get their hands on. resident troop —— president trump accuses james comey of being a liar, saying he is 100% willing to speak under oath about th

the dup say they want to do conservative. the dup say they want todoa conservative.l at stormont and will be there tomorrow, and with no precondition for talks. there are a lot of moving parts in this story when it comes to northern ireland. but our dishes between london, belfast, brussels and dublin. john, thank you. we are waiting for any news of a reshuffle. theresa may will be sorting out, as we speak. trying to continue with business as usual. we'll be back here shortly. right now, it's over to you, sean. more from her as soon as we get any news on that reshuffle. a service has taken place this morning at a re—opened southwark cathedral to remember those who died in the london bridge terror attack. meanwhile, police have released pictures of the fake suicide belts the three attackers were wearing when they struck last saturday night. here's our home affairs correspondent daniel sandford southwark‘s medieval cathedral, caught up last saturday in a 21st—century atrocity. this morning, for the first time since the london bridge attack, it opened its ancient doors t

the dup wanted those to remain.eader arlene foster. our aim has been to deliver for all of the people of northern ireland and the support measures we are announcing will be to the benefit of all our people. they will boost the economy and invest in new infrastructure, as well as investing in the future of our health and education sectors and a range of other measures. we welcome this financial support of £1 billion in the next two years, as well as providing new flexibility is an almost £500 million previously committed to northern ireland. as a consequence, spending power of almost 1.5 billion will be available to address the unique circumstances of northern ireland and the effect these have had on the economy and its people. in furtherance of our overall agreement, the government and the democratic unionist party have established a coordination committee. this agreement will remain in place for the length of the parliament and after each parliamentary session, both parties will review the aims, principles and impl

i am sure the —— dup understand that.ay is relying on that party to govern here because she doesn't have an overall majority. she will have to balance competing demands on almost every front, taking into account notjust the position of the dup on some issues, but that of her own mps too. and today, two of her closest advisers quit, leaving her to navigate tricky waters without their support. nick timothy and fiona hill we re support. nick timothy and fiona hill were accused of having too much control over policy and tactics, blamed for the election campaign that cost the prime minister her majority. and today, as the consequences of that sunk in, reflection and recrimination. some tory mps said theresa may had to heed calls to change. there have been plenty of calls to make sure that the circle around her was wider and more inclusive to prevent anyone believing that the two principal advisers had undue influence. the prime minister is under pressure from all sides, with no majority, her plans for things like grammar schoo

the dup is against 93v about the dup. the dup is against gay marriage on religious grounds.e married to herfemale partner, so she picked up the phone to theresa may yesterday evening to ask her about this, saying there were things that mattered to her more than the party, one of those being lgbt rights and she said she was given a categoric assurance by the prime minister that there would be no rollback on those rights in great britain, and indeed that they would work to help progress rights in northern ireland. let's hear a little bit more about what she had to say about her conversation with theresa may. i we are the party of equal marriage, having introduced it to the house of commons. we would use our influence to advance those rights in northern ireland, and those are assurances that i received. with these new numbers of conservative mps in scotland, it is thought that ruth davidson could have a bit of lambridge on the prime minister, and one of the issues that mattered to ruth davidson a lot was, of course, was not to leave the eu. the scottish conservatives campaigned

the deal with the dup is also under scrutiny. the leader of the scottish conservatives, ruth davidson, says she has raised concerns with the prime minister about the unionists‘ opposition to gay rights. labour has ended its election campaign on a high. jeremy corbyn‘s party took kensington from the conservatives for the first time in its history, by just 20 votes. this morning, we'll be live at downing street with the latest. and we'll be hearing how people across the uk have been reacting to friday's result. a big services, cut, nhs, social care, education. and i think people are looking for something more positive, it does not have to be that way. they just thought they we re that way. they just thought they were going to win, didn't they? end of story. i think you can forget about brexit. these guys are from norfolk, we are at the kenilworth agricultural show in warwickshire. we've also got great people to introduce you to, to talk us through what has happened over the last 2a hours, and indeed, what happens next. good morning

