Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), has resigned after being charged with SE offences of a historical nature.
The 61-year-old, who assumed leadership in June 2021, abruptly deleted his social media accounts and official website earlier today.
Accompanying Sir Jeffrey’s resignation, a 57-year-old woman has been charged with aiding and abetting additional offences in the same police investigation.
In response, the DUP announced in a statement that Gavin Robinson, the MP for Belfast East, has been unanimously appointed interim leader.
Sir Jeffrey, Northern Ireland’s longest-serving MP, took on the leadership role following Edwin Poots’s abrupt resignation after just a month in office. His departure throws Northern Irish politics into renewed uncertainty after a brief period of stability.
Notably, Sir Jeffrey played a pivotal role in blocking the formation of the Northern Ireland Executive for almost two years in protest over post-Brexit trading arrangements.
However, the Executive was finally formed at the end of January this year. Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill served as first minister, and Emma Little-Pengelly of the DUP as deputy first minister.
In light of the charges against Sir Jeffrey, the DUP has suspended him from membership pending the outcome of the judicial process by Party Rules. Sir Jeffrey’s political journey began with the Ulster Unionist Party, where he became the youngest person to sit in the Northern Ireland Assembly in 1985 at 22.
However, he parted ways with the party after organizing a walkout during the 1998 peace talks, which ultimately led to the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. He joined the DUP in 2004 and was knighted in the Queen’s 2016 Birthday Honours.
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