Sir Jeffrey Donaldson resigns as DUP leader after sexual offence charges

Northern Irish politics has been thrown into chaos as Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has stepped down as the leader of the Democratic Unionist party following charges of sexual offences.

During an urgent gathering, the political group halted the status of Donaldson's membership - as he's set to attend court within the upcoming month - and chose their second-in-command, Gavin Robinson, as the temporary head.

According to a statement released by DUP, their party chairman received a letter from Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP stating that he has been charged with allegations from the past. This letter also noted that he will be stepping down as the leader of the Democratic Unionist party right away.

The party officers have followed the rules and temporarily terminated Mr Donaldson's membership as they wait for the decision of a legal proceeding.

The MP from Lagan Valley, who is 61 years old, decided to remove his accounts on X, Instagram and LinkedIn. Additionally, his image was taken off from the party's website.

The police have released an official statement declaring that a male individual who is 61 years old has been accused of committing "non-recent sexual offences", while a 57-year-old woman is being charged with aiding and abetting the same offences. The two accused will be presented before the Newry court located in County Down on 24 April.

The unexpected termination of Donaldson's leadership has left Northern Ireland astounded and will shake up the governments of Britain and Ireland.

According to Robinson, he and other members of the party were informed about the accusations on Thursday evening. He expressed to Sky News that the news was catastrophic and came as a great surprise.

As a group, we are devoted to fairness and equality. We have trust in the way our legal system operates. Therefore, it's crucial that we avoid making any statements or taking any actions that could unfairly influence the ongoing investigation.

Donaldson was the leader of the DUP for three years and had recently strengthened his position by reaching a deal with Downing Street that brought back the Stormont executive and assembly. He was anticipated to guide his party during the upcoming general election.

Doug Beattie, the leader of the Ulster Unionist party, expressed that they are aware that the issue is important and affects the public, however, they should take into consideration that this is currently under a criminal investigation.

Donaldson, who was given the title of knight by the deceased queen in 2016, is still a member of parliament. However, he will likely face demands from others to resign. This presents a problem for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) as there may be a necessary byelection, and they could lose their seat in Lagan Valley to the Alliance party. Jon Tonge, a professor of politics at the University of Liverpool and co-writer of a book about the DUP, believes this could be the outcome.

Tonge mentioned that there was a high possibility that Robinson, who was an ally of Donaldson and supported the restoration of Stormont, would become the permanent leader. This was despite the fact that his Belfast East seat was also at risk.

Donaldson is an MP in Westminster, but he doesn't have a position in the Northern Ireland executive. That particular group is actually led by two other individuals, namely Michelle O'Neill from Sinn Féin who serves as the first minister, and Emma Little-Pengelly from the DUP who is the deputy first minister.

Tonge mentioned that his leaving might be unsettling but Stormont would not crumble because of it. The situation is more uncertain because the one who created the agreement is no longer involved in politics. However, the DUP is aware that withdrawing could have disastrous consequences.

Donaldson was known for being a staunch supporter of unions and being pragmatic in his approach, despite his quiet demeanor. Even those in London, Dublin, and Washington respected him for his reputation. Born to a Presbyterian family in Kilkeel, a fishing village in County Down, Donaldson joined the Ulster Defence Regiment and started his political activism at a young age.

During the 1980s, he was in charge of the local office of Enoch Powell, an ex-Conservative member of parliament who switched to the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). Afterwards, he started working for the leader of the UUP during that time, James Molyneaux.

Back in 1997, Molyneaux's seat in Lagan Valley, near Belfast, was inherited by Donaldson. He was a married man with two children and he held socially conservative values as a member of the Orange Order. Throughout the years, he remained consistent in his position and continued to hold the seat until recently. He was against the Good Friday agreement that was made in 1998 as he believed it was a compromise with the IRA. As a result, he decided to become part of the DUP in 2004.

Donaldson's image was made more appealing by his well-rehearsed media appearances. He agreed with the DUP's eventual embrace of the Good Friday agreement and also supported their stance on Brexit.

A debate regarding the trading deals between Northern Ireland and Great Britain caused a division within the party, leading to the downfall of two leaders - Arlene Foster and Edwin Poots - in the year 2021. Consequently, the responsibility fell on Donaldson to take on the leadership role.

In the year 2022, he decided to remove the DUP from power-sharing which resulted in the falling of Stormont. His actions were condemned by those who believed that he caused instability in Northern Ireland. However, his decision garnered support among his party’s members and subsequently compelled the UK government to ease the border restrictions between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. This led to the revival of Stormont in February.