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Queen's speech to take place next Wednesday Queen's speech to take place next Wednesday
(about 1 hour later)
Theresa May is pressing ahead with holding a Queen’s speech next Wednesday to set out her plans for government, while negotiations continue with the Democratic Unionist party about the nature of their support for a minority Conservative government. Theresa May faced a backlash from Republican parties at a series of meetings in Downing Street on Thursdau over her plan to strike a deal with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist party to prop up her minority Conservative government.
The Northern Irish party’s 10 MPs will back the speech in the Commons, despite reports that the party was going to abstain, sources in the DUP and others close to the Irish government said on Thursday. The leader of the House of Commons, Andrea Leadsom, announced that the Conservatives would press ahead with presenting a Queen’s speech next Wednesday, while negotiations continue with the DUP.
A senior Conservative source said there was “broad agreement [with the DUP] on the principles of the Queen’s speech”, but no formal “confidence and supply” deal had yet been done, which would tie the DUP into backing the government on key pieces of legislation. But at a series of meetings at No 10, aimed at re-establishing power-sharing in Northern Ireland, key figures from other Northern Irish parties expressed deep concern about the prospect of a Conservative-DUP pact.
The source singled out four areas of agreement: “Strengthening the union; combating terrorism; delivering Brexit; and delivering prosperity across the whole country.” Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams said he believed the deal would be in breach of the Good Friday agreement, because it undermined the government’s role as a neutral convener.
But many aspects of the Conservative manifesto, including plans for scrapping free school lunches, expanding grammar schools, and means-testing the winter fuel allowance for pensioners, appear unlikely to be included. Colum Eastwood, the leader of the SDLP, said that May had offered reassurances, but he added: “The prime minister will have to do a lot more, however, to convince us that the DUP tail isn’t wagging the Tory dog. Their influence on the British government is a cause for deep concern that must be addressed to assure the public and political parties of the independence of the talks process.”
A confidence and supply deal between the DUP and the Conservatives is unlikely to be completed until early next week - or perhaps not until after the Queens speech. The Conservatives are yet to conclude a detailed agreement with the DUP, a week after the general election stripped May of her parliamentary majority.
Talks hinge on a series of issues, including the size of any likely public spending boost for Northern Ireland – and will need to be agreed at a joint meeting with the prime minister and the DUP’s Arlene Foster. Senior Tory sources said there was “broad agreement on the principles of the Queen’s speech” between the two parties, but no formal confidence and supply deal, which would tie the DUP into backing the government on key pieces of legislation – but fall short of a full coalition.
There is a “steady dialogue” between the two parties, being led by the chief whip, Gavin Williamson, the source said. But he held out the possibility that May might seek to govern without any ongoing deal. The Queen’s speech, which will be delivered two days after it was originally scheduled, is expected to offer a stripped down programme for government, given the tough parliamentary arithmetic now facing May and her colleagues.
Andrea Leadsom, the former environment secretary who was made leader of the Commons in May’s minor reshuffle following last week’s election, issued a statement confirming Wednesday as the rescheduled date for the state opening. Conservative sources said there was agreement between the two parties on four priority areas: “Strengthening the union; combating terrorism; delivering Brexit; and delivering prosperity across the whole country.” On that basis, the DUP’s 10 MPs are expected to vote for the Queen’s speech, underlining the fact that May can command the confidence of the Commons.
Leadsom said: “The government has agreed with Buckingham Palace that the state opening of parliament will take place on 21 June 2017.” But many aspects of her manifesto, including plans for scrapping free school lunches, expanding grammar schools, and means-testing the winter fuel allowance for pensioners, are likely to be dropped.
The Queen’s speech itself, where the government sets out its legislative plans, is likely to be a relatively slim agenda, given the uncertainty over how much of the Conservative manifesto ministers will be able to get through parliament. A confidence and supply deal between the DUP and the Conservatives is now not expected to be completed until early next week – or perhaps not until after the Queen’s speech.
May is due to host the leaders of all Northern Ireland’s parties at Downing Street on Thursday to talk about the potential implications of any deal with the DUP over power-sharing at Stormont. Talks hinge on a series of issues, including the size of any likely public spending boost for Northern Ireland – and will need to be agreed at a joint meeting between May and the DUP’s Arlene Foster.
