Should Mps Approve This?

[Kromovaracun]

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/theresa-may-dup-deal-brexit-legal-mps-parliament-vote-a8226056.html

According to the Independent, Theresa May is expected to begin dishing out the £1bn pledged in exchange for the DUP's loyalty without the consent of parliament. Despite May promising in September that MPs would vote on it.

The paper speculates that this could expose the government to legal action by beloved national figurehead Gina Miller (goak here).

Should this spending be approved by MPs or is May within her rights to spend this money?

[gulliver1]

The Cons are just buying votes ,very very weak propped up Government.
Divided they fall.

[zingo1327]

I thought it was 10 million. One million for each of the ten votes

[zingo1327]

sorry. meant to say billions

[Gromit]

Numerically the Government can get a vote through Parliament with Tory and DUP votes.

Apparently MPs were promised a vote, but now May is denying them that.

She must be frightened of some of her own Tory MPs rebelling.

All rather desperate.

[Islay]

The money should not be given out whilst the DUP cannot agree to run the government here in NI, they have been paid for over a year and have not sat once - so no money until they are sitting again!
IMO of course.

[Kromovaracun]

It does seem like a bit of a rubber-stamp considering how unlikely it is for Con/DUP to vote against it. Then again there is a constitutional question about parliamentary approval of spending.

May promised a vote in September, before Phase One of Brexit talks were concluded. Perhaps she only made the promise back then to try and keep the DUP in line?

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

It's £ 1 billion. The £ 10 billion figure is a lie which has been repeated a few times. The cash is to be spent on infrastructure, health and education in Northern Ireland

As part of the deal, the military covenant will be implemented in full in Northern Ireland, meaning more focus on the treatment of military veterans, while the triple lock guarantee of at least a 2.5% rise in the state pension each year, and winter fuel payments, will be maintained throughout the UK.

Other key points of the agreement included:

The DUP will support the Tories on all Brexit and security legislation

The UK's 2% Nato defence spending target will continue to be met

Cash support for farmers will remain at current levels until the next election

Both parties to adhere to commitments in Good Friday Agreement

No Irish border poll without "consent of the people"

[Kromovaracun]

It's not really a question of whether NI would like to have £1bn spent on it, Hazi (or even if it needs the money). It's a question of whether there should be a vote, as parliament should approve spending.

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

Yes, I didn't intend to divert from the original question, just dispel a myth about the money. It's a billion. Not 10.

[Kromovaracun]

Ah, fair.

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

Isn't it the Chancellor's job to decide where money is spent?

[Kromovaracun]

My understanding is that it's the Chancellor's job to budget, which parliament must approve. Though for the past 100 years or so Britain has had such a strong party system that this is more or less a rubber stamp. Technically speaking the House of Commons is supposed to have final world on all matters financial (which is why if I'm not mistaken, financial bills cannot originate in the House of Lords). It would then arguably follow that this commitment needs to be approved.

[gulliver1]

So the CON party are buying votes from the DUP with tax payers money,this has got to be FRAUD,

[Hazi-Hammenuhoth]

Grow up, Gulliver. Kromo is trying to ask a reasonable question about parliamentary spending procedure- whether MP's need to approve the final sign-off to the deal. This is nothing about buying votes. Have you actually read the agreement? No, thought not.

[mushroom25]

gulliver, your use of the word fraud implies deception. grubby and irresponsible it might be, but neither side has misrepresented the deal, everyone knows what it involves. whatever else it is, it ain't fraud.

[Davemano]

And Gulliver doesn't known the what a fraud is.

[Davemano]

Sorry mushroom - not there when I started.

[gulliver1]

Well the CON MEN are bound to approve it , aren't they! it is in their interest.
The DUP are keeping the Cons in a job .

[Gromit]

Hasn’t May painted herself into a corner over Northern Ireland ?

On the on hand, she has agreed to the DUP request for a frictionless border.
Then she has told the swivel eyed loon faction of her party that there will be no Customs Union.

The DUP aren’t going to help implement a hard border.
The EU aren’t going to agree to tariff free trade with a country outside the EU.

If the British Government try to have no border between the UK and the EU, and prices, taxes, regulations and tariffs are different, then the result will be criminals exploiting the anomaly.

[gulliver1]

Gromit,07.35 "Swivel eyed loon faction of of her Party " what a lovely description of the CON Party.