again, if you look at the dup manifesto and the document produced two years ago by the dup, when they there is a pledge to protect spending on public services. of course, the triple—lock is something the dup say that they want to keep. money going to pensioners is a key dup priority as well. some of those things will be important. some of them could help the conservative party get off the hook in some of the difficulties they get into during the election campaign. it may work as a benefit to the conservative party and those living in scotland and wales. i think that the dup will want to be seen as serious actors on the national stage and would relish the opportunity to not only act in the national interest by supporting the formation of government but promoting policies that could advantage of the uk as well. and a final thought, do you think they will reach a deal tomorrow? i think so. the dup made it clear over the last few months that if the conservatives need support, they are willing to do that. the prospect of either a jeremy corbyn leadership of the labour party going into down

but there are potential dangers for the dup as well.ll also look into the electorate who will be interesting in things like legislation on flagler parades, the kind of thing that appeals to the one section of society of the protesta nt one section of society of the protestant unionist community. they will either have to publish the deal or explain to their own support those why they didn't do that. that isa those why they didn't do that. that is a good example of something where evenif is a good example of something where even if theresa may were to say we would try to legislate on it, there could be enough voices even with their own conservative party to ensure that didn't get in the statute books. that is it. who knows? we don't know what the ma nifesto knows? we don't know what the manifesto is going to be. the manifesto... has obviously been shredded. it is likely that the dup, although it is evangelical christian and right—wing on social legislation, it is a working—class party which is averse to austerity and the trimming of the n

we arejoined by a dup member.ed kingdom needs is stability. as much as can be achieved. the best avenue for that some sort of accommodation between the conservative and the dup. if we're into negotiations about brexit, that will be for the good of northern ireland and for the good of the united kingdom. arlene foster will be going into these discussions with the positive frame of mind to get the best outcome for the hall of the united kingdom. what does that mean? there are two concerns which many people are. first, there is a lot of movement across the border people live on one side and maybe work on the other. their distribution centres on both sides. whatever it may be. we want is open and flexible and arrangement as possible. we don't want people's daily business to be disrupted. but putting that into practice is something that david davis has not even resolved. i will not know what the final outcome will be. but we have made it very clear we do not wa nt have made it very clear we do not want any destruction

she needs the dup. she does.hem, because the other parties cannot out vote her at the moment. do you think she will survive as prime minister of she gets their deal with the dup in the short term. have i to give the short answer? that would be very nice. england have won the biggest international football title since 1966 by winning the under 20 world cup in south korea. england won 1—0. venezuela chadian opponents. the best coming from the penalty spot, with the england goalkeeper producing a fantastic save. the more surrealist of things, england are world champions. i'm sure the celebrations will continue. fantastic. wales are looking for their first win in world cup qualifying tonight, when they take on serbia in belgrade. after four straight draws, they're four points behind group leaders serbia and the republic of ireland, who play austria. gareth bale heads a long list of missing players but striker sam vokes is set to win his 50th cap. it has been a fantasticjourney. there has been a core group of players

again the dup not seen on that.entre piece, the social ca re about the centre piece, the social care policy which obviously had to get watered down during the campaign. has that gone completely? 0r campaign. has that gone completely? or is there a version? how much detail is theresa may having to go into now with arlene foster about exactly what goes in that queen's speech? if the dup are going to support it, they need to be able to say they agree with most of the measures in it. it's notjust about brexit, you can see how they could agree on almost everything possibly when it comes to the brexit plans, but some of the domestic policy is... it's interesting, last night the mps who came out of that meeting with theresa may, there's been a lot of concern from tory mps about the socially conservative views. have you done a deal, prime minister? well, no comment from the prime minister and no sign of arlene foster or nigel dodds. minister and no sign of arlene foster or nigel doddslj minister and no sign of arlene foster

we are told from the outset that the dup would not be in an actualformal outset that the dup would nothey were going to do it on a deal by dual basis. that is something of that ilk. the method known as confidence and supply. the other issue for a lot of people is that the dup have certain views and policies which are not regarded as liberal enough in some people's views. also there have been questions asked about associations that the party may have had in the past with whilest extremists in northern ireland. the talks have been taking place today. you can see those pictures from last year, the dup leader, arlene foster, there have lots of controversies as well with her at the centre of them to do with her at the centre of them to do with an energy scheme in northern ireland. that ended up costing a huge amount of money. and martin mcguinness, you can see, who died a few months ago, he resigned from the stormont executive. they were not successful in putting another executive together after elections. asa executive together after elections. as a consequence, executive together after el

