copenlu/druid huggingface dataset:
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2019-02-08): The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) is a unionist, loyalist, British nationalist[4][7] and national conservative political party in Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1971 during the Troubles by Ian Paisley, who led the party for the next 37 years. It is currently led by Gavin Robinson, who initially stepped in as an interim after the resignation of Jeffrey Donaldson. It is the second-largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly, and won five seats in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom at the 2024 election. The party has been mostly described as right-wing[8][9][10][5] and socially conservative,[11][12] being anti-abortion and opposing same-sex marriage. The DUP sees itself as defending Britishness and Ulster Protestant culture against Irish nationalism and republicanism. It is also Eurosceptic and supported Brexit.[13][14] [...] [edit]Arlene Foster became leader of the DUP on 17 December 2015, and served as First Minister of Northern Ireland from January 2016 to January 2017.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2021-05-27): Edwin Poots has been officially ratified as the new leader of the Democratic Unionist Party [...] Mrs Foster announced her resignation as First Minister and DUP leader last month following an internal revolt against her leadership. [...] Mrs Foster said she would step down as DUP leader on Friday and as First Minister at the end of June.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2021-04-28): Arlene Foster: DUP leadership remains in doubt after revolt Arlene Foster's future as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party remains in doubt on Wednesday as she faces a heave from within her own party. [...] Mrs Foster was elected as the first female leader of the DUP in December 2015, taking over from Peter Robinson. She was the only candidate.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2021-04-28): Statement by Rt. Hon. Arlene Foster MLA [...] The Confidence and Supply Agreement was able to bring one billion pounds of extra spending for everyone in Northern Ireland. Our priorities were not narrow but based on more investment in mental health and hospitals, bringing broadband to rural communities, improving our roads and ensuring funding to encourage more shared housing and education. [...] My election as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party broke a glass ceiling and I am glad inspired other women to enter politics and spurred them on to take up elected office.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2021-04-28): Arlene Foster: DUP leadership remains in doubt after revolt - Published Arlene Foster's future as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party remains in doubt on Wednesday as she faces a heave from within her own party. [...] Mrs Foster was elected as the first female leader of the DUP in December 2015, taking over from Peter Robinson. She was the only candidate.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2021-05-28): A politician since the age of 25, Foster has been a polarising figure in a polarising political set-up. She came to UK prominence in 2017, when former prime minister Theresa May unexpectedly lost her parliamentary majority. The DUP had been seen as a fringe religious relic at Westminster. Suddenly its votes counted. Foster and colleagues extracted £1bn in public spending in exchange for propping up May’s Conservative government. They were lauded as the master negotiators, the puppetmasters. [...] By 2020, the DUP’s days of influence were over. Northern Ireland’s businesses and citizens were left with the mess of Brexit bureaucracy and disrupted identity. The DUP’s religious right, angered by Foster’s moderate line on abortion and banning gay conversion therapy, mobilised the ill-feeling to topple her. To her critics, Foster is the leader who won the lottery, then tore up the winning ticket. "The art is knowing when to cash your chips in," says one May supporter. "The DUP could be very adept tacticians, but they were utterly lacking in strategy," says another. Many unionists can’t understand why the DUP has brought the union into question by supporting a hard Brexit, which most Northern Irish voters opposed.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2021-04-28): Since it emerged that Arlene Foster had resigned as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and as NI first minister, politicians on all sides have been reacting. [...] DUP peer and deputy leader Nigel Dodds said Mrs Foster had "dedicated her life to defending the union and moving Northern Ireland forward". [...] DUP MP Gregory Campbell thanked Arlene Foster on his Facebook page for her "steadfast commitment to making progress here in Northern Ireland despite the many difficulties we all faced, and will continue to face in the future".
