The Real Coalition of Chaos
Theresa May has just entered into an agreement with the Democratic Unionist Party to bolster their minority in Government. This has turned the party, relatively unknown outside the realm of Northern Irish politics, into one of the most important and pivotal parties in Westminster. So just who are the DUP?
The DUP, as hard-line protestants, are a unionist party with strict Christian ‘values’ (even refusing to work and negotiate on Sundays) and have a history of being incredibly Conservative. This would make you think that the DUP-Tory coalition is a fitting partnership, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The DUP have always been big opposers of LGBT rights, Ian Paisley Jr. said that he was “repulsed” by gays and lesbians, his father and founder of the DUP, Ian Paisley Sr. campaigned to ‘Save Ulster from Sodomy’ in a frankly biblical crusade to prevent the decriminalisation of homosexuality in Northern Ireland. Though he was thankfully unsuccessful he believed that this would “bring down God’s curse on [his] people”. These are the sort of people we’re dealing with here.
The party has also been incredibly sexist throughout its history, using its Petition of Concern in the Northern Irish Assembly to veto any bills which would legalise abortion, even in cases of rape or when the mother’s life is endangered. In both the old Stormont Parliament and the NI Assembly, DUP politicians have been known to ‘moo’ at female politicians speaking in the chamber. Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, also said that Michelle O’Neill, who is the Leader in the North for Sinn Féin, was nothing but “a blonde”. This consistently sexist behaviour has been the source of much controversy within the party and even Unionists in Northern Ireland are starting to turn against it.
Even the DUP’s blatant homophobia and sexism would be enough to call this agreement a “Coalition of Chaos” but the most dangerous part of this ordeal is neither of these things.
The DUP has had evident links to Loyalist Paramilitary terrorists (specifically the Ulster Resistance) throughout its history and is publically and politically endorsed by the Ulster Volunteer Force and the Ulster Defence Association, which are all listed as terrorist groups. Arlene Foster met with UDA boss Jackie McDonald not forty-eight hours after Colin Horner was shot dead by the UDA in front of his three year-old son earlier this May. Recently elected MP Emma Pengelly’s dad, Noel Little, was a gunrunner for the Ulster Resistance.
Pictured: Former DUP Leader Peter Robinson (left) and Noel Little (right) in Ulster Resistance berets and military fatigues Source: AN SIONNACH FIONN
The conflict that the UDA and the IRA were involved in was called the Troubles and lasted (officially) from 1968 until 1998, when the Good Friday Agreement was signed. The Good Friday Agreement was a deal between British and Irish governments and was recognised by the Provisional IRA as being satisfactory for them to stop bombings, this agreement meant that the Republic of Ireland would have a consultatory role in the governing of Northern Ireland and there would be a power-sharing executive between both Republican (pro-Irish) and Unionist (pro-British) parties such as Sinn Féin (Republican) and the DUP (Unionist). This was done so that neither catholics, who are mostly republican, and protestants, who are mostly unionist, would feel discriminated against and so they wouldn’t feel like the British Government was favouring any specific side. Though many would argue that there are still things the Agreement could do better on, it’s widely respected and without it, the Troubles would not have ended.
This new coalition will allow the DUP to make requests of the Conservatives and will allow them to use their MPs as a bargaining chip as without them, the Tories have no majority in the Commons. Suggested requests by DUP voters have been that Orangemen parades should be unregulated, allowing them to march in mostly Catholic areas where Loyalists have committed atrocities in the past, though this has been met with great anger from the Catholic community. This new-gained confidence of the ‘Orange Order’ has been shown already, after a march in Liverpool, where people drinking in Irish pubs were attacked earlier this week.
The amount of power that the DUP will have in this coalition has been said to be a breach of the Good Friday Agreement by some Sinn Féin members and by members of the Republican community. Though Sinn Féin will not directly oppose this in Westminster, as they are abstentionist and don’t take their seats, the fact that some believe this to be breaking the Good Friday Agreement is scary enough as if this does, it means that the Provisional IRA could be willing to re-start activity and any of this new power exercised by the DUP in NI will only be met with a surge in tensions.
Theresa May is really playing with fire by deciding to give so much power to the DUP in such a thoughtless cling to Prime Ministerial power. Making a coalition which could put lives at risk for what is likely to be a few more months as Prime Minister is one of the most selfish and irresponsible decisions of 21st Century British Politics.