She was meeting separately with representatives of Sinn Féin, the Ulster Unionists, the SDLP and the Alliance party, as well as the DUP, in the wake of warnings from Sir John Major and others that a deal with the DUP could risk the government’s role as an impartial arbiter in the Northern Ireland peace process. There is a “steady dialogue” between the two parties, being led by the chief whip, Gavin Williamson, the Conservatives said. But some backbenchers believe May could manage to govern without an ongoing deal, seeking support for legislation on a vote-by-vote basis.
May’s meetings at No 10 on Thursday included representatives of Sinn Féin, the Ulster Unionists, the SDLP and the Alliance party, as well as the DUP. It followed warnings from Sir John Major and others that a deal with the DUP could risk the government’s role as an impartial arbiter in the Northern Ireland peace process.
Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the cross-community Alliance have said that the Northern Ireland secretary, James Brokenshire, cannot chair the ongoing process to restore power-sharing at Stormont due to the perceived conflict of interest.Sinn Féin, the SDLP and the cross-community Alliance have said that the Northern Ireland secretary, James Brokenshire, cannot chair the ongoing process to restore power-sharing at Stormont due to the perceived conflict of interest.
In a statement issued after the talks had concluded, May said: “Speaking with the parties today, it was clear that real progress was made in the last round of discussions and agreement can be reached if there is good will on all sides.
“But time is running short and the parties must come together by the 29 June for the return of a strong voice at Stormont and for a brighter future for everyone in Northern Ireland.
“My government remains absolutely committed to doing everything we can to help take this process to a successful conclusion, remaining steadfast to our commitments in the Belfast Agreement and its successors.”
The original date for the Queen’s speech – Monday 19 June – was also supposed to be the day Brexit negotiations began in Brussels.The original date for the Queen’s speech – Monday 19 June – was also supposed to be the day Brexit negotiations began in Brussels.
Those talks are expected to go ahead next week: though the tight election result has raised questions about whether the government could still pursue a so-called hard Brexit, given the makeup of the new House of Commons. Brexit secretary David Davis’s department confirmed on Thursday that those talks would go ahead as planned: though the tight election result has raised questions about whether the government could still pursue a so-called hard Brexit, given the makeup of the new House of Commons.
The chancellor, Philip Hammond, is expected to set out the government’s stance on Brexit at Thursday’s Mansion House speech in the City, amid concerns in the Treasury that the impact of Brexit is starting to show through in economic data. The chancellor, Philip Hammond, had been expected to set out the new government’s stance on Brexit on Thursday at the Mansion House speech in the City, amid concerns in the Treasury that the impact of Brexit is starting to show through in economic data. However, the lavish annual banquet was cancelled following the devastating tower block fire in west London.
Foster will travel to Dublin on Friday to meet Ireland’s new taoiseach, Leo Varadkar. The Irish prime minister is hosting the leaders of all the main political parties in Northern Ireland as part of efforts to restore power sharing by the end of this month. Many Tory MPs have concerns as to whether May can assemble a functioning government, and disappointed about the perception of chaos within Downing Street.
The Irish government has taken encouragement from remarks made by the former West Belfast MP Gerry Adams and the current MP Paul Maskey in relation to the Stormont assembly. Adams, the Sinn Féin president in the Dail, described Stormont as the means of getting to a united Ireland, while Maskey said in London on Wednesday that “all roads lead back to Stormont” when warning about the Tory-DUP national deal at Westminster. But after she reassured them at a key meeting of the party’s 1922 committee of backbenchers on Monday – “I got us into this mess, I’ll get us out of it” – most decided to give her the benefit of the doubt.
Senior Irish sources added that they were optimistic that a deal on devolution was still possible and believed that May’s meetings with the Northern Irish parties were part of “choreography” designed to build trust ahead of the main talks next week. As the DUP continues talks with the Tories, Foster will travel to Dublin on Friday to meet Ireland’s new taoiseach, Leo Varadkar. The Irish prime minister is hosting the leaders of all the main political parties in Northern Ireland as part of efforts to restore power sharing by the end of this month.
Ireland’s new foreign minister, Simon Coveney, is also expected to be in Belfast early next week for the all-party talks aimed at restoring devolution.