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2021-04-28): Arlene Foster announces resignation as DUP leader and NI first minister - Published Arlene Foster has announced her resignation as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and as NI first minister after an internal revolt. [...] Mrs Foster was elected as the first female leader of the DUP in December 2015, taking over from Peter Robinson. She was the only candidate.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2021-06-14): Northern Ireland: DUP's Arlene Foster formally resigns as first minister Arlene Foster pays tribute to her family and says they will see more of her "whether they like it or not". [...] Edwin Poots, who succeeded Mrs Foster as Democratic Unionist Party leader, said history will be "kind" to his predecessor, who enjoyed a "hugely successful" career.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2021-04-29): Arlene Foster, Northern Ireland’s first minister and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), is to stand down from both roles after apparently losing the confidence of her own party. She will be gone by July, she announced just ahead of a leadership vote she looked likely to lose. The vote takes place every year and has only ever been a formality. But this time her party had turned against her. Foster was always an unusual Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader. She was the first woman to head a stridently patriarchal party. She is a member of the Church of Ireland, while the DUP remains broadly evangelical in its membership. And she was formerly a Ulster Unionist Party member, defecting over David Trimble’s handling of the early peace process. [...] The DUP now faces its first leadership election in its history. Foster’s replacement will have to find a different way forward for unionism in a much changed landscape. The signs do not look encouraging. One candidate is Edwin Poots, who, as health minister, maintained a ban on gay men donating blood after this rule was scrapped in the rest of the UK. As environment minister, he rejected the idea that the climate change represented a crisis, and as a "young-Earth creationist", he believes the Earth is just 4,000 years old. This hardly suggests that Ulster unionism would be ready to face the future under Poots.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2017-06-13): Arlene Foster: Profile of the Democratic Unionist Party leader - Published Arlene Foster, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), could be about to become the second most important person in British politics. [...] She became leader of the Democratic Unionist Party in December 2015 and, the following month, she was appointed first minister of Northern Ireland.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2021-04-28): Rumours about bids to remove Arlene Foster from the helm of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) had been swirling for months. [...] Arlene Foster led the party's campaign in favour of Brexit, but struggled once its ramifications for the union came into view. [...] The DUP's roots are deeply conservative, staunchly opposing abortion and same-sex marriage.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2021-05-14): The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) will elect its new leader on Friday after Arlene Foster announced her intention to step down. [...] Sir Jeffrey Donaldson is the DUP's Westminster leader and is currently the longest-serving MP from Northern Ireland. Born in Kilkeel, the 58-year-old has said his decision to enter politics was influenced by the IRA murder of his cousin and RUC officer Samuel Donaldson in 1970.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2024-09-19): Arlene Isobel Foster, Baroness Foster of Aghadrumsee, DBE, PC (née Kelly; born 17 July 1970),[2] is a British broadcaster and politician from Northern Ireland who served as First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2016 to 2017 and 2020 to 2021 and leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 2015 to 2021. Foster was the first woman to hold either position. She is a Member of the House of Lords, having previously been a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Fermanagh and South Tyrone from 2003 to 2021. Foster served in the Northern Ireland Executive as Minister of the Environment from 2007 to 2008, Minister for Enterprise and Investment from 2008 to 2015 and Minister for Finance and Personnel from 2015 to 2016. In December 2015, Foster was elected unopposed to succeed Peter Robinson as leader of the DUP. In January 2016, Foster became First Minister of Northern Ireland and shared power with Martin McGuinness. [...] Jeffrey Donaldson MP and Edwin Poots MLA stood in an election to replace Foster as Leader of the DUP. On 14 May 2021, Poots was elected as her successor as DUP leader. Poots succeeded Foster as DUP leader on 28 May 2021. Foster resigned as First Minister at 1pm on 14 June 2021[6] and Paul Givan succeeded Foster as First Minister on 17 June 2021.[7] In addition to quitting as First Minister, it was initially rumoured that Foster would quit the DUP as a result of her ousting; however, she remained a party member.[76][77]
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2017-06-28): Anyone familiar with political negotiations in Northern Ireland will have been surprised by neither the rumors nor the fact that negotiations between the Tories and the DUP eventually dragged on for more than a fortnight. Northern Irish parties of all stripes are expert at stringing out talks, wringing the maximum amount of concessions from them. The agreement, when finally published this week, revealed that the DUP’s demands were focused more on matters such as health care and infrastructure — an extra 1 billion pounds of government money — than contentious issues like parading, although there was a clause in there about the implementation in Northern Ireland of the Armed Forces Covenant (in place elsewhere in the U.K.) aimed at improving the lot of British Army veterans. [...] (In fact, if I were a Labour voter — would that I had the choice — I would say, given the anger elsewhere in the U.K. at that extra 1 billion pounds coming Northern Ireland’s way, that wouldn’t be a bad thing at all.)
