Democratic Unionists in Northern Ireland become election key

Confident of securing a sweeping victory, May had called the snap election to strengthen her hand in the European Union divorce talks.

“Theresa May is no longer strong or stable, she should be ashamed”. May’s political standing has been dealt a huge blow in the wake of her failed electoral gamble, which followed a poor campaign from her and her party.

The Democratic Unionist leader and member of the Northern Ireland Assembly has said it is “too soon to say” what the party’s role will be in government formation but the message is clear – the DUP want to be kingmakers.

The DUP were seen for many years as the radical element of the unionist movement during the conflict in Northern Ireland and throughout the peace process, overtaking the Ulster Unionist Party as the biggest group in the years following the Good Friday Agreement.

“This will allow us to come together as a country and channel our energies towards a successful Brexit deal that works for everyone in this country”.

“We will continue to work with our friends and allies in the Democratic Unionist Party in particular”.

Across the United Kingdom, out of 649 seats declared at the time of writing, the Conservative party won 318, a loss of 12 from the 2015 election.

Much focus will now fall upon the party’s leader, Arlene Foster, a tough character whose politics were influenced by the troubles.

The Tories are eight seats short of the 326 needed to command a majority.

She said it was unbelievable that the Conservatives had formed a coalition with DUP, adding: “Her whole mantra was I want you to vote for me, it was all about me, me, me, time and time gain”.

The DUP was formed in 1971 by the protestant fundamentalist leader Ian Paisley, who led the party for 38 years.

Among Tory MPs there was fury at the way a 20-point opinion poll lead at the start of the campaign had been thrown away in an election which she did not need to call for another three years.

Criticism comes as London reels from yet another deadly terror attack.

By contrast, Labour performed far better than expected.

The party’s most recent manifesto made no references to environmental policy, and outspoken climate sceptic Sammy Wilson, who once suggested that global warming was a ‘con, ‘ previously served as their environment minister. Yesterday’s General Election saw the Conservatives field 42 LGBT+ Candidates across the country with 19 being returned to the House of Commons. In the past, Corbyn has been a supporter of the left-wing Sinn Fein Party and the pro-independence Irish Republican Army.

As the dust settles, one issue will become the focus for investors: whether Britain is more or less likely to retain privileged access to the EU’s single market. The opposition Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, has 261 seats, the Scottish National Party has 35, and the Liberal Democrats 12. The irony is delicious: Theresa May’s only option now is to form a “coalition of chaos’, the phrase she used to belittle Labour and her other opponents throughout the election”.

The result threw the United Kingdom in a political turmoil amid increasing terror-related incidents. Despite May’s insistence that the negotiations will proceed as planned, European officials are not convinced. The political, economic and institutional uncertainty stemming from the June 2016 Brexit referendum and the upcoming U.K. -EU negotiations is reflected in the firm’s Negative Outlook on the nation’s AA sovereign rating.