Nigel Dodds say Brexit deal shows party’s power on No10

Theresa May’s frantic scramble to get the Brexit deal changed and signed off shows ‘the power’ the DUP wield on No10, the party’s deputy leader today said.

Nigel Dodds, the party’s Brexit chief, said the party’s ‘influence has been brought to bear’ on government in securing the last minute changes to the deal.

And he said the party – whose ten MPs are propping Mrs May up in No10 – will secure her majority ‘until Brexit is delivered in accordance with the referendum result’.

The DUP torpedoed the PM’s initial Brexit deal on Monday, sending the Tory leader on a final flurry of negotiation and diplomacy to get it signed off this week.

She managed to get the backing of the DUP, Irish and Brussels late last night and unveiled the altered plans this morning.

Arlene Foster (pictured today) and her DUP party say the six changes they have made to the deal has saved the union of the UK

The DUP’s chief whip in Westminster – who is absolutely crucial in propping Theresa May up in No10 – said the all important changes his party has  made to the deal will ensure Northern Ireland stays in the UK and prevents the break up the union 

Its included six ‘substantial’ changes which spelled out in black and white that Northern Ireland would have any different rule applied to it and the border will not be pushed out to the Irish Sea.

DUP leader Arlene Foster warned the PM that she will not allow any ‘backsliding’ on the guaranteed to protect the union of the UK which she had demanded.

And her Brexit spokesman in Westminster, Mr Dodds, said the past week’s brinkmanship shows the power the party holds.

He told BBC Radio 4’s World At One: ‘I think the events of this week tell us a lot a bit our power, we stopped something that wasn’t in the interests of Northern Ireland and the Prime Minister herself has indicated the deal today has significantly improved on what was going to happen on Monday.

‘And the only changes are the areas in terms of the Irish border issue, so we are very satisfied with our work and obviously our influence has been brought to bear and has been seen to bear results.

‘Clearly the government does have issues it needs to look at in terms of going forward and making sure that every i is dotted and t is crossed.’

Asked if the DUP now has the ‘whip hand’ he said the party does not describe it like that.

But added: ‘It’s a partnership and we need to work in the best interests of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. 

‘We are a unionist party and we believe the country’s interests are best served by getting onto the stage of these trade talks and now getting a good deal for the UK as we exit the EU.

‘And we will work with the government to secure as much stability for the country as possible, secure the governments majority until Brexit is delivered in accordance with the referendum result.’

Irish PM Leo Varadkar, pictured in Dublin today, said he has secured ‘all we set out to achieve’ to ensure the border remains soft and peace maintained

Earlier today Mrs Foster said she had cautioned against the PM going to Brussels and signing up to the deal as rows are still raging in Tory ranks about what EU riles to keep and ditch.

And she warned the PM that her party will not accept any ‘backsliding’ on the guarantees to maintain the union of the UK.

She said: ‘There is still a major debate within the Cabinet, Parliament, the Conservative Party and other parties about the nature of any regulatory alignment with the EU that may be required post Brexit. We believe that the paper could pre-judge the outcome of that debate.

‘We cautioned the Prime Minister about proceeding with this agreement in its present form given the issues which still need to be resolved and the views expressed to us by many of her own party colleagues. 

‘However, it was ultimately a matter for the Prime Minister to decide how she chose to proceed.

‘We will play a full part with the Government in the second stage of the negotiations on a comprehensive trade deal. Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed and how we vote on the final deal will depend on its contents.

‘Along with like-mind colleagues across the House of Commons, we will ensure that there is no backsliding on the promises made about the integrity of the Union. 

‘We will also work to ensure that the United Kingdom as a whole exits the European Union in a way that is of the greatest benefit to our prosperity and freedom.’

But at a  press conference in Dublin this morning, the Irish PM Leo Varadkar insisted Dublin is happy with the deal and said the changes force through by the DUP were stylistic and not hugely important.

He said: ‘We have achieved all we set out to achieve in phase one of these negotiations. 

‘We have the assurances and guarantees which we need from the United Kingdom, and support for them form the European Union.

‘I’m satisfied that sufficient progress has now been made on the Irish issues  – parameters have been set and they are good. Now we can move on to work out the detail of what has been agreed – to talk about the transition phase, free trade and the new relationship between the EU and the UK .

Theresa May, pictured in Brussels this morning with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, announced a major breakthrough in Brexit talks which will allow the negotiations to move on to trade

‘Now we can move on to talk about the detail of what has been achieve 

‘This is not the end but it it is the end of the beginning and we will remain fully engaged and vigilant.’

He said Dublin has guaranteed the Good Friday Agreement is protected and that the common travel area and soft Irish border is maintained.

And he highlighted a potentially hugely clause in the new deal which promises the UK will keep ‘full alignment’ with the EU’s single market and customs union if it does not secure anew deal to keep a soft border.

He said the UK and EU’s commitment to keeping a soft free-flowing border is ‘rock solid and cast iron’.

And he hailed today’s agreement as ‘politically bulletproof’.