High level contacts have been made with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) as talks to secure a coalition government at Westminster intensify, it was revealed today.
DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said “senior level” discussions had been held as formal talks began between Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
He added the Conservatives should be given the first opportunity to form a government but said his party - which has eight members of parliament - was not ideologically opposed to a Labour/Liberal Democrat partnership.
New East Belfast Alliance Party MP Naomi Long has called on all Northern Ireland parties to unite to protect Northern Ireland’s block grant from Westminster, worth around £10 billion a year.
Mr Donaldson said: “The contacts are at a very senior level. We do take the view that the Conservatives should be given the first option to form a government but we will vote on an issue by issue basis.”
The nationalist SDLP said it would prefer an agreement between Labour and the Liberal Democrats. If Labour did a deal with the Liberal Democrats, they would have a parliamentary strength of 315.
That is 11 short of the formal margin for a Commons majority of 326 but the absence of the five Sinn Féin MPs lowers the effective margin to 324.
If all the 13 remaining Northern Ireland politicians decided to back a Labour and Liberal Democrat government, that would take a Labour and Liberal Democrat government to 328, enough for a very small majority.
Alasdair McDonnell of the SDLP said his party would prefer a Lib Dem-Lab deal because of the memories of the Conservatives under Margaret Thatcher.
PA