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A week after Theresa May promised to “work” with the DUP, no deal has been done. The horrific Grenfell Tower fire and the Northern Irish party’s desire to drive a hard bargain have stalled progress. Though no deal is better than a bad deal (to coin a phrase), the length of the negotiations has allowed Tory concerns to become entrenched.
Ever since May raised the prospect of an agreement with the DUP, Conservative MPs have had two fears: that a deal will further toxify their party’s brand (owing to the DUP’s stances on abortion and gay rights) and that it will make it impossible for the Tories to act as an impartial broker in the ongoing Northern Irish talks.