Theresa May looks set to be backed by the Democratic Unionist Party as she attempts to run a minority government following her General Election disaster.

Downing Street said an outline agreement on a 'confidence and supply' arrangement had been reached which will be put to the Cabinet for discussion on Monday.

The 10 MPs from the Northern Irish party could prove crucial in supporting the Conservatives on key votes after Thursday's election saw Mrs May lose control of the Commons.

A Number 10 spokesman said: 'We can confirm that the Democratic Unionist Party have agreed to the principles of an outline agreement to support the Conservative Government on a confidence and supply basis when Parliament returns next week.

'We welcome this commitment, which can provide the stability and certainty the whole country requires as we embark on Brexit and beyond.

'The details will be put forward for discussion and agreement at a Cabinet meeting on Monday.'

A 'confidence and supply' arrangement is a far looser deal than a formal coalition or pact.

It would mean Northern Ireland's DUP backing the Government on its Budget and prevent it being brought down by motions of no confidence, but could potentially lead to other issues being decided on a vote-by-vote basis.

Earlier today, it was revealed Mrs May had sent her chief whip Gavin Williamson to Belfast for coalition talks with the DUP after the election left the Tories eight seats short of the 326 required for a majority.

The Prime Minister made clear she wants support from her 'friends and allies' in the DUP to secure her minority administration ahead of the Queen's Speech on June 19.

The DUP is the leading unionist party in Northern Ireland and it is supposed to share power with republican Sinn Fein but bitter feuds have left the devolved assembly suspended.

Westminster is supposed to act as an honest broker between the parties under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

Sinn Fein was already suspicious of Tory neutrality because of the party's traditional closeness to the DUP and any form of coalition will chill relations further.

The deal will raise the prospect of a long-term collapse in Northern Ireland devolution. The current row was triggered by DUP leader Arlene Foster refusing to resign as First Minister over a green energy funding scandal. </s> Theresa May looks set to be backed by the Democratic Unionist Party as she attempts to run a minority government following her General Election disaster.

Downing Street said an outline agreement on a "confidence and supply" arrangement had been reached which will be put to the Cabinet for discussion on Monday.

The 10 MPs from the Northern Irish party could prove crucial in supporting the Conservatives on key votes after Thursday's election saw Mrs May lose control of the Commons.

A Number 10 spokesman said: 'We can confirm that the Democratic Unionist Party have agreed to the principles of an outline agreement to support the Conservative Government on a confidence and supply basis when Parliament returns next week.

'We welcome this commitment, which can provide the stability and certainty the whole country requires as we embark on Brexit and beyond.

"The details will be put forward for discussion and agreement at a Cabinet meeting on Monday."

A "confidence and supply" arrangement is a far looser deal than a formal coalition or pact.

It would mean the DUP backing the Government on its Budget and prevent it being brought down by motions of no confidence, but could potentially lead to other issues being decided on a vote-by-vote basis.

The development comes after Mrs May sent her Chief Whip Gavin Williamson to Belfast for talks with the DUP after the election left the Tories eight seats short of the 326 required for a majority. </s> Theresa May is trying to persuade the ten DUP MPs to enter into a formal coalition agreement with the Tories , as opposed to a less formal "confidence and supply" arrangement, according to reports.

The Prime Minister has sent a team of officials, led by her chief whip, Gavin Williamson, to Belfast to negotiate the details of an alliance with the DUP, according to ITV's Robert Peston.

The political journalist said he was being told by ministers that a more formal coalition would be preferable to a looser deal.

It is understood that Williamson was meeting the DUP's Chief Whip Sir Jeffrey Donaldson.

After meeting with the Queen, Theresa May told the country she would seek to govern with the support of Northern Ireland's DUP .

She said outside Downing Street: "What the country needs more than ever is certainty, and having secured the largest number of votes and the greatest number of seats in the General Election, it is clear that only the Conservative & Unionist Party has the legitimacy and ability to provide that certainty by commanding a majority in the House of Commons.

