Jeffrey Donaldson, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has tendered his resignation following charges of historical sexual offences levied against him, signalling a major event in the Northern Irish political landscape. The DUP made the announcement after an urgent assembly of its principal chiefs took place on a recent Friday morning.
The party communicated having received a notice from Mr Donaldson verifying the charges and conveying his immediate decision to retract from the party leadership. As a result, the 61-year-old politician representing Lagan Valley was suspended by the party leaders, conforming to party regulations and anticipating the judicial proceedings’ conclusion. His attempts to reach Mr Donaldson remained fruitless, with all his online social handles deactivated overnight.
In the resignation note, he reportedly asserted his plan to fervently fight against the allegations. Gavin Robinson, the deputy leader representing East Belfast, has since been charged with the temporary leadership of the party, a resolution that received full backing from the ruling officers. Post his resignation, images of Mr Donaldson and his personal information were swiftly erased from the official DUP website.
Sources have reported that Mr Donaldson, who is originally from the fishing community of Kilkeel in Co Down, has exited Northern Ireland for London, where his residential flat is located. The Orange Order, an organisation in which he is one of the longest-standing members, also confirmed his suspension.
He has been an integral part of the DUP leadership since 2021, making him the longest serving member of the parliament from the North, with his first election to the Westminster parliament dating back to 1997. Known for being instrumental in procuring a post-Brexit trading arrangement with the British government that resulted in the re-establishment of Stormont last month, his exit comes following two years of political stagnation in the North after the DUP brought down Stormont in February 2022, opposing the Northern Ireland protocol.
As a representative of the party’s more moderate faction, Mr Donaldson’s exit might significantly affect the stability of such institutions. After intensive negotiation with Northern Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris at Hillsborough Castle that took place before the past Christmas period, he had recently announced his party’s endorsement of a deal to restore the power-sharing organisations in the last month.
The First Minister of Sinn Féin, Michelle O’Neill, responded swiftly to the noon-time disclosure by the DUP with a brief message, asserting her commitment to ensuring the effective execution of services for the whole community by their four-party Executive coalition, now and in the future. The claims of sexual wrongdoing against Mr. Donaldson were characterised as “shattering” by Mr Robinson, who shared the widespread shock within Northern Ireland’s society, not just among himself and his DUP colleagues. However, he stressed their trust in justice and their criminal justice system.
Professor Jon Tonge from the University of Liverpool, a specialist in British and Irish political matters, considered it an unprecedented turn of events considering Mr Donaldson’s influential standing as an unrivalled unionist leader. He emphasised that Mr Donaldson’s prominent reputation among other DUP politicians was due to his high visibility. He was recognised as an individual with whom the British and Irish governments could negotiate effectively. The prompt decision of the DUP to replace him with Gavin Robinson, seemed to be welcomed, being understood as a political choice in line with Donaldson’s policy.
Doug Beattie, leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, noted the public’s interest in the circumstances surrounding Mr Donaldson’s resignation, despite it being of concern. However, due to the ongoing criminal investigation, he felt it inappropriate to comment further. TUV’s leader, Jim Allister, suggested that the fallout from Mr Donaldson’s resignation would not be confined to his party but would significantly impact unionism as a whole.
The Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin indicated their awareness of the interim leader’s appointment by the DUP. Asserting a commitment to continue collaboration with all parties to maintain the Good Friday Agreement institutions’ active operation.