Tories seal deal with Northern Ireland's DUP for PM to stay in power

British Prime Minister Theresa May has secured her grip on power after Conservatives struck a deal with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party which will see them support her minority government.

The governing agreement was announced on Monday two weeks after the prime minister’s party lost its parliamentary majority in the botched June 8 snap election.

"The DUP... agrees to support the government on legislation pertaining to the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union; and legislation pertaining to national security," according to a document published by May's office.

DUP leader Arlene Foster said she was "delighted" with the arrangement and May said the deal was a "very good one."

"We share many values in terms of wanting to see prosperity across the UK, the value of the union, the important bond between the different parts of the UK," May said.

"We very much want to see that protected and enhanced and we also share the desire to ensure a strong government, able to put through its program and provide for issues like the Brexit negotiations, but also national security issues,” she stated.

Early indications showed that the premier had been forced to abandon commitments under her election manifesto and promise large amounts of funding and new tax incentives to Northern Ireland in exchange for the DUP's backing.

There will be £1 billion in extra spending for Northern Ireland over the next two years, BBC reported.

The so-called confidence and supply agreement capped 17 days of negotiations during which May asked for support from the DUP’s 10 lawmakers to win votes in the House of Commons.

The first test of the governing deal will come this week when lawmakers are scheduled to vote on the prime minister’s legislative agenda for the next two years.

The opposition Labour and Liberal Democrat parties are calling for amendments to May’s pared-down program which she outlined last week.

The legislation includes eight Brexit measures addressing issues ranging from nuclear cooperation and immigration to agriculture.

Also on Monday, May is expected to outline details of her plan on how she wants to protect the rights of 3.2 million EU citizens living in the UK once the country leaves the European Union in 2019.

There is concern that the prime minister might drag the country further to the political right by tying her government to DUP.

May had called for a snap election in April in hopes of getting an increased parliamentary majority that could have strengthened her position before going into two years of intense negotiations with the European Union about Britain’s departure from the bloc.

However, British voters dealt her a devastating blow, wiping out her parliamentary majority and throwing the country into political turmoil.

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