DUP-Conservative deal: Regional leaders react to Theresa May's agreement with Arlene Foster

Pact provides 'blank cheque for Tory Brexit which threatens peace agreement', says Sinn Féin President

Regional leaders around the UK have launched scathing attacks on the Government's deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

A "confidence and supply" agreement between the Tories and the Northern Irish party was reached just days ahead of Wednesday's crucial vote on the Queen's speech.

The DUP will support the government in motions of confidence and appropriation or budget votes, by either voting in favour or abstaining — an arrangement DUP leader Arlene Foster said would help provide "stable government".

But regional representatives were critical of the agreement, which was pursued by the Conservative party after they lost their majority in June's general election.

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams said the deal with the DUP provided a “blank cheque for Tory Brexit which threatens the peace agreement”.

He added: "As they return to Ireland to meet with Sinn Féin and the other parties, the DUP should be minded of the words of Edward Carson speaking in 1921 on the Tory intrigues that had led him on a course that would partition Ireland: "‘What a fool I was. I was only a puppet, and so was Ulster, and so was Ireland, in that political game that was to get the Conservative party into power’.”

Meanwhile, the Scottish National Party's Westminster Leader, Ian Blackford, said Scotland was being offered "little more than scraps from the table" under the deal.

“After weeks of secret backroom negotiations, the Tories have now signed a grubby deal with the DUP," he said. "For years the Tories have been cutting budgets and services, but suddenly they have found a magic money tree to help them stay in power.

“The financial aspects of this deal entirely sum up how little the Tories care about Scotland – while a billion pounds is being handed over to Northern Ireland, Scotland is seemingly to be offered little more than scraps from the table. The claim is being made that the funding being made available is a recognition of Northern Ireland’s special circumstances – but if there was any true appreciation of those circumstances there would be no deal at all with the DUP."

He added: “This was the first big test of the new Scottish Tory MPs, but despite all of their bluster, they clearly have no authority and no influence – and now they have no credibility.

“Ruth Davidson said they would stand up for Scotland – but instead they have bowed down to their Westminster bosses and sold Scotland out so they can cling to power.

“SNP MPs will demand Scotland gets it fair share of any funding that is going to Northern Ireland – the Scottish Tory MPs should join us in standing up for Scotland and making sure that we get our fair share.”

Welsh first minister Carwyn Jones accused the Prime Minister was "ignoring the rest of the UK" by allying with the Northern Irish Party.

"Only last week we were told that the priority was to ‘build a more united country, strengthening the social, economic and cultural bonds between England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales,'" he said.

"This deal flies in the face of that commitment and further weakens the UK, and as currently drafted all but kills the idea of fair funding for the nations and regions.

"It is outrageous that the prime minister believes she can secure her own political future by throwing money at Northern Ireland whilst completely ignoring the rest of the UK."

He added: "This is a short-term fix which will have far-reaching and destabilising consequences."