obviously, that is the situation with the dup.gs they will be absolutely desperate for is no imposition of a heart border with the republic of ireland, with most of the trade. let's speak to the labour's clive lewis, who was re—elected to become mp for norwich south, and hejoins us from our norwich studio. is it inevitable that the tape of brexit we were talking about seven weeks ago will change? we have just had the general election and i still do not know what her position on brexit. she has basically said no deal is better than a bad deal. it has blown up in herface. it has not worked. we now find ourselves in a situation where she is potentially entering into a coalition with the political party with ideas based in the 17th century. i think it is time for her to eat eat large pools of humble pie and start working with the national interest with a large number of political leaders, including the labour party. do you thinkjeremy corbyn will be able to affect change? i know your colic had been talking about a cross—party brexit c

it seems at the moment that she needs the dup more than the dup need her.lene foster shared a phone call yesterday but i understand nothing substantive was talked about. obviously a lot of time pressure with brexit negotiations due to start in a little over a week and theresa may will want to see some sort of deal or arrangement well before then. yes, time pressure, as you say. more from anita later. let us take stock to think of the events of the last 48 hours and assess how we ended up where we are with the fallout we now know about. joining me now isjoe twyman from the polling company, yougov. we should reflect first of all on the final poll before the election because your organisation thought we would be looking at a hung parliament. that's right, over a week ago we published our new testa m e nt week ago we published our new testament using new data to crunch the numbers and it showed a hung parliament was the most likely option. it wasn't met with universal acclaim but in the light of that the data really didn't change. as we know, during the campaig

there area number of ireland, notjust dup boaters.at stormont, sinn fein want legal recognition for the irish and would, the dup have been opposed to bringing in same—sex marriage in northern ireland. some observers think nationalists will be wary of the deal between the main unionist party and the conservatives. sinn fein in particular and the other ones that count are going to be very suspicious of what's in the deal because even if there is a document and details, first they had to decide if there's anything else behind—the—scenes that we don't know, what could there be, for either be? the key question here is that the agreement to stabilise the uk government will help to bring stability to northern ireland. there arejust over stability to northern ireland. there are just over three days left to save devolution. and chris page is in belfast. the last talks to 18 days, no luxury of that with this set. that's absolutely right simon and right now here at stormont negotiators are the game closely at this document would which outlines t

theresa may and the conservatives need the dup far more than the dup near the conservatives.ern ireland and they, frankly, their needs are not anything like the needs are not anything like the needs of the conservative party. theresa may is friendless at when —— westminster other than the dup, theresa may is friendless at when —— westminster otherthan the dup, so it isa westminster otherthan the dup, so it is a pact of necessity. some of theissues it is a pact of necessity. some of the issues well illustrated by ruth davidson's comments. the conservative leader in scotland has picked up on some of the dup‘s positions on various issues. some people might find unpalatable and that has become an issue with gay rights, to do with abortion, same—sex marriages let's hear what she had to say. i spoke with the prime minister this morning and i told her there were a things are worried us, one thing is country and the other is gay and transgender rights. i asked for reassurance that if any deal was done with the dup, there would be no recession of lgbti writes. we tried to use it the i

unless you want your dup, who you like so much, to join him. i don't like the dup.hout the dup? i think the odds are that the labour government... who do i speak to you? there are two people here. i can only respond to one point at a time. i think what labour are doing is a very clever and canny political ploy to expose the fact that theresa may humiliatingly lost this election and now has a coalition of chaos. jeremy corbyn lost this election. what i think will happen... i want to bring in thomas to talk about the other issue, which is the brexit negotiations. does this result in any way change the landscape models those in positions? well, i wonder what the will of the people really is? theresa may keeps quoting the will of the people and someone to write a novel about 50 shades of brexit. 50 is enough. and so in a sense, we have to wait and see. we cannot legislate about what is going to happen. we cannot speculate. we have to wait for the negotiations. will they be pleased are disappointed with the outcome, do you think? i think they will be pretty neutral, on b

