Do They Return The £1,000,000,000 ?

[Canary42]

If the DUP vote against May, do they have to return the bribe ?

[sandyRoe]

They probably haven't got it all yet.
And now they never will.

[fiction-factory]

They don't have it.

[-Talbot-]

Do you think they were handed 1 billion over a desk or summat?

[Atheist]

I thought I heard last night that they have only had half of it.

[Old_Geezer]

I'd doubt any agreement would cover the DUP voting in favour of the very things they are diametrically opposed to. But if they didn't get the cash up front, in used notes...

[sandyRoe]

There's talk in DUP circles of a bridge from NI to Scotland.
Now, financing that would be a bribe.

[douglas9401]

The thought of Arlene and over a desk has put me right off my haggis.

[ichkeria]

The DUP will support Theresa May in any vote of confidence.

[ichkeria]

The money presumably was paid to N Ireland, not the DUP.
Fascinating debate on sea horses at the moment in the Commons!

[ToraToraTora]

what bribe?

[ABerrant]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-40402184

[ichkeria]

Thanks for clarifying that it isn’t a bribe :-)

[douglas9401]

Come on Tora, the bung to the flute tootlers to buy their, ahem, loyalty.

[ToraToraTora]

the DUP have received/been offered no government money.

[Old_Geezer]

Not directly, but they negotiated more money for NI projects. Probably thought, "Every other UK country is getting more per head spent on their citizens than England, may as well up ours while we have the chance."

[gulliver1]

"Come on Arlene" you know what we mean.

[New Judge]

It seems that the DUP members, unlike many other MPs, will not agree to any scheme which sees their constituents sold down the river. All areas of the UK are disadvantaged by Mrs May's capitulation to the EU but Northern Ireland is particularly affected. Imagine if it was suggested that Liverpool or London would be bound to different customs and trade arrangements to those prevailing elsewhere in the UK. I wonder how all those Euro fanatics we saw weeping into their Prosecco following the referendum would feel if they were told that to ensure the integrity of the EU's Customs Union and Single Market, they would be subject to a different regime to those in the Home Counties?

[ichkeria]

Ridiculous New Judge. I perfectly understand the objections to the backstop but they apply more or less entirely to issues not related to economics tho I don’t want to trivialise those. The DUP don’t speak for the majority in NI on matters of Brexit and possibly not even on matters of this deal.
I agree tho that they are within their rights to use their position in parliament to extract money for NI and calling it a bribe is an insult to all concerned

[New Judge]

There's nothing ridiculous about it.

The backstop arrangement will see traders in the UK having to make customs declarations in order to send goods to Northern Ireland (i.e. elsewhere in the UK). Mrs May and her allies find this perfectly acceptable on the basis that it should not be necessary because the EU will have agreed a trade deal before then. The EU is not particularly good at concluding trade deals and will have no incentive to conclude one with the UK. Whatever party Northern Ireland's MP's belong to is immaterial. No Prime Minister or Parliament (of any nation) should agree to having an internal customs border imposed purely to "allow" their country to revert to normal trading arrangements.

[JF85]

Interesting that you say the EU would have no incentive for a trade deal with UK, New Judge. Wasn't it a feature of the leave campaign that the EU would be desperate to continue trading with us?