Jeffrey Donaldson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson
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Official portrait, 2017
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| Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | |
| In office 30 June 2021 – 29 March 2024 |
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| Deputy | Paula Bradley Gavin Robinson |
| Preceded by | Edwin Poots |
| Succeeded by | Gavin Robinson |
| Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party in the House of Commons | |
| In office 17 December 2019 – 29 March 2024 |
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| Leader | Arlene Foster Edwin Poots Himself |
| Preceded by | Nigel Dodds |
| Succeeded by | Gavin Robinson |
| Democratic Unionist Party Chief Whip in the House of Commons | |
| In office 8 May 2015 – 17 December 2019 |
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| Leader | Nigel Dodds |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Sammy Wilson |
| Junior Minister at the Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister | |
| In office 26 February 2008 – 1 July 2009 Serving with Gerry Kelly
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| Preceded by | Ian Paisley Jr |
| Succeeded by | Robin Newton |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley |
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| In office 26 November 2003 – 14 June 2010 |
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| Preceded by | Patrick Roche |
| Succeeded by | Paul Givan |
| Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley |
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| In office 1 May 1997 – 30 May 2024 |
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| Preceded by | Sir James Molyneaux |
| Succeeded by | Sorcha Eastwood |
| Member of Lisburn City Council | |
| In office 5 May 2005 – 5 May 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas Archer |
| Succeeded by | Alan Carlisle |
| Constituency | Lisburn Town South |
| Member of the Northern Ireland Forum for Lagan Valley |
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| In office 30 May 1996 – 25 April 1998 |
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| Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for South Down |
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| In office 17 October 1985 – 1986 |
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| Preceded by | Raymond McCullough |
| Succeeded by | Assembly dissolved |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 7 December 1962 Kilkeel, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Democratic Unionist Party (suspended) |
| Other political affiliations |
Ulster Unionist Party (until 2003) |
| Spouse |
Eleanor Mary Elizabeth Cousins
(m. 1987) |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | Castlereagh College |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Branch/service |  British Army |
| Rank | Corporal |
| Unit | Ulster Defence Regiment |
Sir Jeffrey Mark Donaldson (born 7 December 1962) is a British politician. He was the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 2021 to 2024. He also led the DUP in the UK House of Commons during that time. He served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Lagan Valley from 1997 to 2024.
Donaldson was a member of the Orange Order and served in the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) during a period known as the Troubles. He also managed election campaigns for Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) MP Enoch Powell in 1983 and 1986. He was elected as an MP for Lagan Valley in the 1997 general election. He also served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the same area from 2003 to 2010.
Donaldson was known for disagreeing with the Good Friday Agreement, a peace deal for Northern Ireland. He left the UUP in 2003 and joined the DUP in 2004. He served as a Junior Minister in the Northern Ireland Executive from 2008 to 2009. After Nigel Dodds lost his seat in 2019, Donaldson became the DUP leader in Westminster. He ran for DUP leader in May 2021 but lost to Edwin Poots. After Poots resigned, Donaldson was elected unopposed as DUP leader in June 2021.
In February 2022, the Northern Ireland Executive stopped working due to DUP protests about the Northern Ireland Protocol. Donaldson was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2022. However, he chose to remain a Westminster MP, and Emma Little-Pengelly took his Assembly seat instead. Donaldson was against the Windsor Framework announced in February 2023. For 22 months, he did not nominate a deputy First Minister to restart the Northern Ireland government. In February 2024, the Northern Ireland Executive was restored after a deal was made between Donaldson and the UK government.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jeffrey Donaldson was born in Kilkeel, County Down, in Northern Ireland, on 7 December 1962. He was the oldest of eight children. He went to Kilkeel High School and then Castlereagh College.
When he was 16, he joined the Orange Order and the Ulster Unionist Party's Young Unionists. Two of his cousins were killed while serving in the Royal Ulster Constabulary. Donaldson served as a corporal in the Kilkeel company of the 3rd Battalion Ulster Defence Regiment (3 UDR). In the 1980s, he worked as an insurance broker.
Political Journey
From 1982 to 1984, Donaldson worked for UUP MP Enoch Powell, helping him win re-election campaigns. He then became a personal assistant to UUP leader James Molyneaux until Molyneaux retired in 1997.
Starting in Politics
In October 1985, at age 22, Donaldson was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly to represent South Down. In April 1986, he took part in a protest against the Anglo-Irish Agreement. This protest involved blocking roads and clashing with police. In June that year, when the Assembly was closed, Donaldson was one of 21 politicians who refused to leave the building and were removed by police.
