Opposition to DUP deal 'hypocrisy of the highest order' Nigel Dodds says

Mr Dodds said the agreement to prop up the Conservative minority government would deliver for "all of the people of Northern Ireland", and said the DUP would "commit to transparency".

Speaking in the House of Commons after a statement on the deal by First Secretary of State Damian Green, Mr Dodds said: "Someday I'd like to think we might publish all of the correspondence and conversations we had in 2010 with the Labour frontbench, and in 2015 with the Labour frontbench and indeed with the SNP as well.

"Because some of the full outrage that we have heard is hypocrisy of the highest order."

Mr Dodds said the agreement was "good" for the "people of Northern Ireland", as well as those in the United Kingdom.

"In particular the money for mental health and in terms of hard to reach areas all of the money that has been outlined is for every section of the community in Northern Ireland.

"This is a deal that delivers for all of the people of Northern Ireland."

Mr Dodds added: "We look forward to working with the Government over the course of the next five years to deliver a strengthened union of the United Kingdom, to deliver Brexit, to deliver prosperity to all parts of the United Kingdom and most of all to protect and defend our country at home and abroad."

Responding to Mr Dodds, Mr Green said: "I very, very much welcome the support of him and his colleagues on those benches so that we can as he says strengthen the union, strengthen the economy, in all parts of this country - get a Brexit deal that works for the whole of this country and provide us with a confident government to go through for the next five years."

The DUP's Ian Paisley (North Antrim) struck a similar tone, saying: "Does the First Secretary view with utter despair the comments and inferences from the frontbench in their statement today that effectively, people will go back to war because we intend to spend £1.5 billion upon services that they so vitally need?

"A bit of rationale surely needs to be injected into this debate, that this is a good deal for Northern Ireland and a good deal for the entirety of the United Kingdom."