Jeffrey Donaldson
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Mark Donaldson, MP
(born 7 December 1962) is a Northern Irish
politician and Member of Parliament
for Lagan Valley
belonging to the Democratic Unionist Party
. He is best known for his opposition to Ulster Unionist Party
(UUP) leader David Trimble
during the Northern Ireland peace process
, especially from 1998 to 2003.
, County Down
, in Northern Ireland. He attended the Kilkeel High School
then Castlereagh College
. He joined the Ulster Unionist Party and the Orange Order
as a young man and later worked for the MP Enoch Powell
.
Two of Donaldson's cousins were killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army
while serving in the Royal Ulster Constabulary
: Sam Donaldson was killed in 1970 and Alex Donaldson, a Chief Inspector, died in a mortar attack
on a Newry
police station in 1985.
, Donaldson was elected in a by-election to the Northern Ireland Assembly
to represent South Down
. In 1996 he was first placed candidate on the UUP list for the 1996 forum elections, virtually guaranteeing him a seat. This led to his selection in 1997, for the Westminster Parliament where he was elected as a Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Lagan Valley
constituency. At that time he was tipped as a potential future leader of the Ulster Unionist Party.
Donaldson stated in Richard English's book, Armed Struggle: "A big part of the motivation for me in becoming actively involved in politics was the deep sense of injustice that I felt had been perpetrated against my people and specifically against my family and I wanted to do something about that. And that's why, at the age of 18, I did two things, I joined the Ulster Defence Regiment
and I joined the Ulster Unionist Party, because I wanted to pursue, through the forces of the state and the forces of law and order, the IRA and to oppose their campaign. But I also wanted to be involved politically in opposing that campaign as well".
as a party rule stopped MPs, apart from the leader and deputy leader, from going forward as assembly candidates.
Donaldson engineered several party council meetings in protest against David Trimble's policies. The council, however, backed Trimble’s leadership, and on 23 June 2003, along with fellow MPs David Burnside
and Martin Smyth
, Donaldson resigned the Ulster Unionist whip at Westminster. The MPs remained party members and in November 2003 Donaldson was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for the UUP.
Following the success of the rival Democratic Unionist Party
(DUP) in the same election
Assembly election of 2003, he reiterated his call for Trimble's immediate resignation, but the party continued to back Trimble. On 18 December 2003 Donaldson, Norah Beare
MLA and Arlene Foster
announced their resignation from the UUP and on 5 January 2004 they announced that they had joined the Democratic Unionist Party
(DUP).
and in 2007 was appointed to Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, making him the Right Honourable Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA.
In 2009, Alasdair McDonnell demanded an apology from Donaldson and a retraction of his claim that Catholics owed allegiance in the first instance to the pope and the Vatican.
Donaldson was appointed to Government by First Minister Peter Robinson, and held the position of Junior Minister in the Office of the FM from 2008 to 2009. He lost his position as part of the DUPs phasing out of "double jobbing". This action has indicated that he will more than likely concentrate on being an MP. Following his re-election to the House of Commons in May 2010, Donaldson stood down from the Northern Irish Assembly, with Paul Givan
replacing him.
reported that Donaldson had repaid £555 claimed for pay-to-view films in overnight hotel stays. In total, Donaldson submitted claim forms, including receipts, for 68 pay-to-view movies. Hotel sources confirmed that films he put on his expenses during 2004 and 2005 were in the highest price category offered to guests, covering the latest blockbusters and adult movies. Donaldson issued an official statement denying watching any content of an adult or pornographic nature.
.
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(born 7 December 1962) is a Northern Irish
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
politician and Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
for Lagan Valley
Lagan Valley (UK Parliament constituency)
Lagan Valley is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.- Boundaries :The seat was created in 1983, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17, and was predominantly made up from parts of South Antrim and North Down. In their original...
belonging to the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
. He is best known for his opposition to Ulster Unionist Party
Ulster Unionist Party
The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...
(UUP) leader David Trimble
David Trimble
William David Trimble, Baron Trimble, PC , is a politician from Northern Ireland. He served as Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party , was the first First Minister of Northern Ireland , and was a Member of the British Parliament . He is currently a life peer for the Conservative Party...
during the Northern Ireland peace process
Northern Ireland peace process
The peace process, when discussing the history of Northern Ireland, is often considered to cover the events leading up to the 1994 Provisional Irish Republican Army ceasefire, the end of most of the violence of the Troubles, the Belfast Agreement, and subsequent political developments.-Towards a...
, especially from 1998 to 2003.
