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The Tory government have very quietly published details of the crunch meetings with the DUP that are keeping Theresa May’s government afloat.

The Prime Minister cut a last ditch £1 billion deal with the hardline Northern Irish party to cling on to power after losing her Common’s majority.

Ministers have previously been reluctant to release the documents under Freedom of Information laws.

But today, a file was quietly placed on the Government’s website, outlining the membership of the ‘coordination committee’, and details of their first two meetings.

Best for Britain champion, Labour's Fabian Hamilton MP said: “During these shambolic Brexit negotiations, it is becoming increasingly clear that the DUP wear the trousers in their relationship with the Government.

(Image: AFP)

"While the Tories were elected to serve as a minority, the British public are being consistently DUPed as the party uses its political leverage over the Government to set its own agenda on Brexit and other values that the majority of people in this country would find abhorrent.”

Here’s what we learned from the document

The committee

(Image: PA)

The committee is made up of three Tories and three DUP members

Conservatives

First Secretary of State (Chair) - (Damian Green)

Chief Whip (Originally Gavin Williamson, now Julian Smith)

Financial Secretary to Treasury (Mel Stride)

DUP

The Rt.Hon. Nigel Dodds MP

The Rt.Hon. Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP

The Rt.Hon. Sammy Wilson MP

It also says: “Neither Party Leaders will sit on the Committee, but may attend from time to time on Privy Council terms.

“From time to time other Government Ministers or DUP Parliamentary Spokespeople will be invited for discussions on particular pieces of legislation.”

The document outlines what the committee will discuss - including legislation relating to the Queen’s speech, the budget, finance bills, Brexit and national security.

It also says: “This Committee is the only official means of sharing information between the Government and DUP in support of the confidence and supply arrangement.”

It says the Committee will meet in confidence, but will publish factual summaries of meetings on a quarterly basis.

The meetings

(Image: AFP)

In the committee’s first meeting, held on July 18, they agreed the scope and rules for the group and discussed the budget, the Queen’s speech and the Brexit bill.

Brexit secretary David Davis also attended the meeting and gave a briefing on the bill.

The second meeting, held on September 11, was attended by DUP leader Arlene Foster - who is not a permanent member of the committee.

It also focused on the Brexit bill - and the DUP were given briefings on the white papers on trade and customs, which had not then been published.

But the DUP were also given information about the Anti Money Laundering Bill and the Data Protection Bill.

The summary also notes discussion turned to: “The wider Confidence and Supply agreement commitments, including ensuring preparatory work is commenced, pending the restoration of the Executive in Northern Ireland.