LONDON: British Prime Minister Theresa May’s talks on securing the support of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to prop up her minority government are not going as expected, sources in the DUP said on Tuesday.

May is due to launch her programme for government on Wednesday, but does not yet have the deal she needs to pass it through parliament next week. A snap election intended to strengthen her hand instead left her short of an outright majority and needing the DUP’s support.

Talks between the two parties, who are largely aligned on domestic issues and Brexit, have dragged on for nearly two weeks, fuelling deep political uncertainty as Britain begins talks on leaving the European Union.

“(May’s government) needs to give greater focus to discussions,” a DUP source said. “The party (DUP) can’t be taken for granted. Negotiations haven’t proceeded in the way that we would have expected.”

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2017