Opinion

Theresa May pays the price for reckless election decision

Theresa May's reckless and arrogant decision to call an unnecessary general election showed she had learned absolutely nothing from the downfall of her predecessor, who gambled everything on a referendum on leaving the EU.

David Cameron read the public wrong and so too did Mrs May, who thought she would sweep all before her, crushing the divided and fractious Labour Party in the process.

It was a monumental error compounded by a woeful campaign which included a terrible manifesto that managed to alienate core supporters.

And what is the result? She had a workable majority and now has none. She had faced a largely ineffectual Labour Party which is now reinvigorated, its leader Jeremy Corbyn enjoying a positive campaign and defying the odds and a right-wing press to emerge triumphant.

And while she is insisting she will cling to power, it is clear the knives are already being sharpened in her party.

Far from delivering `strong and stable government', she now leads the UK in Brexit negotiations from a greatly weakened position having squandered her majority and her authority.

It could hardly be worse and having triggered Article 50 in March, the clock is now ticking on the exit date in 2019.

For her to suggest she is now providing certainty would be laughable if it were not so serious.

This unwanted election will have done nothing to provide political stability in Northern Ireland where efforts to restore the devolved structures will be overshadowed by the DUP's new role as life support to a minority Tory government.

There is no doubt there were two clear winners in the north on Thursday - the DUP which will be buoyed by these results after the battering it took in March and Sinn Féin which cemented its position as the main nationalist voice.

It was a bad night for the centre ground with the SDLP in particular seeing all three MPs lose out. Both the SDLP and UUP will need to reflect on difficult results and come up with a vision that is markedly different from the big two parties.

The DUP may well enjoy their moment in the sun but it is hard to predict just how long Mrs May can limp along with unhappy backbenchers sniping from the wings.

Cobbled together coalitions rarely end well and the DUP must understand there are dangers in being associated with the more unpopular policies espoused by the Conservative government.

Although the focus is now on Westminster, we need political certainty and stability in Northern Ireland with parties working to ensure a Brexit deal that is in our best interests.