THE DUP has signed a deal worth with the Tories to support Theresa May’s minority Government.
Under the agreement, about £1bn in “new money” has been earmarked for the North of Ireland, as well as greater flexibility over £500m already allocated to the country.
A large portion of the cash – £400m – is going to be spent on infrastructure, with “significant” investment also planned in health and education.
In exchange, the Conservatives will now receive support from the DUP’s 10 MPs on key votes in the Commons – including those relating to the Queen’s Speech, the Budget, national security and Brexit.
DUP leader Arlene Foster has confirmed there will now be no changes to the triple lock on pensions anywhere in the UK following the deal – with the Tories also abandoning plans to means-test winter fuel payments.
The agreement was signed inside Downing Street by Tory chief whip Gavin Williamson and the DUP’s Sir Jeffrey Donaldson while the party leaders watched on.
Once the deal was reached, the Prime Minister said: “I welcome this agreement which will enable us to work together in the interest of the whole United Kingdom, give us the certainty we require as we embark on our departure from the European Union, and help us build a stronger and fairer society at home.
“The agreement we have come to is a very, very good one, and we look forward to working with you.”
News that the deal has been confirmed immediately sparked calls for other parts of the UK to receive a similar boost in funding.
Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones described the £1bn injection as a “straight bung to keep a weak Prime Minister and a faltering Government in office”.
Plaid Cymru went one further, and said Wales should receive a £1.7bn boost in funding given it has a larger population.
Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron labelled the Tory-DUP arrangement as a “shoddy little deal”, adding: “While our schools are crumbling and our NHS is in crisis, Theresa May chooses to throw cash at 10 MPs in a grubby attempt to keep her Cabinet squatting in Number 10.”
And the SNP’s leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, said the deal showed Scotland is “seemingly to be offered little more than scraps from the table”.
He urged Scottish Conservative MPs to join the SNP in “standing up for Scotland and making sure that we get our fair share”.
The Prime Minister has now warned that “time is running short” for parties in Northern Ireland to come together and re-establish a power-sharing executive before the 29 June deadline.
Mrs Foster says she is determined to get the Stormont Executive back in place as soon as possible, and she is returning to Belfast so those discussions can continue.
Where will the money go?
- Health: A minimum of £250m, with £200m directed to health service transformation and £50m towards mental health provision. It will also receive £50m to “address immediate pressures”
- Education: £50m to “address immediate pressures”
- Infrastructure: £400m for projects including delivery the York Street Interchange, plus £150m to provide ultra-fast broadband across Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland’s capital budget is currently about £1bn per year.
- Deprivation: £100m over five years targeted to deprived communities
- VAT and Air Passenger Duty tax: Agreed to further consultation
- Corporation tax: Agreed to work towards devolving the tax to Stormont
- City deals and Enterprise Zones: Agreed to “comprehensive and ambitious set” of city deals and “limited number” of Enterprise Zones