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2008-01-29): Dr Farry: Finally, I will concentrate on health. The Minister has acted like the grand old Duke of York — marching us to the top of the hill and back down again — in his campaign for proper National Health Service funding in Northern Ireland. For the sake of a facade of unity in the Executive, he seems to have settled for much less than what is required to maintain a level of healthcare that is on a par with the rest of the United Kingdom. In order to keep pace with funding in the rest of the UK, Northern Ireland requires a health budget of at least £4·4 billion, and, to maintain the same level of service, the revised Budget leaves a health funding shortfall of £200 million. The DUP can talk all it wants about record Health Service funding, but the simple fact is that we are not keeping pace with the rest of the UK. [...] We should not underestimate the scale of what we have achieved, especially in the wider UK public expenditure context in which the package was secured. Although we would have liked to have achieved more — and what Executive would not? — negotiations with the Treasury have paid dividends. The Member for North Down said that we promised a £1 billion package and that we had failed to deliver. He is right; we have failed to deliver a £1 billion package — we have delivered a package that is worth more than £2 billion.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2021-04-28): Arlene Foster’s statement this afternoon … [...] The Confidence and Supply Agreement was able to bring one billion pounds of extra spending for everyone in Northern Ireland. Our priorities were not narrow but based on more investment in mental health and hospitals, bringing broadband to rural communities, improving our roads and ensuring funding to encourage more shared housing and education. [...] My election as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party broke a glass ceiling and I am glad inspired other women to enter politics and spurred them on to take up elected office.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2019-07-31): Northern Ireland’s 1.8 million people have been without a functioning administration for 2 1/2 years, ever since the Catholic-Protestant power-sharing government collapsed over a botched green-energy project. The rift soon widened over broader cultural and political issues separating Northern Ireland’s British unionists and Irish nationalists. [...] Critics say that gives the pro-Brexit DUP an oversized influence with the British government, unsettling the delicate balance of power in Northern Ireland. [...] DUP leader Arlene Foster played down the risk of a no-deal Brexit, saying Johnson is "focused on finding a deal and we’re here to help him find that deal."
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2019-11-25): But did his mission to restore his party as a serious electoral contender end with his coronation? Aiken’s first act as UUP leader came before his formal acclamation. Many within political unionism thought it heretical, if not suicidal. He promised that his party would run candidates in all 18 of Northern Ireland’s Westminster constituencies. DUP leader Arlene Foster accused him of conspiring to hand North Belfast, where Nigel Dodds is defending a slender majority of 2,081, to Sinn Fein. Initially, Aiken stood firm. The UUP’s larger rival, he claimed, had "besmirched unionism with its corruption and sleaze". Better no unionist MP than one whose presence would weaken the union. [...] But there are other people. If you look back at the history of the Ulster Unionist Party, as I always do when I wander around Queen’s University, I think of the generation of people like Edgar Graham [who was assassinated by the IRA in 1986], and what he could have done. That to me is one of the biggest challenges and concerns because there was an entire generation who could have made Northern Ireland a fantastic place. And that’s why violence and terrorism was just nihilistic. Because what it achieved – it killed thousands of people, it cost billions of pounds, and it’s created this cancer of sectarianism and all the rest of it which we haven’t managed to sort out.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2019-03-29): DUP leader, Arlene Foster is from County Fermanagh and was their to support her local team who were appearing in their first Ulster final since 2008. Traditionally, Gaelic games in Northern Ireland is a Catholic sport and is generally shunned by the Protestant community and apparently, Arlene was the first ever DUP leader to attend a high profile Gaelic football game. [...] You can see from the above list that the seat has alternated between Unionist and Republican candidates for he last 60 years. In 2005, Arlene Foster contested the election only to finish second to the incumbent MP, Michelle Gildernew of Sinn Fein. However, since 2003, Arlene has been one of 6 MLA’s that have represented this constituency to the Northern Ireland Assembly. She has served as a Minister of the Environment and a Minister of Enterprise in the Northern Ireland Assembly and in December 2015, was elected leader of the DUP, currently the largest Unionist party in Northern Ireland.