AS IT became clear that the Conserva-tives had fallen short of a majority in Parliament, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) expressed its delight at the prospect of wielding new clout at Westminster. "We will make our influence felt," its deputy leader, Nigel Dodds, declared, as the party won ten of the 18 seats in Northern Ireland. A hung parliament has long been the dream result for unionists, since it holds the prospect of transforming their mps from isolated backbenchers into kingmakers who could have the ear of a prime minister. The unionist News Letter reported that the dup was "openly salivating" at the prospect of such a scenario.
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