10/07/2017

Tory-DUP 'Confidence And Supply' Deal To Face Legal Challenge

The UK Government's deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is to be legally challenged for being in "direct violation" of the Good Friday Agreement.

Ciaran McClean, a mental health worker and member of the Green Party, recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to fund the judicial review into the Tory-DUP deal.

The DUP has agreed to support Prime Minister Theresa May's minority government under a 'confidence and supply' arrangement; providing important votes in return for funding.

The crowdfunding campaign has so far surpassed it's £20,000 target and at the time of writing, currently sits at £38,628.

Calling the action "unlawful", Mr McClean said the Government is "buying the DUP votes to keep it in power".

"The Tories are being propped up by the DUP in order to cling to power after the recent election," he said.

"This horrifies me. It's straight bribery – money for votes. The deal flies in the face of the Good Friday Agreement, under which the Government is obligated to exercise its power with 'rigorous impartiality' on behalf of all the people in the diversity of their identities and traditions.

"The Government is threatening hard won peace with their pact with the reactionary DUP.

"I wish to hold the Government to account for their actions through the Courts in a judicial review.  My claim is that as a citizen I expect my Government to honour its obligations under the Good Friday Agreement and not to bribe others with money so that it can stay in power."

(LM/MH)

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