It has more MPs than Ukip and the Greens combined, more than the SNP and more than Plaid Cymru – but the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has attracted none of the attention those parties have received in recent months. That, Nigel Dodds hopes, is about to change. Another hung parliament is now almost certain and the party’s Westminster leader could play a decisive role in determining whether David Cameron or Ed Miliband commands a majority in the House of Commons.
“We are certainly aiming to hold the seats that we have [eight] and possibly add one or two more,” the 56-year-old Belfast North MP tells me when we meet at his parliamentary office. The DUP has historically been viewed as a potential partner for the Conservatives, who considered a deal with it before the 2010 general election. But Dodds rejects any accusation of favouritism and suggests that he is open to working with Labour.
Content from our partners
