Newspapers report Tory/DUP coalition talks are in trouble.

[BoysofMelody]

Part of me thinks that it is just the DUP playing hardball and trying to give the magic money tree another shake and trying to extract a better deal from the Tories.

However the Telegraph is reporting that informal talks with the Lib Dems have taken place. Again, I can't see this as a realistic option and seems more like a negotiation ploy to put pressure on the DUP.

Even so, interesting to see it all play out.

What a mess! I agree it's interesting though.

After last time, the Lib Dems must surely know it would destroy them even further. To be part of the government that pushes on with an increasingly unpopular Brexit, amongst other things, TM getting booed when she appears in public. DUP talks must be looking unlikely to succeed & Tories surely scrabbling around for another option.

The LibDems could be in a position of real strength this time, if they have learnt from their mistakes and really stand up for themselves.

They could basically gt anything they ask for now.

personally, I see no other option for the country, it will HAVE to be the lib dems, or another election.

and how can we have another election now that brexit negotiations have actually started!

I am 52 and i have never known such a mess as this before - people may quote the 70s and the 3 day week or the miner's strikes i suppose, but lately this has all been terrible - the recent terror attacks and the awful fire in london hasnt helped matters and Brexit is just a huge headache and they ( EU) will play hard ball with us - i cant see who can get us out of such a pickle really - another Election isnt a good idea either.

I just can't see a coalition deal with the Lib Dems though. The Tory headbangers and the Lib Dems have such opposing views on Europe that I can't see a way for them to co exist.

Well, the Tory party chose to swim with the sharks (and felt perfectly at home doing so)...it's not a huge surprise that they're getting bitten.

If Vince Cable becomes the new LD leader (and remember he's been so outspoken against Brexit he's forecast a recession worse than 2008), then if the Tories want to do a deal then I'll assume they shall need to select which or their red lines is the reddest

1. Remaining in power at all costs
2. No second Brexit referendum

As a LD myself, I don't see LD as anti-Brexit per se....more that they want a referendum based on full facts. Of course, they also believe that nobody in possession of full facts would vote for it. On that basis, if the occasion arose, I would be not be surprised if a deal were floated that included a second referendum.

Will be very interesting to watch it all play out....

I wonder if there's no deal by the time of the queen's speech what will the DUP do, abstain maybe?

DUP reportedly demanding £2BN in payments to NI. Good luck selling that to your back-benchers and the wider public, Theresa: continued austerity (by which I mean savage cuts in public services) for the rest of us and a bean feast for Northern Ireland.

Plus wait for the wholly reasonable demands from Scotland and Wales that the funding should be matched per capita basis as the Barnett Formula dictates.

Deal done. 1 billion for six counties. Guess there is a magic money tree after all

Is there going to be similar packages for the devolved administrations or is this going to be shameless cash for votes? (Which is the line the opposition parties should be hammering)

Looks like that magic money tree is flowering nicely 🙄