Early life
Donaldson was born in KilkeelKilkeel
Kilkeel is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the main fishing port on the Down coast, and its harbour houses one of the largest fishing fleets in Ireland. It had a population of 6,338 people according to the 2001 Census...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, in Northern Ireland. He attended the Kilkeel High School
Kilkeel High School
Kilkeel High School is a non-selective secondary school located in Kilkeel, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is within the Southern Education and Library Board area.The school is one of the few in Northern Ireland where boys have outperformed girls at GCSE....
then Castlereagh College
Castlereagh College
Castlereagh College is a further and higher education college in east Belfast. It is the largest further education college in East Belfast. In 2007 it merged with BIFHE to become Belfast Metropolitan College. The college specialises in vocational education, but also offers academic qualifications....
. He joined the Ulster Unionist Party and the Orange Order
Orange Institution
The Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
as a young man and later worked for the MP Enoch Powell
Enoch Powell
John Enoch Powell, MBE was a British politician, classical scholar, poet, writer, and soldier. He served as a Conservative Party MP and Minister of Health . He attained most prominence in 1968, when he made the controversial Rivers of Blood speech in opposition to mass immigration from...
.
Two of Donaldson's cousins were killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army
Provisional Irish Republican Army
The Provisional Irish Republican Army is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation whose aim was to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and bring about a socialist republic within a united Ireland by force of arms and political persuasion...
while serving in the Royal Ulster Constabulary
Royal Ulster Constabulary
The Royal Ulster Constabulary was the name of the police force in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 2000. Following the awarding of the George Cross in 2000, it was subsequently known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary GC. It was founded on 1 June 1922 out of the Royal Irish Constabulary...
: Sam Donaldson was killed in 1970 and Alex Donaldson, a Chief Inspector, died in a mortar attack
1985 Newry mortar attack
The 1985 Newry mortar attack was an attack carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army on a Royal Ulster Constabulary station in Corry Square, Newry, Northern Ireland. The attack killed nine RUC officers.-Background:...
on a Newry
Newry
Newry is a city in Northern Ireland. The River Clanrye, which runs through the city, formed the historic border between County Armagh and County Down. It is from Belfast and from Dublin. Newry had a population of 27,433 at the 2001 Census, while Newry and Mourne Council Area had a population...
police station in 1985.
Entering politics
In 1985, following the death of Raymond McCulloughRaymond McCullough
Raymond McCullough was a Northern Ireland politician with the Ulster Unionist Party.McCullough, who was Honorary Secretary of the South Down Unionist Association, was elected to Banbridge District Council uon that body's creation in 1973 and subsequently served as chairman...
, Donaldson was elected in a by-election to the Northern Ireland Assembly
Northern Ireland Assembly, 1982
The Northern Ireland Assembly established in 1982 represented an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to restore the devolution to Northern Ireland which had been suspended 10 years previously. The Assembly was abolished in 1986.-Origins:...
to represent South Down
South Down (Assembly constituency)
South Down is a constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly.The seat was first used for a Northern Ireland-only election for the Northern Ireland Assembly, 1973...
. In 1996 he was first placed candidate on the UUP list for the 1996 forum elections, virtually guaranteeing him a seat. This led to his selection in 1997, for the Westminster Parliament where he was elected as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the Lagan Valley
Lagan Valley (UK Parliament constituency)
Lagan Valley is a Parliamentary Constituency in the United Kingdom House of Commons.- Boundaries :The seat was created in 1983, as part of an expansion of Northern Ireland's constituencies from 12 to 17, and was predominantly made up from parts of South Antrim and North Down. In their original...
constituency. At that time he was tipped as a potential future leader of the Ulster Unionist Party.
Donaldson stated in Richard English's book, Armed Struggle: "A big part of the motivation for me in becoming actively involved in politics was the deep sense of injustice that I felt had been perpetrated against my people and specifically against my family and I wanted to do something about that. And that's why, at the age of 18, I did two things, I joined the Ulster Defence Regiment
Ulster Defence Regiment
The Ulster Defence Regiment was an infantry regiment of the British Army which became operational in 1970, formed on similar lines to other British reserve forces but with the operational role of defence of life or property in Northern Ireland against armed attack or sabotage...
and I joined the Ulster Unionist Party, because I wanted to pursue, through the forces of the state and the forces of law and order, the IRA and to oppose their campaign. But I also wanted to be involved politically in opposing that campaign as well".
