No deal yet but DUP and PM continue to talk in run-up to Queen's Speech
Relationship not gone as planned to date
Last updated 21st Jun 2017
Ahead of the Queen’s Speech – the centrepiece of the State Opening of Parliament – Downtown and Cool FM POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT JORDAN MOATES analyses the current state of the relationship between the PM and the DUP
The first big test of Theresa May’s minority administration takes place later today.
The Queen will officially open Parliament in a speech that was postponed from Monday.
Meanwhile, the PM is still negotiating an agreement with the DUP on the so-called confidence and supply arrangement.
This is not the Queen’s Speech Mrs May had envisaged when she called the election.
She had hoped for a landslide victory, and when it became apparent that was not going to happen she hastily announced a link up with her friends in the DUP.
But it seems that relationship has not gone as planned.
Nearly two weeks on and there is still no deal.
And it is not quite clear who is on the back foot.
The Conservatives really need the DUP, no other party seems up for keeping a minority Tory administration in power.
However, the negotiations are not going as the DUP would have liked with Arlene Foster’s party only last night saying they cannot be taken for granted.
The big test of this link up will be in a few days’ time when MPs vote on the Queen’s Speech.
This speech had originally been scheduled for Monday but was pushed back but those plans changed when the PM failed to get her landslide victory.
Of course, there is still no deal with the DUP, Downing Street says the discussions are ongoing.
That does not mean the Queen’s speech will not pass....it will be debated in the House of Commons before a vote takes place in a few days’ time.
By that stage, it is hoped the confidence and supply arrangement will be finalised.
Even if it is not, many believe the DUP will vote with the Conservatives because the alternative would be to collapse the government.
From a Northern Ireland perspective the question is will there be anything in the speech that will point to the DUP’s influence early on in this process?
All will become clearer later today …