"As we do, we will continue to work with our friends and allies in the Democratic Unionist Party in particular. 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."

The Democratic Unionist leader and most recent first minister of Northern Ireland, Arlene Foster, says she wants to “bring stability to our nation” by backing Theresa May and the Conservatives to continue in power.

Foster said in Belfast on Friday that she was having discussions with May over the details of any arrangement that would prop up a minority government.

She confirmed that May had been in contact with her on Friday morning about gaining DUP support for a Tory administration.

“I make no apology for wanting the best for Northern Ireland and all of the union,” Foster said at the Stormont hotel in Belfast just across the road from the main entrance to the Stormont parliament, which remains shut down while talks begin next week to restore devolution. </s> Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Theresa May's Conservatives are seeking a deal with Arlene Foster's DUP

Downing Street and the Democratic Unionist Party say they are still in discussions over a possible deal to secure support for a minority Conservative government.

On Saturday, Downing Street announced a deal had been agreed in principle - but both sides then issued statements saying talks were ongoing.

The Tories need the support of the DUP's 10 MPs for a Commons majority.

No 10 described it as a "confidence and supply" deal rather than a coalition.

Prime Minister Theresa May is under pressure after Thursday's general election left her without a majority.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told the Sunday Mirror he could still be prime minister.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, meanwhile, dismissed reports of a Tory party leadership bid as "tripe".

The agreement being discussed between the DUP and the Tories, who fell eight seats short of a majority in Thursday's election, is not a full coalition, but an agreement which sees the smaller party support the larger one in key votes such as on the Budget.

Downing Street and the DUP issued separate statements overnight, emphasising that the deal between them had not yet been finalised.

The tone of both was in contrast to Saturday evening's message from No 10, which said a deal had been agreed in principle.

In a DUP statement released at midnight, the party said: "The DUP held discussions with representatives of the Conservative Party in line with Arlene Foster's commitment to explore how we might bring stability to the nation at this time of great challenge.

"The talks so far have been positive."

The DUP also retweeted a Sky News journalist's tweet claiming Downing Street's first statement had been issued in error.

'Will end in tears'

Within an hour, Downing Street said the details would be put forward by both parties "as and when" they were finalised.

It added: "We will welcome any such deal being agreed, as it will provide the stability and certainty the whole country requires as we embark on Brexit and beyond."

No explanation has been given for the change by Downing Street.

In response to the earlier Downing Street statement, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron called on Mrs May to make public immediately the details of the deal "stitched up behind closed doors".

Sinn Féin's leader in Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill said the DUP had "betrayed the interests of the people" and the new arrangement would "end in tears".

Mr Corbyn said the government did not have any credibility to go forward and the Labour Party would do what it could to stop it, including by voting down the Queen's Speech.

Image copyright PA Image caption Sinn Féin has said the deal will "end in tears"

The DUP are pro-union in UK terms, pro-Brexit and socially conservative.

The party's 2017 manifesto outlined calls for increases in the personal tax allowance, continued rises in the national living wage, renewal of the Trident nuclear deterrent and revisiting terrorism laws - all similar to Conservative policy.

But they differ in areas including abolishing air passenger duty, cutting VAT for tourism businesses and maintaining a triple lock on pensions.

Tory chief whip Gavin Williamson met DUP chiefs in Belfast on Saturday.

Newsnight political editor Nick Watt said the DUP and Conservatives had been "looking at the full range of possibilities" during Mr Williamson's visit.

The parties had discussed everything from just an informal undertaking to a full coalition agreement.

He added: "I am told that what the DUP are looking at is securing benefits. So keep the pension triple lock and preserve universal benefits such as the winter fuel allowance for pensioners.

"That would allow the DUP to say 'we are not just acting in the interests of Northern Ireland, we are true unionists, we are acting in the interest of the whole of the United Kingdom'."