the dup campaignfor demand be around that? the dup campaign for brexit. of the most enthusiastic for brexit. the opposition to the eu was political rather than economic. they were keen to ta ke rather than economic. they were keen to take back control of the sovereignty in the uk. in terms of practicalities, they are keen for maximum flexibility on the border, maximum flexibility on the border, maximum access to trade. access to skilled and unskilled labourfor businesses. potentially, they are at the soft end of the brexit spectrum. some things said about the dup recently a re some things said about the dup recently are wrong. some people say they are in favour of staying in the customs union, i do not believe they are. they say they want to cut trade deals with countries around the world. certainly flexibility. thank you, mark. in terms of that whole issue of brexit, we note that michael barnier —— michel barnier has been talking today, the chief negotiator, warning them not to waste time with all of this. which he said would be "extraordinarily complex"

gordon brown for the dup we re a bad idea? gordon brown for the dup were 0k? a bad idea?p were ok? i'm not gordon brown. it's a bad idea. for theresa may... our values and their values are at odds. for theresa may it is the least worst option. like i said, the sinn fein situation... the good friday agreement. you can't stuff all that. let's look at the metro. corbyn says he's ready for another election, looking relaxed this morning on the tv. he had a good campaign, did he not? eventually. an excellent campaign. this is well going to agree with yasmin. so be careful. should shake my hand now. he had a terrific campaign and yes, he did change terrain but even so, he's a natural campaigner and he played to his strengths and the manifesto played to labour's friends. there was positive, the future, trying to be all—encompassing. it was the opposite of the tory campaign, which was wooden and negative. so i think ella fantastic campaign. whether he's ready for another election, i don't know. what will it be like being in power negotiating brexit with its complexities? it's a go

the dup are past masters in negotiations obviously, dealing with power—sharing in northern ireland. this could be then simply playing for time or trying to extra ct simply playing for time or trying to extract as much as they can? you have to factor that end, it could all be part of a tactical game because as you say the dup have been used to negotiating with the british and irish governments and other parties at stormont of the course of many years and it may well be that they see sending out a negative briefing tonight as a tactic to try to secure more concessions from downing street and the treasury. other westminster sources remain confident that the deal will be reached. they point out the dup are not going to vote forjeremy corbyn to become prime minister and they think a deal could be announced as soon as thursday. many thanks for that. and we will bring you a special programme on the queen's speech tomorrow from 11 o'clock on the news channel. time for a look at the weather news. too hot for some people and temperatures will be rising tomorrow, the peak of the current heatwa

the dup's origins very much like in fundamentalist policy, most dup members oppose same—sex marriage want the extension of abortion rights to northern ireland but that is not what the dup leadership will be batting for, what they want is plain and simple cash for northern ireland infrastructure. schools, hospitals, roads? in terms of changing the conservatives' social care policy, infrastructure. protection for pensioners? and increasing tourism by cutting air passenger duty, for example. there is a big shopping list for the dup. they are a good party in terms of delivering what they said they will deliver but they will strike a very hard bargain. theresa may has no option, she is friendless otherwise. we have seen pictures of theresa may go begin to judge this morning, possibly for some quiet reflection. jeremy corbyn has been more vocal, he is on andrew marr later and he is in the mirror this morning. he looks like a man without a care in the world, sipping cappuccino, looking fresher than the rest of them, and why not, he has 30 million voters, a increased labour's vote share, lab

the dup will back the government on crucial votes.n return, they get an extra £1 billion for northern ireland. today, we have reached an outcome that is good for the united kingdom, good for northern ireland, and allows our nation we'll hear from critics who accuse the government of bribing the dup. also tonight, the grenfell tower aftermath. every high—rise that's been checked has failed its fire safety test — 75 and counting. three nights after they evacuated their high—rise flats, residents of falls to move again — and they are angry. we have been evacuated, we are homeless, we are on the street. this is my anger towards those who are responsible. their home from home — theresa may's assurance for over three million eu nationals in britain. no eu citizen currently in the uk lawfully will be asked to leave at the point the uk leaves the eu — we want you to stay. the deaths of five men who drowned at camber sands — the inquest hears of the hidden dangers of the beach. coming up in sportsday on bbc news, good evening and welcome to th

ifi can say the dup isa with the dup?d 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 different times. yes, absolutely, but just a different times. yes, absolutely, butjust a minute. it stands to reason that the government will be be holden to the dup and that doesn't make them neutral or impartial when it comes to the peace process ? impartial when it comes to the peace process? it is not a mergerment it isa process? it is not a mergerment it is a much more informal arrangement around supporting a queen's speech, around supporting a queen's speech, a budget and potentially any motions of no confidenc

