It’d mean leaving his current role as Stormont Speaker, but senior party figures feel there’s ‘nobody better’ for position
Senior DUP figures have approached Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots about making a dramatic return to frontline politics.
Mr Poots has been asked to consider standing down from his position as Speaker and to put his name forward to be the party’s deputy leader.
A senior party source said: “We are all still in a state of shock about the charges against Jeffrey Donaldson. With a general election months away, we need as smooth a transition as possible in the post-Donaldson era.
“The DUP’s survival is at stake — that’s how serious all this is.
“The deputy leadership is vacant now that Gavin (Robinson) is interim leader.
“Some of us have asked Edwin to consider stepping down as Speaker and to put his name forward for deputy leader.
“A united DUP moving forward is needed. The deputy leader should also be in Stormont. There is nobody who could better fill that role than Edwin.
“Somebody with experience and clout is needed to lead the party along with Gavin.”
Mr Poots was appointed to the £90,000 a year Speaker’s position just two months ago.
The South Belfast MLA beat Donaldson in the 2021 leadership contest, but was ousted three weeks later.
Despite his personal animosity for Donaldson, he backed his deal to restore devolution.
His support on the party officer board was crucial in ensuring a 7-5 majority for the deal to restore Stormont.
DUP sources say the possibility of a challenge to Mr Robinson for the leadership is receding, with focus now increasing on who fills the deputy role.
Insiders said Paul Givan was unlikely to have the support of enough MLAs, and he is content in his role as Education Minister.
Upper Bann MLA Jonathan Buckley has been mentioned in connection with the role.
Mr Robinson defeated him in a contest for the position last year. When the DUP announced the outcome, it stated that it would be keeping the exact result a secret.
Emma Little-Pengelly also remains a possibility for the deputy leadership, but she would be wary of putting her name forward unless she was confident of victory, as defeat would make her position as an unelected Deputy First Minister very vulnerable.
Speaking at an event in Dublin yesterday to commemorate the 1916 Easter Rising, First Minister Michelle O’Neill stressed the importance of a united Executive despite the events of last week.
“My priority as First Minister is to provide stability, to work with all the other party leaders, all those who form our Executive,” she said.
“It’s really important now that we knuckle down.
“We’re a four-party coalition and now, more than ever, what we need to see is cohesion.
“Our collective priority (is) around leadership, it’s around working together and making politics work for today, tomorrow, and into the future.”
She said she had spoken to Mr Robinson and that the Stormont party leaders would “remain engaged”.
Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris said that following Friday’s “shocking news” about the historic sex offence charges against Mr Donaldson, Ms O’Neill and Ms Little-Pengelly’s commitment to ensure their administration continues was welcomed.
“We have seen how the political parties of Northern Ireland can work together with the First and Deputy First Ministers demonstrating in word and deed their commitment to making Stormont work for everyone in Northern Ireland,” he said.
Mr Heaton-Harris pledged to support their efforts, and welcomed Mr Robinson’s appointment as DUP interim leader.
“I look forward to working with him to deliver on our commitments contained within the command paper Strengthening the Union.”
Simon Harris, who is expected to become Taoiseach later this week, also praised Ms O’Neill and Ms Little-Pengelly for putting “the people’s business to the fore”.
He said: “As a political leader, my priority is to continue to support the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, to continue to engage on a North-South, East-West basis in every way that we can. I very much welcome the comments of the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister in recent days in relation to ensuring the people’s business remains to the fore of all their minds.”
Meanwhile, the PSNI said it received complaints about historic sexual offences involving Jeffrey Donaldson earlier in March.
It confirmed the sequence of events which led to the ex-DUP leader being charged.
The PSNI said: “On March 29, 2024, the PSNI confirmed that a 61-year-old man had been charged with non-recent sexual offences, alongside a 57-year-old woman who was charged with aiding and abetting additional offences. We are aware of ongoing commentary on social media platforms and in the mainstream media regarding the timeline of this investigation.”
Police received a complaint in March alleging the commission of non-recent offences and immediately commenced an investigation into the matter.
This investigation led to the arrest and charge of two suspects on March 28. The PSNI warned the public and media outlets around unhelpful and inaccurate speculation which could have a negative impact on the criminal justice process.
Mr Donaldson quit as leader of the DUP on Friday after being charged with multiple historical sex offences, including rape.
He told party officers he would be “strenuously contesting” all charges.
by Ah_here_like
4 comments
This isn’t an April fools
‘member the time senior figures in the DUP thought there was nobody better to be leader than Edwin?
20 days remembers.
And then they’ll refuse to elect a new speaker
Also, as an aside does anyone else find Jeffers turn of phrase *“strenuously contesting”* very interesting? Something with it just doesn’t sit right with me but maybe it’s just politician speak.
You’d think he’d say “I never did nathin. I’m not guilty” but he chose to use ambiguous language. He’s saying he’ll fight the charges, but has never denied the reality of them. Maybe I’m reading too much into it.