Over 450,000 sign petition against DUP coalition

A petition launched against the Conservatives joining a coalition with the DUP has attracted almost 450,000 signatures in 12 hours.

By The Newsroom Saturday, 10th June 2017, 2:14 pm Updated Saturday, 10th June 2017, 2:23 pm

Prime Minister Theresa May speaks outside 10 Downing Street after returning from Buckingham Palace. Picture; Getty

The petition states that Theresa May would not be involved in a coalition of chaos and asks for the Prime Minister to resign.

The move comes after the Prome Minister said she would seek to form a minority government with a “confidence and supply” agreement with the controversial Northern Irish party.

Sign up to our daily newsletter The i newsletter cut through the noise Sign up Thanks for signing up! Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting...

Many have been quick to condemn the move to prop up the government with the DUP due to their stance on LGBT rights, abortion and climate change.

Prime Minister Theresa May speaks outside 10 Downing Street after returning from Buckingham Palace. Picture; Getty

In an apparent criticism of the plan, Ruth Davidson tweeted a link to a speech she made in favour of marriage equality, with the message: “As a Protestant Unionist about to marry an Irish Catholic, here’s the Amnesty Pride lecture I gave in Belfast.”

Expanding on her tweet in an interview she stated that she had been given assurances from Theresa May regarding the partnership. She said: ““I was fairly straightforward with her (Mrs May) and I told her that there were a number of things that count to me more than the party.

“One of them is country, one of the others is LGBTI rights.”

Prime Minister Theresa May speaks outside 10 Downing Street after returning from Buckingham Palace. Picture; Getty

Others have condemned the plan stating that it could cause unrest in Northern Ireland.

Ahead of the talks with Conservatives, a senior DUP member said any deal will not extend beyond a confidence and supply arrangement.

East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson said his party was in a “fantastic position to deliver for Northern Ireland”.

Prime Minister Theresa May has announced that she will work with “friends and allies” in the DUP to enable her to lead a government.

Mr Robinson said: “We have essentially got the result we were campaigning for two years ago.

“It didn’t materialise then but we campaigned on the basis of a hung parliament two years ago.