We all look forward to welcoming the queens speechjust as soon as the coalition of chaos has been negotiated. The other main stories on bbc news at 5pm Inflation Hits A Nearfour year high, continuing the squeeze on consumers as prices rise faster than wages. And the European Commission is expected to put forward proposals which could strip london of the multi billion pound euro clearing market following brexit. Very good evening from Downing Street, where it is hoped that the deal will eventually be done between theresa may and the Democratic Unionist Party. There were several hours of talks today. The Prime Minister is now in france for that meeting with emmanuel micron. We understand, that there are no outstanding issues between the two, but we do not have that firm conclusion of talks, and any announcement of a deal so far today. We will have more from stormont in a moment. We will also be talking to former Secretary Of State for Northern Ireland, about his views on the potential risks and pitfalls of any agreement between the conservatives and the dup. At first, this report on all of todays developments so farfrom this report on all of todays developments so far from our Political Correspondent chris mason. The sun is shining on Northern Irelands Democratic Unionist Party. Just ten mps and their leader, they can now wield huge power. So here they are, by miles, with good reason. Democratic unionist absolutely crucial in propping up theresa mays government. Look and listen to how excited they are. The future is bright. Dup leader Arlene Foster i write at Downing Street at lunchtime to meet the parameter. Prime minister. Do you like to drive a hard bargain . What is your price was to mark . At years later, there was still no deal. We have had very good discussions, and the discussions are continuing into the afternoon. I hope we can reach a conclusion sooner rather than later. Can you give us any indication . There has been a lot of commentary around the issues we have been talking about. We have been talking about matters that pertain to the nation generally. Bringing stability to the uk government in and around issues like brexit, obviously around counterterrorism, and what is right for Northern Ireland with respect to economic matters. For the First Time Since the election, mps return to the commons to congratulate john election, mps return to the commons to Congratulatejohn Bercow On Being re elected speaker. On behalf of the whole house, may i congratulate you on your real election. At least someone got a landslide im sure she will agree with me that democracy is a wondrous thing and can throw up some very unexpected results and ensure. And im sure we all look forward to welcoming the queens speechjust we all look forward to welcoming the queens speech just as soon as the coalition of chaos has been negotiated chin up, mrs may, your country needs you, says the note. As we mentioned, there has been an intervention today from Sirjohn Major, the former Prime Minister, who was such a key part of the Good Friday Agreement, played a crucial role in those negotiations and beforehand. He gave quite a lengthy interview to radio 4 this lunchtime and expressed considerable disquiet. He said there were a lot of potential pitfalls around any agreement between the conservatives and the democratic unionist s. Lets hear part of that radio interview. Iam i am concerned about the deal, i am wa ry i am concerned about the deal, i am wary about it, i am dubious about it. Both for Peace Process reasons but for other reasons as well. That said, all my life i have been a conservative, i very much want mrs may to succeed is premised and to stay as Prime Minister. I understand why she wishes to shore up her parliamentary position, that is entirely understandable and i sympathise. But, but, my main concern certainly is the Peace Process. A fundamental part of that Peace Process is that the uk government needs to be impartial between all the competing interests in Northern Ireland. The Good Friday Agreement says the power of the sovereign government shall be exercised with rigorous impartiality. That is entirely right, and that was a lwa ys that is entirely right, and that was always the intention right from the start of the negotiations. The danger is that however much any government tries, they will not be seen to be impartial if they are locked into a parliamentary deal At Westminster with one of the Northern Ireland parties. And you never know in what unpredictable way events will turn out, and we cannot know, is that impartiality is going to be crucial at some stage in the future. If the government do form a deal with the dup, and i can see that they well might feel that they have two, then it is doubly important, treble important, to consult on brexit widely, both in and out of parliament. I think that where a joint announcement, i think it would be very helpful, as people would see that there is not going to be disproportionate pressure from one pa rt disproportionate pressure from one part of the united kingdom, that the government are going to