Meanwhile, the Mail on Sunday reported a "close ally" of Mr Johnson as saying it was "go-go-go" to get him to take over the party from Mrs May.

But Mr Johnson tweeted: "Mail on Sunday tripe - I am backing Theresa May. Let's get on with the job."

What is a 'confidence and supply' deal?

Image copyright AFP/Getty Images

This deal would see the DUP promise to back the government in votes of no confidence and supply - or Budget - issues.

In return, the government would support or fund some of the DUP's policies.

These deals tend to be loose and a long way short of a formal coalition.

Minority governments like this are not uncommon.

John Major survived without a majority in the dying days of his Tory administration in the mid-1990s.

Labour's Harold Wilson and James Callaghan governed with minorities for much of the 1970s.

But these governments can be quite constrained in what they can do, passing as little legislation as possible to avoid defeat.

They can also be unstable and short lived, if the deal between the parties breaks down and fresh elections have to be called.

How a minority government might work </s> Theresa May will visit Buckingham Palace at 12.30pm to seek permission from the Queen to form a government, a Downing Street spokesman said.

She has struck a deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to form a small working majority in coalition. The DUP said the deal would work on a vote-by-vote basis called "confidence and supply" and they would not form a formal coalition.

It follows calls for Ms May to resign after a disastrous election for the Conservatives. They emerged eight seats short of a majority, with one seat left to declare.

"We would consider a supply and confidence arrangement to make sure Theresa May would have sufficient support to keep her in government,” one DUP MP told Sky News.

Support for the DUP has grown, with the party increasing their number of seats from 8 to ten. The Tories and DUP combined would have 329 MPs in the Commons.

The party has series of demands from the Conservatives in exchange for its support. Among them is an assurance that Ireland is not granted special status after Brexit.

Nigel Dodds, who retained the North Belfast seat, reportedly said the DUP would insist there was no separate deal for Ireland that would in essence keep in inside the EU. The DUP backed Brexit in last year's referendum.

The DUP objects to special status for the region, one of Sinn Fein's key demands, fearing it could break-up Ireland from the rest of the UK.

The DUP, the largest unionist political party in Northern Ireland, said their desire to form a coalition with Ms May is driven by concerns about Jeremy Corbyn becoming Prime Minister.

Mr Corbyn, who has called on Ms May to resign, has well publicised links with Sinn Fein. The Labour leader has said he is "ready to serve" and the party is willing to form alliances with other smaller parties.

Yet even if Labour joined forces with the SNP, Lib Dems, Green Party and Plaid Cymru, it would only have 313 seats, short of the 326 figure it needs. </s> Theresa May looks set to be backed by the Democratic Unionist Party as she attempts to run a minority government following her General Election disaster.

Downing Street said an outline agreement on a “confidence and supply” arrangement had been reached which will be put to the Cabinet for discussion on Monday.

The 10 MPs from the Northern Irish party could prove crucial in supporting the Conservatives on key votes after Thursday’s election saw Mrs May lose control of the Commons.

A Number 10 spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that the Democratic Unionist Party have agreed to the principles of an outline agreement to support the Conservative Government on a confidence and supply basis when Parliament returns next week.

“We welcome this commitment, which can provide the stability and certainty the whole country requires as we embark on Brexit and beyond.

“The details will be put forward for discussion and agreement at a Cabinet meeting on Monday.” </s> Theresa May looks set to be backed by the Democratic Unionist Party as she attempts to run a minority government following her General Election disaster.

Downing Street said an outline agreement on a "confidence and supply" arrangement had been reached which will be put to the Cabinet for discussion on Monday.

The 10 MPs from the Northern Irish party could prove crucial in supporting the Conservatives on key votes after Thursday's election saw Mrs May lose control of the Commons. </s> Talks to help form a new power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland look set to finish without agreement.

Yesterday (26 March), fresh discussions at Stormont Castle collapsed, meaning that the Northern Ireland Office will have to determine the way ahead.