it's worth remembering the dup opposed the good friday agreement and the majority of dup member stillhe good friday agreement if a referendum was held tomorrow. the government now has to decide with the dup honour because it has no choice. again, it's a question of needs must. the question is how far would howling foster, who is the leader of the dup, really push the government? i think arlene foster is sensible enough as dup leader not to offer a huge public shopping list which would alienate many on the conservative side. she's not interested in changing legislation for the rest of england, scotland and wales, only interested in protecting the interests of northern ireland, so the stuff that has appeared in social media about ruth davidson being worried about the infringement of gay rights in scotland, that's simply not happening. let's talk about that, but step back as well and reflect upon anything we've been talking about. i'm joined by the conservative commentator tim montgomery. look at the resignations, let's start with that. i keep coming back to the point that a lot of peopl

they welcomed the dup's new influence.the best position, we could not have wished for anything better than a hung parliament. they should be asking to stop the witchhunt against people in the british army. what do people think dup should prioritise. the national health, the hospital is one of the most important. schools and welfare. i of the most important. schools and welfare. lam pleased of the most important. schools and welfare. i am pleased they are going into government with them. an executive for government in northern ireland. money is great but it does not answer all the questions. the dup isa not answer all the questions. the dup is a party with religious roots and that continues to influence its social policy. it opposes extending 93v social policy. it opposes extending gay marriage and abortion rights to northern ireland, but issues like these are unlikely to feature in talks with the conservatives. these are unlikely to feature in talks with the conservativeslj think talks with the conservatives.” think the du

i share a chamber in the house of commons with dup mps and mps house of commons with dup mps and mp5ectorate. nobody is talking about merging with them or formal coalition. i understand that it is an understanding not to vote down a conservative budget. there is so much to discuss. ed vaizey and sarah jones, thank you very much. congratulations. it started out cold here, but it has turned out lovely. what is going on for everybody else? thankfully, i can spread thejoy what is going on for everybody else? thankfully, i can spread the joy a little bit further than westminster. we have had a number of which is in from the isle of wight. if you go a bit further north and west, in wales, it is like that, and it is not just wales, because wales, it is like that, and it is notjust wales, because we have got weather fronts piling in notjust wales, because we have got weatherfronts piling in to notjust wales, because we have got weather fronts piling in to the north of england, wales and increasingly across the west of england and up into scotland has he having already moved through northern

that means the dup.ern, and here's why. 326 is the magic number. it's an absolute majority, it's just over half of the constituencies in the uk. the conservatives are eight short. in fact, the number is usually a bit less than this because sinn fein don't take their seats and the speaker doesn't vote. nonetheless, the conservatives can have a go at it because they have the most seats in parliament. and that's what theresa may's doing right now. she's taking initiative. she went off to see the queen just after lunchtime today because she thinks she can form a government. what she has to ensure is that by the time they come to the queen's speech, there's a majority of mps in parliament that will support her platform. or to put it another way, she has to ensure there is a majority of mps that aren't going to vote against it. so let's take a look at the numbers. what i'm going to do as i'm going to build a left—leaning alliance. not a coalition, but parties on the left that might supportjeremy corbyn. there

they welcome the dup's new influence.f view, i think northern ireland is in the best position we have ever been in. we could not have wished for anything better than a hung parliament. what should they be asking for? first, they should be asking to stop the witchhunt against the british army. just across the street, what do people think dup should prioritise? the national health for the hospital is one of the most important ones. schools and welfare. i am pleased they are going into government with them. a functioning executive in government for northern ireland. money is great but it does not answer all the questions. the dup is a party with religious roots, and that continues to influence its social policy. it opposes extending gay marriage and abortion rights to northern ireland, but issues like these are unlikely to feature in talks with the conservatives. i think the dup's demands will be overwhelmingly financial. they have a road map they set out in 2015 when they thought they would be in this position. there is ver

i'm sure the dup understand that.le here today, although concerns are being expressed about the dup‘s opinion on certain social issues including gay marriage, not getting any sense of the dup are going to be bringing those sorts of issues to the table. that they're going to be using theirs in any way as a bargaining chip. it is something that theresa may will be bearing in mind during these discussions with the dup. she would also be hearing and bearing in mind the concerns expressed by republicans, nationalists even northern ireland. about the potential neutrality of the conservative party in any discussions that would be going on to try to restore the power—sharing assembly at stormont which collapsed earlier this year. and senior sinn fein figures have been saying to the conservative party that the government has to to be a neutral broker in any of these discussions. this current arrangement, we will have to wait and see. we will reflect on that. we have argued in re ce nt reflect on that. we have argued in recent

