Jeffrey Donaldson – latest: DUP leader resigns after being charged with historic sex offences, party confirms

The chief of the Democratic Unionist Occasion has resigned after it was revealed he had been charged with historic offences.

The DUP confirmed on Friday that Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who has led the social gathering since 2021, is stepping down and is the suspect on the centre of a scandal.

In a press release launched on Friday, the DUP mentioned: “The Occasion Chairman has acquired a letter from Sir Jeffrey Donaldson MP confirming that he has been charged with allegations of an historic nature and indicating that he’s stepping down as Chief of the Democratic Unionist Occasion with rapid impact.

“In accordance with the Occasion Guidelines, the Occasion Officers have suspended Mr Donaldson from membership, pending the end result of a judicial course of.”

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has resigned because the chief of the DUP after he was charged with historic intercourse offences.

A police spokesman instructed The Unbiased: “Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Eire arrested and charged a 61-year-old man for non-recent sexual offences.

“A 57-year-old lady was additionally arrested and charged on the time for aiding and abetting further offences.

“Each are resulting from seem earlier than Newry Magistrates Court docket on 24 April.

“As is common process, all fees might be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.”

A 57-year-old lady was arrested and charged alongside Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, for allegedly aiding and abetting further offences.

A police spokesman instructed The Unbiased: “Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Eire arrested and charged a 61-year-old man for non-recent sexual offences.

“A 57-year-old lady was additionally arrested and charged on the time for aiding and abetting further offences.”

Lagan Valley MP Sir Jeffrey has been suspended from the DUP pending the end result of the judicial course of.

In a single day, his web site and social media accounts, together with on X, Fb and Instagram, had been deleted.

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson made the choice to deliver the DUP again to powersharing in Northern Eire simply weeks in the past.

As chief, he steered the social gathering’s two-year boycott of Northern Eire’s political establishments in protest over post-Brexit buying and selling preparations.

After protracted negotiations, the DUP agreed to return to Stormont final month, following the settlement of a brand new deal and a sequence of assurances round Northern Eire’s constitutional place inside the UK.

Final summer time, Sir Jeffrey accused some colleagues of briefing in opposition to the DUP:

The settlement hinged on his backing, and far will rely on who in the end replaces him.

East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson, who has change into interim chief, is a long-time ally of Sir Jeffrey and a agency backer of the return to Stormont. Mr Robinson could be an early favorite to change into the everlasting successor and his elevation could be unlikely to immediate a change within the social gathering’s current enthusiastic backing for the devolved establishments.

Nonetheless, his election as chief isn’t a foregone conclusion and it stays to be seen whether or not different candidates, doubtlessly extra sceptical of the return to powersharing, will emerge.

Conservative former MEP David Bannerman mentioned he was sorry to see Sir Jeffrey quitting.

After Sir Jeffrey steered a DUP boycott of power-sharing in Northern Eire over Brexit preparations, the social gathering lastly agreed to return to Stormont in February. It adopted the settlement of a brand new deal on commerce preparations and a sequence of measures aimed toward offering assurances round Northern Eire’s constitutional place inside the UK.

Nonetheless, the DUPs dealings with authorities weren’t universally welcome and Sir Jeffrey instructed the Commons in January that he had been subjected to threats in the course of the negotiations.

Later, a PSNI spokesperson mentioned no offences had been detected following an investigation – whereas Sir Jeffrey mentioned a call was made to not press fees.

He mentioned: “We should stand in opposition to those that would search to bully with violent threats. I wasn’t intimidated out of politics 30 years in the past and I received’t be intimidated in 2024.”