Brexit: DUPs welcome new attention to their concerns after discussions

The DUP hailed the government's "renewed interest" in responding to its objections to the Brexit agreement before the third vote in the House of Commons next week.

The party voted twice against the agreement, fearing to see Northern Ireland treated differently from the rest of the UK.

After talks with ministers in London, Westminster leader Nigel Dodds said he was still seeking additional guarantees.

His party "wanted an agreement, but it had to be the right agreement," he said.

Mr. Dodds spent Friday afternoon meeting with key cabinet officials, including Chancellor Philip Hammond and Secretary of the Environment Michael Gove, as the government sought to convince MPs to support its agreement. when he returned to the House of Commons.

The third "significant vote" on Ms. May's agreement is expected by March 20 and, if accepted, the Prime Minister has promised to request a short extension of Brexit's departure on March 29, after the deputies ruled in favor of a delay.

If she fails to get support after being beaten twice in the Commons, Ms. May warned that a longer extension may be needed and that the UK may have to participate in European elections.

The 10 votes cast by the DUP, which has a parliamentary pact with the Conservatives, are considered essential for the Prime Minister to get her approval.

Some Tory Brexiteers who have also criticized the backstop – a retreat to prevent the return of physical checks at the Irish border – and voted against the agreement are now committed to a commitment to avoid a lengthy extension.

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James Gray said he would vote for the "heinous" agreement after extensive research, "and described those who said they would oppose any deal as" extremists " totals ".

As for Esther McVey, former Cabinet Minister, who resigned from her mandate following Ms. May's agreement on Brexit, she also suggested that she vote in her favor.

Some MEPs suggested that the problem be addressed by resorting to Article 62 of the Vienna Convention – which would allow the United Kingdom to withdraw from any treaty if there had been "a fundamental change in circumstances … which was not planned by the evenings ".

In a letter to the Times, Lord Pannick and his peers said that the UK would be "entitled to terminate the withdrawal agreement" under this clause, although it has wondered whether this would be "politically wise".

House Leader Andrea Leadsom said that the government's Attorney General, Geoffrey Cox, had looked into the matter and would comment more if he thought it necessary.

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Speaking after the meetings in the Cabinet, Mr Dodds told reporters that there had been a "constructive dialogue".

He added: "We have focused on ways to ensure that Northern Ireland leaves the European Union with the rest of the UK as a single country.

"We had good discussions today. [and] these discussions will continue over time. "

Dodds said his party was "disappointed" by the last-minute additions to the evening agreement by Ms. May and brought back from Strasbourg, which she hoped to persuade to convince MPs to support her project. .

But his Attorney General, Mr Cox, told Parliament that the risk of being stuck indefinitely in the safety net had not changed and that he had then been rejected by 149 votes.

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Mr. Dodds said the DUP members were "disappointed" by his badessment and agreed that Ms. May had not made "sufficient progress" on the issue.

But, he added: "We always said we wanted to get an agreement, but it must be the right agreement.

"Some of our concerns are not new. What is new is that the government is once again working to ensure that these issues are resolved. "

During a dramatic week in Westminster, MPs rejected May 's withdrawal agreement for the second time, and then voted against the idea that the UK leaves the government. EU without an agreement, whatever the circumstances.

The Commons then voted in favor of an extension of Article 50 – the legal mechanism by which the UK must leave the EU.

However, as things stand, the law has not been changed, as the Wednesday and Thursday votes are not legally binding. This means that the UK is always ready to leave on March 29 – with or without agreement.

If the government decides to defer, it should be approved by the other 27 EU members. Discussions on possible conditions could take place before the meeting of EU leaders at a summit on March 21st.