Who are the DUP?
THE Democratic Unionist Party was founded by the leader of the evangelical Free Presbyterian Church, the Rev Iain Paisley, in 1971, three years after the outbreak of “The Troubles” in Northern Ireland.

A leading member of the Orange Order, Paisley was best known for his cry of “No Surrender” to any concessions to the minority Catholic or pro-Nationalist population. Paisley later softened his stance and went into power with Sinn Fein in the devolved Stormont Assembly which followed the Good Friday Agreement.

For the past decade, the DUP has been the largest unionist party in Stormont. It is currently led by Arlene Foster whose handling of a green energy scheme cost the Northern Irish taxpayer £400 million and led to a collapse in Stormont in January. All other parties in the Assembly — including the DUP’s partner in government, Sinn Fein — called on her to stand down as First Minister pending an independent probe, but she refused.

Anti-abortion, anti-gay and anti-climate change
THE party has much in common with the American right. It has been open in its support for Northern Ireland’s abortion ban, which sees women imprisoned for having one and denied access to safe and legal terminations.

Foster has said her party remains opposed to any reform of her country’s abortion laws, urging last year that she would “not want abortion to be as freely available here as it is in England”.

Under a 1945 law, women in Northern Ireland have access to terminations that provide abortion only if their health is at serious risk.

But foetal abnormalities, rape and incest are not held to be sufficient grounds for abortions to be legally performed.

On equal marriage, the DUP has repeatedly vetoed marriage for same-sex couples in Northern Ireland and members have made a string of homophobic comments, including branding LGBT people as “disgusting” and an “abomination”. In 2015, the party’s health minister faced criticism when he said: “The facts show that you certainly don’t bring a child up in a homosexual relationship. That child is far more likely to be abused or neglected.”

On climate change DUP MP Sammy Wilson, who has previously served as Northern Ireland’s environment minister, has said people would eventually “look back at this whole climate change debate and ask ourselves how on Earth were we ever conned into spending the billions of pounds” on the issue.

Why is the DUP suddenly being talked about?
WITH the Tories eight seats short of an overall majority, Theresa May is relying on the DUP’s 10 MPs. Rather than a formal coalition, the Unionists look set to enter into a “confidence and supply” deal with the Conservatives, giving the DUP an unprecedented role in the British government.

Foster acknowledged the deal yesterday, but offered few details: “The prime minister has spoken with me this morning and we will enter discussions with the Conservatives to explore how it may be possible to bring stability to our nation at this time of great challenge.”

What price will the DUP demand for propping up a minority Conservative government?
BREXIT is likely to be high on the DUP’s wish list. Foster’s party backed leaving the European Union — although a majority in Northern Ireland voted to remain — and the DUP has opposed any bespoke settlement for the region in the Brexit talks.

But the DUP is in favour of staying in the single market — meaning a soft Brexit may be more likely. The party has said it opposes both a hard border on the island of Ireland and the imposition of any customs regime at Irish ports and airports, which would create a de facto border in the Irish Sea.

Objectives for the forthcoming Brexit negotiations included maintaining the Common Travel Area with the Republic and ease of trade throughout the EU.