THE Conservative leader on Bradford Council has slammed his party’s wish to strike a “shabby” deal with the Democratic Unionist Party.

Councillor Simon Cooke took to Twitter to say: “Ian Paisley, founder of the DUP hated me just for being Catholic. Please explain how I’m supposed to support this shabby deal with them?”

Speaking to the Telegraph & Argus, he said such a deal would not work and instead called on the Tories to “sit down with the Labour Party” to find common ground on Brexit. He branded the Conservatives’ campaign “a shambles” and its manifesto “a disaster”, adding: “Theresa May’s credibility is very undermined by the outcome of the election.”

Cllr Cooke also said he agreed with re-elected Conservative MP for Shipley, Philip Davies, that the public was tired of austerity and wanted an alternative.