as the founder of the dup.is notjust the party of protest a ny but it is notjust the party of protest any more. it is the party that will be in government. yes, it started off as a protest movement in the early 705. and it was based around the free presbyterian church, which ian paisley founded and also the party. it is deeply conservative. and as we have seen with what ruth davidson is saying in scotland's is they are socially conservative, there will be issues around marriage equality, abortion as well. but if you put those to one side for a moment, as well. but if you put those to one side fora moment, because as well. but if you put those to one side for a moment, because they are the ones making the headlines, the single most important thing for the dup is the maintenance of the union with britain. they are brexiteer 's, but they want a soft border because a lot of their trade, particularly in food and agriculture, that kind of thing, goes north and south across the border. so they are in this strange posi

what have they done with the dup? is ita what have they done with the dup?o hold out for. the significance being that with the dup mps they have just enough to have a working majority? yes, so it's not as stable as the previous coalition, whether conservatives and lib dems are secure within them. so not quite as safe position as was for david cameron. you are constitution expert rather than a political expert, but inevitably people are left with a situation where theresa may... it‘s a marriage of necessity, isn‘t it? this isn‘t a political alignment, as such. she needed the vote and had to seek them from somewhere. the result is of course, in terms of the government we have, is that we have a new influence in the government. certainly there has been some collaboration between the dup and the conservatives in the recent past, so it is like they are completely... this puts them on a different footing? absolutely and it gives them an added sense of urgency to the priorities of the dup. clearly what it thinks has now become an awful lot more important thanit bec

why is there no deal with the dup?11 week. why is there no deal with the dup?rliament i was the government chief whip but i am a backbencher now, i have not been involved in those negotiations. but you are here on this programme speaking on behalf of the government. i am speaking on behalf of the conservative party. certainly when i was government chief whip we had a close working relationship with the dup on a number of important issues, like defence, security, the future of the united kingdom. we very much ci to eye with them. we don't see a too i with them on some domestic issues in northern ireland. iam hopeful that on some domestic issues in northern ireland. i am hopeful that next week when we vote on the queen's speech, the prime minister will secure that majority and the government will be able to continue governing in the national interest. there are concerns, john major one of the most high—profile politicians to voice them, that a deal with the dup could damage the northern ireland peace process. i have heard those concerns, i think the government ha

worry tory backbenchers then what the dup position was.re talks about the fa ct all. nobody here talks about the fact the assembly has collapsed several months ago. they haven't been able to put humpty dumpty back together again. that seems to be of no concern to the prime minister before or since the election. she didn't even visit northern ireland to help out with that issue. a final thought about timescale because it's not on anyone's side, is it?|j suspect it won't be a coalition. we already know that. it will be eight confidence and supply arrangement,

there's no sign of the dup. have been dotted and the t's have been crossed but there is no sign of a final deal. they're not exactly wearing their influence lightly. you can't blame this small party for seeming cock—a—hoop at their newly—public power, even though their involvement in government is anathema to some. i was on the right on saturday. we need some more people over to the right. i think there's been a lot of commentary around the issues that we're talking about and it won't surprise anyone that we're talking about matters that pertain, of course, to the nation generally, bringing stability to the uk government in and around issues around brexit. obviously counter—terrorism and then doing what's right for northern ireland in respect of economic matters. but relying on a northern irish party for a government pact is a danger, according to one former tory pm. risking northern irish peace and power—sharing by appearing to take one side. i am concerned about the deal. i am wary about it, i am dubious about

were going to be in the situation, the dup were going to beina the situation, the dup were going toion of influence, there's been a clamour of opinion as to what the dup should be asking for, everything from parading to measure specific to northern ireland on brexit. one thing that has come up on brexit. one thing that has come up is that northern ireland should get more economic assistance, if not cold, hard cash for infrastructure projects them for tax breaks to help out businesses. everyone watching to see what comes out of the talks this afternoon but there is another di mentioned to this. the dup are involved in two sets of negotiations, one in london, one in stormont, where discussions are continuing to restore the government that collapsed injanuary. sinn fein have said they are not at all happy of the prospect of a deal between the dup and the conservatives. gerry adams has said it would not be good for the people of northern ireland. the leader of the sdlp said that if there is an economic package as a result of the discussions in london thenit result of the discussions in

