As Democratic Unionist Party members gathered for their annual conference in the hills of East Belfast, they did so in the knowledge that their party is now a main player in British politics. A remarkable achievement when you consider that just months ago a disappointing Assembly election left many critics asking whether this was a turning point for unionism in general. Yet the party confounded critics in June, awakening the unionist vote and securing the largest number of Westminster seats in its history – and the largest share of the vote for any party since 1985.

As power ebbs away from Stormont towards Westminster, the DUP finds itself in an influential position alongside the minority Conservative government. This is largely due to the exceptional performance by the party’s Westminster team, led by Nigel Dodds. He has emerged as one of the most important politicians in Westminster, leading a team of 10 MPs that have helped secure the £1.5bn deal for Northern Ireland and retain the triple lock state pension, to name but a few achievements so far. Regardless of where you stand in Northern Ireland politics, the extra money secured from an austerity-driven Conservative government must be welcomed.

The party’s national footing was reflected by the professional nature of its conference and the newfound interest of media from across the UK. There were guests from Westminster too, including the Conservative Chief Whip, Julien Smith, and Theresa May’s deputy, Damian Green. What amused me most was the Independent’s coverage of the event. All of the usual faux ‘shock horror’ observations were in there. The party members’ “flag waving nationalism” apparently mean the DUP are now the next UKIP. If this is the English press taking Northern Ireland seriously, then I don’t think the party has much to fear in terms of much deeper scrutiny.

The most important feature surrounding the conference was the resurgence of party leader Arlene Foster. It cannot be understated how important the result in June was for her leadership. After a bruising first half of the year, a disappointing Assembly poll and the failure to re-establish an Executive, Mrs Foster’s position was close to untenable. However, what was striking about the conference was the level of praise and admiration for Mrs Foster form senior colleagues and party members. The words of Sammy Wilson were striking: “When I think of the year that Arlene put in, she has proved herself beyond all expectations as a real leader.” The DUP is a party comfortable in its position but realistic about the challenge ahead. And that challenge is getting the Executive back up and running.

Encouragingly, there was a sense of determination to restore a devolved government at Stormont. The DUP could have easily used this conference to just lambast Sinn Féin and bask in post-election glory, yet Mrs Foster made it clear in her conference speech that the priority is to get power-sharing back. The DUP is ready to “legislate for the Irish language,” though stipulating that such a move must reflect Northern Ireland’s “plurality of cultures.” This will be a tough sell for the unionist community, since Sinn Féin’s aggressive demands for Irish Language legislation have left many fearing that their culture is increasingly vulnerable and under threat. But if compromise can be found where both Irish and British identities can be recognised through appropriate legislation, then there is every chance of being able to move on.

So, the DUP have much to be jubilant about after their 2017 conference. Looking forward to 2018, it is clear that Brexit will continue to be a huge challenge for Northern Ireland. Whether or not power-sharing is restored, the border is, once again, front and centre as the dominant issue. Developments in Brussels will be crucial. If the negotiations get the post-Brexit border right, the Union will be secure. Get it wrong, however, and there’s no telling what could happen.

Till next year’s conference…