£1 billion ‘bribe’ for DUP will need Parliamentary approval – but neither Tories nor DUP should be allowed to vote
Theresa May with DUP leader Arlene Foster after reaching the £1bn deal with the Democratic Unionist party to prop up her minority government. Both have an interest in Parliament approving the payment, so neither should be allowed to vote on it [Image: Dominic Lipinski/PA].
So, even if judges decide that the bung isn’t a bribe, the Tories will have to get the support of Parliament for it.
To This Writer, it occurs that every single Conservative MP, along with all those from the DUP, should declare an interest in the matter, meaning they should not vote on it. That would leave the decision up to those who aren’t likely to profit from it.
If that doesn’t happen, then the vote should not be valid.
What do YOU think will happen?
Parliament will need to approve the release of £1bn in funding for Northern Ireland promised to the Democratic Unionist party by Theresa May to secure its support after the general election, the government has conceded.
Challenged by the campaigner Gina Miller about the legal basis for releasing the funds, which have not yet been made available, the Treasury solicitor, who heads the Government Legal Department, said it “will have appropriate parliamentary authorisation”, adding: “No timetable has been set for the making of such payments.”
Replying to a legal letter from Miller and the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), Jonathan Jones said the government intends to use “long-established procedures, under which central government requests the grant of money by the House of Commons” in order to pay out the funds it promised the DUP in the controversial agreement in June.
Here are four ways to be sure you’re among the first to know what’s going on.
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (in the left margin). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
The Livingstone Presumption is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
These are diversion tactics, the “No timetable has been set for the making of such payments.” statement by the Tories legal division is presenting a non-completion (ultra virs) defense for the forthcoming court hearing. The proposal of this is to establish a non actus reus, or in other words, the preparation of a defense that the act of bribery has not as yet been committed as no money has changed hands without parliamentary approval. However, that does not prevent the act of conspiracy to (in law, mens rea) having taken place. The proposal to put this before parliament is a red herring to disguise the true intention. Slippery characters these Tories.