To think a Tory coalition with the DUP is a potentially terrifying prospect?

[AFierceBadRabbit]

Not to mention the irony regarding so many ridiculous claims about corbyn sympathizing with terrorists. (The DUP are chock full of em!)

Who are the DUP, you may ask?

Here you go www.opendemocracy.net/uk/adam-ramsay/so-who-are-dup

Fucking hell. I can't believe this is happening. The pissing DUP? She really has sold her soul to the devil.

Oh wow. Respect to SF on the abortion front then.

Has there been some kind of statement?? Dammit, missed it!

Yes May just spoke outside downing street

I think people are worrying too much about this. Don't forget there are plenty of social liberals on the Tory backbenchers. The DUP isn't going to be able to suddenly demand that May ban gay marriage or introduce a 12-week limit on abortions, because her own backbenchers won't stand for it. They're not idiots (well, not all of them).

This will be a severely weakened government. May will no longer be able to introduce her pet projects like grammar schools and fox-hunting.

There's very little she will be able to do, in fact. She'll have to concentrate first and foremost on getting a good deal for Brexit, one that will be palatable to all her backbenchers, both those who are Remain and those who are Leavers. Don't ignore the possibility that Remain-supporting Tories might team up with the Remainers in the other parties to defeat any hard Brexit ambitions.

The DUP will not look for any social changes in Great Britain. May would lose more than 10 of her own MPs if they tried.

They will want money to splash around in NI and EU grants replaced for NI farmers.

They also want a soft border and softish Brexit but with no special status for NI with the EU

Strong and stable has been outlawed from now on.
Will never be uttered again.

Lib dems problems is they run elections on single points, rather than on their values and whole manifesto.

Because not getting rid of student fees wouldn't have been as major an issue for them if they hadn't run their whole campaign on just that point!

But they bloody did it again with brexit, which is why they're now having to cut their nose off despite their faces and rule out coalition!

The rest of their manifesto was good, if they'ld put down the brexit bone and looked at the bigger picture, they could have considered a coalition!

The abortion thing is interesting. I always thought (until a year or so ago) that abortion was restricted in NI to appease the Irish because otherwise their laws would be undermined by women simply crossing the border to the North to get one. I didn't realise it was a DUP (was it also UUP?) policy.

A more important issue is whether a 'hard border' between NI and the Republic is reinstated

I still don't really understand why this is an issue. As a example (and I know it's a tiny state), the Vatican is neither in the EU nor the customs union. Yet there is no hard border between it and Rome. There is no need and certainly not a requirement for a hard border in Ireland.

However, if a side-effect of the DUP being involved means that the UK stays in the customs union it will certainly simplify matters.

Exactly hackmum, many of their views are shared across the Tory back benches. Any attempt to put through regressive social legislation would provoke a backbench rebellion so won't be tried too often. I wouldn't worry too much. Just focus on watching the Tories squirm and make an even bigger mess of Brexit than anticipated. They made this mess so now need to deal with it.

The DUP are as hateful a bunch of arseholes as anyone in politics BUT this is not as bad as it looks initially.

Their caveman social policies won't fly in mainland UK and they won't try to push them.

It's probably good to have a Northern Irish voice in the Brexit negotiations, even if, god help us, it's the DUP. Soft border in Northern Ireland is vital and even the DUP should understand that.

Theresa May is a fucking muppet though for putting herself in this position.

The DUP are no more terrorists now than Sinn Fein are. Unless you want to go back to the Irish terrorism you have to talk to them now. Corbyn was talking to the IRA as a powerless back bencher while they were actively killing.

Corbyn was talking to the IRA as a powerless back bencher while they were actively killing

Were killing past tense.

Because people got them talking rather than killing.

I think it's hilarious and they deserve each other.

However, not convinced May will survive, and I think Foster's position will be very vulnerable to new dirt on her.

"Jupitar Fri 09-Jun-17 12:22:51
So when we have another election, we won't have to listen to all that crap again about Corbyn being a terrorist sympathiser...."

Well, we might not have to hear about Corbyn being a terrorist sympathizer, but it's not "crap," it's completely bloody true.

The fact that May's government is crap and the DUP are horrible does not alter the fact that Corbyn has a long history of friendship with terrorist groups from the IRA to Hezbollah.

It is actually possible for both sides to be pretty shit, you know.

They also want a soft border and softish Brexit but with no special status for NI with the EU

I don't understand why DUP won't want special status for NI. Surely that is in their interests?

I'm in NI and technically I suppose a unionist and I think it's the most terrifying thing I've ever heard

Corbyn was talking to the IRA as a powerless back bencher while they were actively killing.

UDA were "actively killing" last week.

It is actually possible for both sides to be pretty shit, you know.

How to sum up Northern Irish politics in one easy sentence.

I think everyone recognises a hard border between NI and ROI would be disasterous every the DUP, so surely for all of us in NI the fact we have someone there to fight our corner as regards that is a positive? (Hopeful!)

From an NI point of view as well, the broadcasters here are basically saying the DUP have a blank cheque and lots of new roads, hospirals and schools should be in the pipeline. They could also guarantee farm subsides that are under threat with Brexit. So although I'm broadly nationalist, I'm used to the draconian politics and aibu to think this could be positive for us? I could he seriously misguided here so please enlighten me if I'm wrong.

How to sum up Northern Irish politics in one easy sentence.

Yep!

While they've made the right noises regarding the border, I'm not convinced the DUP fully realise the implications of Brexit for NI - their primary aim is to maintain the union at all costs.
They campaigned for Brexit during the referendum and spent a lot of money on advertising in London, to try and ensure a Brexit vote.
Interesting that people in GB are looking at the possibility of the DUP have some power in Westminster, when many (most?) of them know nothing about NI politics, and care even less.

I'd be interested to hear the views of DUP voters they have been rather quiet today. I don't talk politics with friends, it could all go a bit wrong.

Was saying to DH this morning that Sinn Fein need to handle this very carefully and keep hammering the Remain line. If they start talking Soft Brexit, then DUP will have to (continue to?) favour Hard Brexit as couldn't possibly agree with them'uns. And then we'll all be fucked.