If the Conservative Party genuinely aspired to represent everybody, we would contest parliamentary seats in Northern Ireland. And if we had contested Ulster seats in 2005 and previous years, would there be as many as 9 DUP MP's? Or would the electoral arithemetic be rather different?
Meanwhile just how principled were the DUP? Jenny McCartney over at three line whip says
Willie McCrea, a senior DUP politician, proclaimed after the vote that the DUP "decided on an issue of principle on national security" and that "we could not in any way put our hands to something that would endanger the UK."
But she adds
All very high-minded, except that it doesn't explain why the DUP - despite having had ample time in which to consider the merits of the proposal - flatly refused to reveal its "principled" stance in the run-up to the vote. It also doesn't explain why the DUP leadership was reportedly holding meetings with the Prime Minister until late yesterday afternoon
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