Theresa May To Stay As PM After Deal With Democratic Unionist Party

British Prime Minister Theresa May struck a deal in principle with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party on Saturday to prop up the Conservative government, stripped of its majority in a disastrous election.

"Our two parties have enjoyed a strong relationship over many years, and this gives me the confidence to believe that we will be able to work together in the interests of the whole United Kingdom", May said.

May ended up with 12 fewer seats than when she called the election and will need the support of other parties to govern.

The result was a personal humiliation for Mrs May who called the election three years before she had to to bolster her position in Parliament as she embarked on the negotiations on Britain's withdrawal from the EU.

She made the election about her and Jeremy Corbyn, but the electorate has largely said up yours to that sentiment. The UK must be seen to remain open for business, with a government committed to supporting enterprise.

The government Chief Whip Gavin Williamson has flown to Belfast to open discussions with the Democratic Unionist Party for talks on "how best they can provide support" for Theresa May's government.

"The simple truth is we have a Prime Minister, she is a very good leader, I'm a big supporter of hers", Mr Davis told the Press Association.

But in a dramatic twist just before midnight on Sunday, Sky sources said No. 10's account of the talks had been issued in error and the DUP had not yet reached any agreement with the Tories.

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But after a poor campaign and an unexpectedly stiff challenge from the opposition Labour Party under leader Jeremy Corbyn, her plan went disastrously wrong, leaving her unable to form a sustainable government without DUP support.

However, this time the third-party vote collapsed to its lowest level in half a century and Labour benefited more than expected. A relative unknown in global political terms, the DUP now holds a crucial role in facilitating the establishment of a government ahead of crucial Brexit negotiations in 10 days time.

"That said, it does look that if we do have a Conservative majority it may not be a large one and I think that could be territory in which the DUP could exert quite a degree of influence in Westminster".

The party's leader Arlene Foster has spoken out against a hard Brexit - which could see a return to a hard border - and as such, is likely to make it a red-line issue.

Theresa May gambled this election and screwed it up, but not before she triggered Article 50. In 2015, it used the North's petition of concern system to block the legalisation of gay marriage in the North, despite a majority of members voting in favour.

"A grubby deal for a coalition of chaos", Tom Watson, deputy leader of the Labour Party reacted to the deal.

After the shattering loss of seats to Labour in the general election, May was set to head to Buckingham Palace to ask the Queen's permission to form a minority government to cling onto the keys to No.10 Downing Street.