consult with other parliamentary parties, with business, and with others who have a direct interest in it. We have to recognise that the election changed, if not everything, a very great deal. The government are going to have two respond to that. The views of the 48 cannot be brushed aside, as some of the more rigorous hardline brexiteers wish. Sirjohn major Talking On The Radio at lunchtime. Lets get the thought of our chief Political Correspondent on all of that. We cannot overstate the role that Sirjohn Major played in the Good Friday Agreement. His words, his concerns, really carry weight. They do, and the Mood Music At Westminster today is that we are moving towards some kind of deal. We do not have the details of that, between the conservatives and the dup, it looks like that is going to happen. He is very concerned and wa ry happen. He is very concerned and wary about it, because of the Peace Process and what is going on in Northern Ireland. He says that is very fragile, and saying do not mess with it. He is concerned that you might end up with the other side thinking the British Government is not an honest broker. You have gone into a deal with one side of that. He thinks that is a problem. He broadened. That was only one of his concerns. He said the only thing Arlene Foster has said, she hinted that one of the things she is looking for is the right thing for Northern Ireland in terms of the economy. People are inspecting extra money for Northern Ireland. John major says, that could look like cash for votes. He is concerned that other parts of the uk, who also won funding for hospitals and their local schools, they will say, why can we not have that . You have talked about austerity and the deficit, and now you are throwing cash over the irish sea. He said he is worried it could cost the conservative vote. On top of concerns that tory mps had about the socially conservative views of the dup, and theresa may has reassured about equality laws, saying they will not be brought down because of the dup, he is raising other very serious concerns about this possible deal. We will talk about that with lord peter hain injust a moment. We have had a few details about a reshuffle. Whats happening there . Very interestingly, the brexit unit, whose office is just down at the end of Downing Street, two of the ministers have been taken out of that unit, just a week before the talks are due to start. The people she has brought in, one of them is eye catching, not anyone anyone might now outside of westminster, a backbencher, very much one of the brexiteers, he has been corralling the tory mps, he has been brought in as mrto the tory mps, he has been brought in as mr to that department. She is trying to balance him with others who were on the remain side. But he is coming in there, and that will reassure those on the brexit side who are concerned that there might be some backsliding from the government because of the uncertain election result, a lot of remain mps saying this means that hard brexit, leaving the Single Market, some are saying that is off the cards. Steve baker thinks that a clean brexit where we get out, we control our own laws, thats the way he sees it, i think many Tory Backbenchers will be reassured that he is in there. If there is any sign that things are not going the way they want, he will shout about it. Thanks for that update, our chief Political Correspondent. As promised, lets stay with the theme of the talks that we have been reflecting on all day today, between the dup and theresa may, and get the thought of lord peter hain, who was Secretary Of State for Northern Ireland from 2005 2007. He joins Secretary Of State for Northern Ireland from 2005 2007. Hejoins me from cardiff. Very good evening. You will have heard, and sure, at least reports of what Sirjohn Major said earlier today expressing considerable concern. Im curious whether you similarly think there are attentional risks here with the conservatives doing any kind of deal with the dup. Yes, i think there are risks, and i listened to john yes, i think there are risks, and i listened tojohn majors interview on the bbc radio 2, and it was very compelling and extremely authoritative, and very tough. What he was saying was exact what my concerns are, namely that the British Government, the Prime Minister under Secretary Of State doing the direct niggly negotiations to get the Stormont Assembly and its government resurrected, because it has been in limbo for six months, it has been down for six months, they could be compromised as the British Government if they are seen to be backing i party, and worse than that, be dependent in theresa mays case, for her very ministerial life. It isa case, for her very ministerial life. It is a parliamentary majority on the dup. The fact it is the dup is not central to my point. It would be any party in Northern Ireland, because i have been Secretary Of State, some of the most difficult negotiations that led to Martin Mcguinness and ian paisley taking power together, bitter old enemies ruling effectively, and that has continued for