Role in the Peace Process
In 1998 Donaldson was in the Ulster Unionists' negotiating team for the Good Friday Agreement. However, he walked out of the delegation at the end of the negotiations in protest at some of the arrangements, notably the lack of a link between Sinn Féin's admittance to government and IRA decommission.Dissent in the UUP
Disagreements over the Good Friday Agreement negotiations planted the seeds of discontent between the figurehead of the anti-agreement faction of the UUP (Donaldson) and the pro-agreement party leader (Trimble). Donaldson was not allowed to stand in the 1998 assembly electionNorthern Ireland Assembly election, 1998
-Seats summary:-Details:Although the SDLP won the most first preference votes, the Ulster Unionists won the most seats in the Assembly. This has been attributed to several reasons, including:...
as a party rule stopped MPs, apart from the leader and deputy leader, from going forward as assembly candidates.
Donaldson engineered several party council meetings in protest against David Trimble's policies. The council, however, backed Trimble’s leadership, and on 23 June 2003, along with fellow MPs David Burnside
David Burnside
David Wilson Boyd Burnside is a Northern Ireland politician, and was Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament for South Antrim....
and Martin Smyth
Martin Smyth
Reverend William Martin Smyth is a Northern Irish unionist politician, and was Ulster Unionist Party Member of Parliament for Belfast South from 1982-2005...
, Donaldson resigned the Ulster Unionist whip at Westminster. The MPs remained party members and in November 2003 Donaldson was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for the UUP.
Following the success of the rival Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
(DUP) in the same election
Northern Ireland Assembly election, 2003
The second elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly, which at the time of the elections had been suspended for just over a year, were held on Wednesday 26 November 2003. Six members were elected by Single Transferable Vote from each of Northern Ireland's eighteen Westminster Parliamentary...
Assembly election of 2003, he reiterated his call for Trimble's immediate resignation, but the party continued to back Trimble. On 18 December 2003 Donaldson, Norah Beare
Norah Beare
Norah Beare was a Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Lagan Valley.She was elected as an Ulster Unionist Party candidate in the Assembly election of 2003; however, she defected to the Democratic Unionist Party in 2004 along with Jeffrey Donaldson MP, MLA for Lagan Valley and Arlene...
MLA and Arlene Foster
Arlene Foster
Arlene Isabel Foster is a politician in Northern Ireland. She is one of two Democratic Unionist Party MLAs representing the Fermanagh and South Tyrone constituency in the Northern Ireland Assembly. She became Minister of the Environment on 8 May 2009 and was subsequently reshuffled into the...
announced their resignation from the UUP and on 5 January 2004 they announced that they had joined the Democratic Unionist Party
Democratic Unionist Party
The Democratic Unionist Party is the larger of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland. Founded by Ian Paisley and currently led by Peter Robinson, it is currently the largest party in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the fourth-largest party in the House of Commons of the...
(DUP).
Donaldson as DUP member
Donaldson was returned to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in the 2005 UK general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
and in 2007 was appointed to Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, making him the Right Honourable Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA.
In 2009, Alasdair McDonnell demanded an apology from Donaldson and a retraction of his claim that Catholics owed allegiance in the first instance to the pope and the Vatican.
Donaldson was appointed to Government by First Minister Peter Robinson, and held the position of Junior Minister in the Office of the FM from 2008 to 2009. He lost his position as part of the DUPs phasing out of "double jobbing". This action has indicated that he will more than likely concentrate on being an MP. Following his re-election to the House of Commons in May 2010, Donaldson stood down from the Northern Irish Assembly, with Paul Givan
Paul Givan
Paul Jonathan Givan is a unionist politician in Northern Ireland. He was co-opted in June 2010 to the Northern Ireland Assembly as a Democratic Unionist Party member for Lagan Valley, replacing the previous MLA, Jeffrey Donaldson, MP...
replacing him.
Involvement in the MPs' expenses scandal
In 2009, The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
reported that Donaldson had repaid £555 claimed for pay-to-view films in overnight hotel stays. In total, Donaldson submitted claim forms, including receipts, for 68 pay-to-view movies. Hotel sources confirmed that films he put on his expenses during 2004 and 2005 were in the highest price category offered to guests, covering the latest blockbusters and adult movies. Donaldson issued an official statement denying watching any content of an adult or pornographic nature.
Personal life
He married Eleanor on 26 June 1987, with whom he has two daughters. He is a member of the Orange OrderOrange Institution
The Orange Institution is a Protestant fraternal organisation based mainly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, though it has lodges throughout the Commonwealth and United States. The Institution was founded in 1796 near the village of Loughgall in County Armagh, Ireland...
.
Styles
- Master Jeffrey Donaldson (1962–1980)
- Mr Jeffrey Donaldson (1980–1997)
- Mr Jeffrey Donaldson MP (1997–2003)
- Mr Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA (2003-2007)
- The Rt. Hon. Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA (2007–2010)
- The Rt. Hon. Jeffrey Donaldson MP (2010-)