we're not in coalition with the dup. they're going to support us, as i said, on the crucial, economic, and security issues that face this country. we do not agree, and we do not have to agree with any of their views on some of these social issues. i certainly don't. >> and striking a deal with the dup is also divisive. nic robertson has more from belfast. >> reporter: elections barely over, the democratic unionist party, northern ireland's most powerful protestant party, is already in talks with theresa may's conservatives. this is dup heartland territory. the writing on the wall sums up the thinking. the ulster northern ireland conflict is about nationality. this we shall maintain. they are proud to be british. the union jack is at the center there. fiercely loyal to the crown. they're ready to fight for it. not all unionists are as strident as the mural's paint. reverend mervin gibson is a moderate unionist, knows dup policy well, sees the may alliance as good for his community. >> i think it's very simple. both partie

it is a parliamentary majority on the dup. the fact it is the dup is not central to my point.rn ireland, because i have been secretary of state, some of the most difficult negotiations that led to martin mcguinness and ian paisley taking power together, bitter old enemies ruling effectively, and that has continued for nearly ten years before it all fell over at the beginning of the year. you have got to remain neutral, you cannot be dependent on anyone, any one party, then you don't enjoy the confidence of the others. all the others, not just sinn fein, notjust gerry adams is the leader, but all the other parties have said we really cannot see how the secretary of state and the prime minister can be neutral. that is really interesting, and i ta ke that is really interesting, and i take your point, you are not saying that this is specific to the dup. that said, i am curious what experience you have, what knowledge you have of some of the people who might negotiating here. nigel dodds, you may know little more of, what are your thoughts about the attack they will be taking and w

the difficulty here is if the dup are p°ppin9 difficulty here is if the dup are p°pping up difficultyg up theresa may's government, how can they be seen as just facilitators? surely they have to be more than that because all of a sudden they do have a dog in that fight. because it is interesting that the irish prime minister had to ta ke that the irish prime minister had to take that step of phoning theresa may, and issuing that tweet because we know that up to that point we have not heard any reassurance is coming from number ten about what was happening in northern ireland, despite concerns been made clear there. you also get a sense that there. you also get a sense that there is a bit of concern and confusion going on at number ten itself. you only have to see that whole system of releasing statements last night in which we had a statement from downing street, saying that a deal had been agreed between the tories and the dup, and then some forfive between the tories and the dup, and then some for five hours later a statement from the dup saying actually nothing has been agreed. it

dup represent unionism, sinn fein representing nationalism.these two parties are talking, but one side is also in the british government, the british government cannot be an honest broker. in reality, a strong sense of the power sharing government, collapsing earlier this year, is unlikely to be reinstated four use. this could do lasting damage to future power sharing, because sinn fein had a good election, getting seven seats. the best performance. and they do not take seats at westminster, they can turn round to voters, and told you that british politics does not work. the unionists are going to be part of the government. they are going to be in charge. next, this is a reporter from the daily telegraph, with this... just explaining confidence and supply, confidence means if you enter into this, you agreed to back the government in the event of any no—confidence motions, supply refers to the fact that you are going to help on key issues, particularly the budget. the dup support base, low income, opposing welfare benefit cuts. that could be an

blocking the dup coalition. i wonder how or the dup coalition. i wonder how or the dup would have been on the coalition. the experience the lib dems had in 2015, the formal coalition running the country for five years, it was disastrous for them. they were almost completely wiped out as a party. there is no appetite to repeat that because of the impact it had among the major parties. we now have a loose arrangement. the problem with that é— =s_ is ~ ~ ,, but ~ if? “ft— % :——— if? “ft— % 77—7 ingwordsi if? “ft— % 77—7 in egg; words of theresa may. is weekend wobbly. it could fall it is weekend wobbly. it could fall apart atany it is weekend wobbly. it could fall apart at any moment. —— weak and wobbly. we don't know how much you will get through, not much, i imagine. i some in the party that imagine. for some in the party that clearly think the dup i'm not the right bedfellows. .. fi very support she was very concerned about their stance on gay rights. that started many others coming out. there is similar rhetoric about women. many have come out to