In 1996, he was a top candidate for the Northern Ireland Forum elections. Donaldson, who was also an Assistant Grand Master of the Orange Order, was involved in the Drumcree conflict over a yearly parade. He said that people had the right to protest, even if it caused inconvenience. In January 1997, he was chosen as a candidate for the UK Parliament. He was elected as the MP for Lagan Valley in the 1997 general election, taking over from James Molyneaux.
In a book called Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA, Donaldson said he joined the UDR and UUP at 18. He did this because he felt a deep sense of unfairness towards his family and community. He wanted to oppose the IRA both militarily and politically.
Role in the Peace Process
In 1998, Donaldson was part of the UUP team negotiating the Good Friday Agreement. However, on the day the agreement was finished (10 April 1998), Donaldson left the talks. He did not agree with some parts of the deal, especially because it did not link Sinn Féin joining the government with the IRA giving up its weapons.
Leaving the UUP
Donaldson organized several party meetings to protest against David Trimble's policies. However, the party continued to support Trimble. On 23 June 2003, Donaldson, along with fellow MPs David Burnside and Martin Smyth, stopped following the Ulster Unionist Party's rules in Westminster. They remained party members. In the November 2003 Assembly election, Donaldson was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for the UUP as an MLA for Lagan Valley.
After the DUP gained more success in the 2003 Assembly election, Donaldson again called for Trimble to resign. On 18 December 2003, Donaldson, Norah Beare MLA, and Arlene Foster announced they were leaving the UUP. On 5 January 2004, they announced they had joined the DUP.
After Joining the DUP
Donaldson was re-elected to the House of Commons in the 2005 UK general election. In 2007, he was appointed to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, which gave him the special title "The Right Honourable". In the March 2007 Northern Ireland Assembly election, he was re-elected as an MLA for Lagan Valley.
Donaldson was appointed as a Junior Minister in the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister by First Minister Peter Robinson from 2008 to 2009. Because he was also an MP, he left this role as the DUP was stopping politicians from holding two major jobs at once. After being re-elected to the House of Commons in May 2010, Donaldson stepped down from the Northern Ireland Assembly on 10 June. Paul Givan replaced him on 16 June.
He was part of the committee for the Defence Reform Act 2014.
DUP Leadership Role
On 3 May 2021, Donaldson announced he would run for the leadership of the DUP to replace Arlene Foster. He lost this election to Edwin Poots MLA, by 19 votes to 17.
Poots resigned after only 21 days as leader. This happened after he faced disagreement within the party for deciding to quickly nominate Paul Givan as First Minister. This decision came after Sinn Féin reached an agreement with the UK government about an Irish Language Act.
On 21 June, Donaldson announced he would run for DUP leadership again to replace Poots. He promised to make the Northern Ireland Protocol his main focus. He was the only candidate. The party confirmed him as leader on 30 June.
In July 2021, Donaldson said in a UTV interview that he planned to resign as a Westminster MP and become Northern Ireland First Minister before the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election. In August 2021, UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, appointed Donaldson as the UK's trade envoy to Cameroon and Egypt.
On 24 August 2021, it was announced that Donaldson planned to run as a candidate for Lagan Valley in the Assembly election the next year. Plans were made to temporarily allow politicians to hold two jobs, which would have let Donaldson be in the Assembly and remain an MP. However, these plans were dropped. If Donaldson became an Assembly member, he would have to stop being an MP, leading to a special election. Donaldson was elected to the Assembly in May 2022, but he chose not to take his seat. Instead, the party chose Emma Little-Pengelly to take his place. Donaldson said he would not take his Assembly seat until the situation with the Northern Ireland Protocol was sorted out.
Views and Beliefs
Donaldson was against the Good Friday Agreement (GFA) when it was first made. He supported Brexit. However, he called for changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol, which creates a customs border between Northern Ireland and Great Britain. He stated in January 2021 that the Protocol "actually undermines the Good Friday agreement".
Donaldson has been accused of making comments that some found offensive. In 2009, Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) deputy leader Alasdair McDonnell asked Donaldson to apologize for saying that Catholics owed their loyalty first to the Pope.
Donaldson is against same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland, which became legal in December 2019.
Personal Life
On 26 June 1987, Donaldson married Eleanor Cousins. They have two daughters. He is a member of the mainstream Presbyterian Church in Ireland.
Speaking about his national identity, Donaldson says he is "Irish and British, Northern Irish and British, and British." He noted that he is part of the Irish Presbyterian church, which operates across all of Ireland. He described his national identity as geographically Irish, but also as being "part of a wider group of nations that is British." He believes there is no contradiction in identifying as Irish, Northern Irish, and British.
Honours and Awards
Donaldson was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom in 2007. This gives him the special title "The Right Honourable" for life. In the 2016 Birthday Honours, he was made a Knight Bachelor for his service in politics.
Images for kids
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Donaldson speaking during Prime Minister's Questions, 7 February 2024