nearly ten years before it all fell over at the beginning of the year. You have got to remain neutral, you cannot be dependent on anyone, any one party, then you dont enjoy the confidence of the others. All the others, not just sinn fein, notjust gerry adams is the leader, but all the other parties have said we really cannot see how the Secretary Of State and the Prime Minister can be neutral. That is really interesting, and i ta ke that is really interesting, and i take your point, you are not saying that this is specific to the dup. That said, i am curious what experience you have, what knowledge you have of some of the people who might negotiating here. Nigel dodds, you may know little more of, what are your thoughts about the attack they will be taking and what they might be asking for . Nigel dodds, the parliamentary leader, is a very seasoned negotiator, a tough one, extremely able. There are others in the team, ian paisleyjunior, a very bright and effective mp and representative of the dup. Arlene foster, the leader, has been badly damaged over the past year by her handling of this renewable heating crisis. This precipitated the fall of the assembly. But nevertheless she is an able figure as well. They are tough negotiators, and they will demand a high price for this, because it is not compensated for them. Thats like, located. Getting rid of the unpopular Pension Proposals that theresa may had in her manifesto, that kind of thing, good luck to them. In another respect there could be a positive outcome because they are not in favour of a hard brexit. They were in favour of leaving the European Union, alone amongst the parties of Northern Ireland, and Northern Ireland voted remain, but they are in favour of ireland voted remain, but they are infavourofan ireland voted remain, but they are in favour of an open border. It has no o bsta cles in favour of an open border. It has no obstacles and no security controls, and as it is now it is invisible. You do not know youre crossing it except, on the irish side, it is jill crossing it except, on the irish side, it isjill mutters per hour kilometres. It is very important that that border remains how it is. Nobody can see how it could be a wee left the Single Market, if we left the European Union, if we left the customs union, we could leave the European Union but stay in the Single Market, stay in the customs market, then the border would be open as it is now. Lord peter hain, really good to hear your voice and opinions tonight. There are many questions i would love to ask you, very good of you to give us your insight. We must cross toa give us your insight. We must cross to a News Conference because that is just beginning on behalf of sinn fein. They have just entered the room in the last few minutes. Palmas keep, starting this News Conference. So, my Point Of View is we stood in the selection based on integrity, equality and respect, and that is what the people, why so many people give us that endorsement and put their crosstown on the ballot paper. I want to ask people to introduce themselves. My name is paul muskie, Ambition FeinMember Of Parliament for the environment. Paul moloney. Sinn fein memberfor paul moloney. Sinn fein member for armagh. Im representing the constituency of donegal. Lama donegal. I am a Member Of Parliament. Michael duff, sinn fein mp. A couple of us have to leave just around a quarter to six. They have to go and do other media. We have come over today, we have done a round of meetings, we havejust finished a meeting with James Brokenshire and some of his officials with regard to the ongoing talks. There are talks ongoing in belfast, and were hoping a resolution can be found and that the executive can be back up and running hopefully within a matter of a short period of time. Were hoping to do that, i know Michelle Oneill and Arlene Foster will be doing a lot of meetings around getting the institutions back up and running, Andi Institutions back up and running, and i know that our party will be, with regards to negotiating teams, will be putting the teams in place which are going to be working with regards to getting the institutions back up and running. Without further ado, angry to throw it open to yourselves to ask questions. Im going. If you come through myself, i will appoint people to give questions and appoint people to give the answers to those questions as well. One of the panel is from donegal. We are the only party in ireland who has representatives in every single sphere. That is the importantjob. Every single sphere. That is the important job. We would every single sphere. That is the importantjob. We would all rather be going to dublin tojoin him to represent our citizens and their constituents, and our constituents would also like us to do that. I am going to throw it open to the floor. Go ahead. Are you absolutely wedded to the abstentions position, at are you happy to go To Westminster . Well, almost a quarter of a Million People voted for this, and others, but they gave us that mandate not to ta ke but they gave us that mandate not to take