Johnson Sent to ‘Naughty Step’ on Brexit, DUP’s Foster Says
Johnson Sent to ‘Naughty Step’ on Brexit, DUP’s Foster Says
Democratic Unionist Party Leader Arlene Foster threatened to frustrate Boris Johnson’s efforts to push his Brexit deal through, warning the U.K. leader that her party would continue to oppose the accord in Parliament.
“Our votes mattered and our votes will matter in the coming days,” Foster told the party conference in Belfast on Saturday, adding “rather than have Boris with us today we have had to send him to the naughty step in Parliament twice in the last week.”
Foster again urged Johnson to reopen his accord with the European Union on the terms of the U.K.’s divorce from the bloc. Under Johnson’s deal, Northern Ireland would stick to some of the EU’s -- and therefore the Irish Republic’s -- food standards and customs rules, meaning there would be checks on goods traveling from the rest of the U.K. to the province. Moreover, the DUP alone won’t have the power to veto the rules coming into force.
“With our ten votes being so critical in Parliament, there is a great responsibility to make sure we support the right decisions for Northern Ireland but have the boldness and strength to stand up and say no when we need to,” Foster said. “On Brexit, we will not give support to the Government when we believe they are fundamentally wrong.”
On Thursday, Johnson said he will seek an election on Dec. 12. But to hold it, he needs the support of two-thirds of members of Parliament, and the opposition Labour party has said it will block it.
“There is much talk about the holding of a general election,” Foster said. “This party is ready for any general election that may come.”
Illustrating the party’s anger toward the Conservative government, it refused a request by Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay to address the conference.
“Given his recent inability to recall what he actually negotiated, we politely declined,” Nigel Dodds, the party’s deputy leader, said in a speech.
To contact the reporter on this story: Dara Doyle in Dublin at ddoyle1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net
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