YP Comment: Brinkmanship of PM and DUP

THE GRENFELL Tower disaster masks the invidiousness of Theresa May's predicament. She initially put the Queen's Speech on hold, arguing it would be imprudent to finalise its contents before any Parliamentary pact between the Tories and Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party had been signed off.

Yet, as the DUP played hardball and appeared to overplay their negotiating hand, the Prime Minister has been forced to press ahead with the State Opening of Parliament next Wednesday, albeit 48 hours later than scheduled, without an agreement being reached with the DUP.

These are high stakes, and while it is inconceivable that the DUP would not support the Government, this brinkmanship – and the Treasury’s desire not to write a blank cheque – is a foretaste of the future after the snap election saw Mrs May lose her Commons majority.

With the DUP looking to exert its new-found influence, and the 13 Scottish Conservatives wanting concessions of their own when it comes to the EU single market, Mrs May finds herself at the mercy of others. The worry is that Yorkshire now has very little influence of its own. Though David Davis is Brexit Secretary, the only MPs from this county to enjoy Ministerial roles are Harrogate’s Andrew Jones, now the Exchequer Secretary, and Scarborough’s Robert Goodwill who has moved to the Department for Education. And although four MPs have been made whips, who will speak up  for this county?