Democratic Unionist Party deputy leader Nigel Dodds speaks to the media, after the British parliament rejected Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal, in London, Britain, January 16, 2019. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May’s victory in a vote of no confidence on Wednesday shows the importance of the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party that props up her government, its deputy leader said.

May defeated the motion by a 19 vote margin in a vote in parliament.

“The result of the motion of no confidence tonight illustrates the importance of the confidence and supply arrangement that is currently in place,” said Nigel Dodds, deputy leader of the DUP, which has 10 lawmakers in parliament.

“But I say however that the confidence and supply arrangement of course is built upon delivering Brexit on the basis of our shared priorities and for us that is the union ... let us work in the coming days to achieve that objective.”