With no deal in sight before the 4pm deadline, today's assembly session to appoint a first and deputy first minister is likely to be suspended.

The two biggest parties, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin, have blamed each other for the disagreements.

The latest round of negotiations followed a snap election on 2 March, which brought an end to Stormont's unionist majority where the DUP's lead over Sinn Féin was cut from 10 seats to one.

Under Northern Ireland's power-sharing agreement, the executive must be jointly run by unionists and nationalists, with the largest party being invited to put forward a candidate for first minister.

Sinn Féin said it would not share power with DUP leader Arlene Foster as first minister until the conclusion of a public inquiry into the Renewable Heat Incentive.

Over the weekend, the Stormont politicians could not find any common ground on crucial issues such as Irish language legislation or the legacy of the Troubles.

If an agreement isn't reached then fresh elections could be called or a period of direct rule from Westminster could also be imposed.

Secretary of State James Brokenshire said: "Three weeks ago the people of Northern Ireland voted overwhelmingly for effective, devolved, power-sharing government.

"Since then I have been working intensively with the political parties and with the Irish government to find a way forward, including putting forward a number of proposals

"I am determined to see a functioning executive in place at Stormont. I have spoken to the prime minister this afternoon and this remains the UK government's continuing priority.

"This is the necessary first step to addressing the issues of greatest public concern – health, education and other public services in Northern Ireland.

"Even at this stage I urge political parties to agree to work to form an executive and provide people here with the strong and stable devolved government that they want." </s> The Democratic Unionist Party, founded and led by the late Reverend Ian Paisley, is the only Northern Ireland Party that was in favour of Brexit while most Northern Irish voters supported Remain.

Sinn Fein, which condemns Brexit and says Northern Ireland should remain in the EU on an all-island basis and which says a return to customs borders would hurt the peace process, will not be taking its seven seats in Westminster.

Although the DUP regularly votes with Conservatives in the Commons its own manifesto diverged from Theresa May’s in its support for retaining the pensions triple lock and universal winter fuel allowance.

But it shares common ground with Sinn Fein, the Irish government and Mrs May in wanting a “seamless and frictionless” border with the Republic after Brexit.

But it and Sinn Fein, the two largest Northern Ireland power sharing Assembly parties have been unable to reach agreement on restoring the devolved Stormont legislature. Talks had been suspended until after the General Election and were due to resume later this month.

With Sinn Fein’s seven MP refusing to take their seats in this Parliament these are the ten DUP MPs who will keep the Tories in power.

Nigel Dodds, Belfast North: The party’s deputy leader has also served in the Northern Ireland Assembly as a finance minister.

Gavin Robinson, Belfast East: 32-year-old barrister and former Lord Mayor of Belfast. The party’s youngest MP.

Emma Little-Pengelly, Belfast South: 37-year-old mother of three is a first-time MP and sole woman in the DUP’s Westminster line-up. She was a special adviser for Rev Ian Paisley and his successor Peter Robinson.

Sammy Wilson, East Antrim: 64-year old former finance minister in the Northern Ireland Assembly.

David Simpson, Upper Bann: A Free Presbyterian and opponent of marriage equality introduced by David Cameron in the UK and Enda Kenny in the Republic.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, Langan Valley: once one of the UUP’s great young hopes for the future, defected to the DUP over the Good Friday Agreement.

Paul Givan, South Antrim: campaigned to support the Northern Irish bakery that refused to make a wedding cake for a same sex wedding.

Ian Paisley Jr, North Antrim: Son of the Rev Ian Paisley, Northern Ireland’s former first minister and DUP founder. He is a vocal parliamentarian and a leading Brexit campaigner. He spoke warmly of one time enemy Martin McGuinness for the warmth he showed Ian Snr and his family after they decided to share power together ten years ago.

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Following talks in Belfast, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) agrees to a "confidence and supply" deal to support a Conservative Party minority-government.