Tories Form New Government

By Naveed Qazi | Editor, Globe Upfront

The UK general election of 2017 produced one of the most precarious political settlements in recent British history. Theresa May’s Conservatives won the largest number of seats (317 out of 650), but fell short of an outright majority, leading to a hung parliament. In the aftermath, the government entered a confidence-and-supply agreement with Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), led by Arlene Foster. The DUP’s 10 MPs became decisive for maintaining Conservative governance.

The election had been dominated by Brexit. May called a snap election on 18 April 2017, hoping to strengthen her parliamentary position ahead of negotiations with the European Union. However, the gamble weakened her authority instead. As reported by BBC News and The Guardian, the campaign was marked by her decision to avoid live televised leader debates, instead relying on controlled interviews and set-piece appearances. The political backdrop remained the 2016 referendum, after which Prime Minister David Cameron resigned and the UK voted to leave the European Union, despite significant opposition in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

The DUP agreement, concluded on 26 June 2017, provided support to the Conservatives on key votes including the Queen’s Speech, budgets, and Brexit-related legislation. In return, the government committed additional funding for Northern Ireland, including up to £1 billion in extra spending across areas such as infrastructure, health, and education. As the Financial Times and BBC News reported, this sparked controversy, with critics arguing the deal gave Northern Ireland preferential treatment compared with other UK regions, particularly economically deprived areas in England. Labour politicians and others described it as politically motivated and unfair, raising concerns about the UK government’s traditional claim of neutrality in Northern Irish affairs under the Good Friday Agreement.

Public and political reaction was immediate and polarised. Protests took place in Westminster, and petitions opposing the arrangement gathered significant signatures. Critics warned that reliance on the DUP—whose socially conservative positions differed sharply from mainstream UK parties—risked complicating Brexit negotiations and domestic policymaking. Commentators in The Guardian and The Independent highlighted concerns that the deal could intensify regional and constitutional tensions, especially given that Northern Ireland had voted to remain in the EU.

At the same time, the European Union maintained pressure for a structured timetable to conclude withdrawal negotiations. In practice, the key deadline became October 2018 for agreeing a withdrawal treaty text, allowing time for ratification before the UK’s planned departure date in March 2019. Within Britain, Theresa May’s government faced continued instability, as even a small number of Conservative rebellions could threaten its survival in Parliament. Meanwhile, the Labour Party under Jeremy Corbyn gained momentum, positioning itself as an alternative to austerity policies and Conservative Brexit management.

Domestically, the wider context included ongoing austerity pressures, strained public services, and uncertainty over the rights of EU nationals. The UK government later introduced the EU Settlement Scheme (from 2018 onward) to regularise residency status for EU citizens living in Britain, including those with long-term residence rights.

In retrospect, the DUP agreement symbolised the fragility of May’s government. It ensured short-term survival but deepened perceptions of political instability and dependence on small-party leverage. The arrangement became a defining feature of the post-2017 political landscape, illustrating how Brexit had transformed parliamentary arithmetic into a source of chronic volatility.

For Labour, the episode reinforced its argument that the Conservative government lacked a stable mandate, while for May, it marked the beginning of a prolonged struggle to maintain authority in an increasingly fractured Parliament.