Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots has stated that “quite a number of people within the DUP” were aware of concerns raised by a woman about the behaviour of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson. In an interview with UTV, Poots insisted he would never have acted to protect Donaldson, whom he accused of attempting to “extinguish” his political career.
Poots Rejects Calls to Stand Aside
Poots has faced mounting pressure from multiple Stormont parties, particularly Sinn Féin, to step down pending a DUP investigation into claims of inappropriate behaviour by Donaldson. However, Poots firmly rejected these calls, stating, “There is not one smidgeon of evidence of wrongdoing on my part. Nobody has provided any evidence.” He added that any suggestion he would protect Donaldson is “for the birds,” given Donaldson’s past efforts to destroy his career.
Background of Donaldson’s Conviction
Jeffrey Donaldson was convicted last week of 18 sex offences, including one count of rape, relating to the abuse of two women when they were children. Subsequent media reports have raised questions about how much was known within the DUP about Donaldson’s conduct prior to his arrest in 2024. BBC Spotlight reported that some senior DUP figures were aware of another woman who had raised concerns about Donaldson’s behaviour, though she was not involved in the recent court case.
Ian Paisley’s Role
In the BBC Spotlight programme, former North Antrim MP Ian Paisley stated that the woman did not wish to make a formal complaint, but he informed Poots—then party leader and now Stormont Speaker—about her concerns. Poots confirmed that Paisley told him the woman had been receiving unwanted texts from Donaldson. Poots maintained that nothing suggested the claim involved criminal or safeguarding issues, and the woman did not want to take the matter further.
DUP Independent Review
The DUP is commissioning an independent review into issues raised since Donaldson’s conviction. Current DUP leader Gavin Robinson stated that “it is clear” some former and current DUP members had information about Donaldson’s conduct that was not shared with the party. Robinson expressed confidence in Poots’s account, saying he had “no reason to doubt” it, and accused other political parties of using the situation for “political purpose.”
Sinn Féin’s Call for Action
Sinn Féin Chief Whip Sinéad Ennis raised serious questions about Poots’s role as Speaker, stating that revelations about DUP members’ knowledge of Donaldson’s exploitation of a young woman raised “serious questions.” She described the situation as “at best a gross misjudgement by the Speaker, at worst a fundamental and disastrous moral failure.” Ennis called for Poots to stand aside pending full disclosure of all issues and knowledge within the DUP about inappropriate behaviour before and during Donaldson’s leadership.
Poots’s Defence
In the Northern Ireland Assembly, Poots responded to SDLP Opposition leader Matthew O’Toole’s questions about recalling MLAs over the summer recess to address the fallout from the Donaldson conviction. Poots stated, “If anybody has any notion that I done anything to protect Jeffrey Donaldson, after all that he had done to me previously, they are living in some other world or other planet. I will be cleared of any of the accusations that have been made against me.”
Broader Implications
Questions have also been raised about whether there was awareness that Donaldson was allegedly engaged in behaviour in his private life that, while legal, contradicted his public positions. The DUP’s independent review aims to address these issues. Robinson emphasized that the party will “leave no stone unturned” and is bringing in an independent reviewer, accusing other parties of hypocrisy.
