Give us seats in Lords, DUP tells Blair

The British government is under pressure today to recognise Northern Ireland’s new political order by giving the Rev Ian Paisley’s Democratic Unionists seats in the House of Lords.

As Ulster Unionists surveyed the damage to their party following a general election rout which saw them lose their leader David Trimble’s seat and three other MPs, DUP deputy leader Peter Robinson laid down a marker to Prime Minister Tony Blair and his new Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain.