DUPed

The recent general election was one where Labour surged and Tory support slumped, where Conservative ministers lost their safe seats, where Mrs May bought votes in order to retain the slimmest of majorities. Yet Mrs May announced:

“What the country needs now more than ever is certainty.
“Having secured the largest number of votes and greatest number of seats in the general election, it is clear the Conservatives and Unionist party has the legitimacy to provide that.”

Legitimacy? Certainty? It isn't even clear what she meant by legitimacy. Presumably she meant that the combined Tory-DUP vote was 50.3% of the total, and that with 327 of 650 seats (two more than half) their alliance has the balance of control in the Lower House.

On that basis, an alliance of all the non-Tory parties (ignoring Sinn Féin who don't take their seats) would be just as legitimate (326 seats). From her bluster you would hardly imagine that the election demonstrated an increasing distrust of her goals, and a growing rejection of how she is failing to manage Brexit.

This isn't a coalition, this is a marriage of convenience - and a shotgun one at that. The DUP formed as the political representatives of the UDA paramilitary group, and are endorsed by Red Hand Commando, the Ulster Volunteer Force, the Ulster Defence Association. Their Educational Committee is chaired by a creationist, they appointed a climate change denier as Northern Ireland environment minister, and they are anti-abortion and against gay marriage.

The real kicker is that Mrs May's new bed-partners are also the only major NI party which opposed the Good Friday Agreement. This fragile agreement is already threatened by Brexit. The bung of cash is rocking the boat even more. What will she have to promise them when their votes start to really matter?

Mrs May should have a care, trying to cling to power with the help of such friends. Mr Corbyn has suffered for far less. Mrs May is not simply talking to the DUP, she is collaborating with them.