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2019-12-19): She said: "The integrity and prosperity of the United Kingdom is of the utmost importance to my government. My ministers will work urgently to facilitate talks to restore devolved government in Northern Ireland." [...] As a result, Stormont relies on a shaky coalition between its two largest parties, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Sinn Féin. The DUP is a unionist political party in favour of a British identity.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2022-12-23): MÓM: I think there’s always two aspects to this, certainly in this devolved set-up that we have. One was to take the ministry and to use it to the maximum benefit of all the people, but particularly to fulfil the party manifesto. Sinn Féin, being a party of the left, obviously wanted as much support for people who were at the bottom rung of the economic ladder. We wanted to introduce things such as the Social Value Act onto procurement, which I was responsible for, to £2 billion a year. We wanted to end zero-hour contracts. We wanted to make sure that we had a better gender balance in our central procurement directorate, which when I went in was, believe it or not, 14 men. So yes, you take all the Sinn Féin touchpoints, touchstones, I suppose, and say: "Look, we have to deliver on those, and the party expects that." For example, there was a very important project to build the first proper road from Belfast to Derry since partition. Martin McGuinness [deputy first minister] said: "I don’t care what you do, but you need to make sure that I have the billion pounds to do that." [...] And doing that probably didn’t help me balance the books or deliver extra money for the people, but it entirely changed the perception of what the finance minister was doing, and how people regarded the finance minister, and the Sinn Féin finance minister, and that goes back to my original priorities.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2017-06-26): There will be £1bn extra for Northern Ireland over the next two years. [...] There will be £1.5bn in funding - consisting of £1bn of new money and £500m of previously announced funds - to be spent over the next two years on infrastructure, health and education in Northern Ireland, money Mrs Foster said was needed to address the challenges from Northern Ireland's "unique history". [...] Welcoming the additional funding for Northern Ireland, she said it would benefit all communities. "Following our discussions the Conservative Party has recognised the case for higher funding in Northern Ireland, given our unique history and indeed circumstances over recent decades."
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2024-09-12): The agreement stated that votes related to any other matters in the Commons will be agreed on a case-by-case basis, overseen by a coordination committee made up of both parties. The DUP secured an extra £1 billion of funding for Northern Ireland, with the money focused on health, infrastructure and education budgets.[67] Following the announcement of the agreement, the Government stated that this additional funding would not result in increased budgets in Scotland or Wales, as the money will not be subject to the Barnett formula.[71] The deal also saw the Conservatives drop their 2017 manifesto commitments to pension and winter fuel allowance changes. [...] References [edit]- ^ Maidment, Jack (26 June 2017). "DUP agrees £1bn deal with Conservatives to prop up Theresa May's minority Government". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017. [...] - ^ "DUP-Tory deal secures extra spending in Northern Ireland". BBC News. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
Claim: Arlene Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, said that the party delivered “an extra billion pounds” for Northern Ireland. (Arlene Foster, 2019-07-31)
Evidence (2017-06-26): As part of the deal, the government will provide funds to boost Northern Ireland's economy, while investing in infrastructure, health, and education. The package includes 1 billion pounds ($1.27 billion) of new funding and 500 million pounds ($638 million) of previously announced funds. Democratic Unionist leader Arlene Foster said the agreement would "address the unique circumstances" of Northern Ireland. Ms. May said the two parties "share many values." [...] Foster's party had demanded tangible benefits in terms of jobs and investment for Northern Ireland before she would agree to support May's government. The DUP has 10 seats in Parliament, enough to guarantee passage of the government's agenda.