DUP review into Donaldson behaviour will be ‘unprecedented’ – Gavin Robinson

By Jonathan McCambridge, Press Association

A review commissioned by the DUP into the behaviour of Jeffrey Donaldson will be “unprecedented” in Northern Ireland, party leader Gavin Robinson has pledged.

Robinson said he would not currently comment on who would lead the independent investigation.

Former DUP leader Donaldson was convicted last week of 18 sex offences, including one count of rape, relating to 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 wider conduct in the period prior to his 2024 arrest over sex abuse allegations.

There is no other political party in our history that has ever taken a step like this

BBC Spotlight has reported that some senior DUP figures were aware of another woman, who was not involved in the recent court case, who had raised concerns about Donaldson’s behaviour.

Questions have also been raised around whether there was an awareness that Donaldson was allegedly engaged in behaviour in his private life that, although legal, was at odds with positions he adopted publicly.

The DUP has commissioned an independent review into issues raised since Donaldson was convicted.

During a press conference at Hillsborough Castle, Mr Robinson was asked to confirm who would be leading the review.

He said he would provide more information when he was “in a position to do so”.

Robinson added: “As you know, I have been as transparent as possible on this process.

“And let me remind you, before you hear more detail about this review, it is unprecedented in Northern Ireland political terms.

“There is no other political party in our history that has ever taken a step like this, and there are many other parties, in even the most recent past, that have had similar issues beside them that hasn’t led to as much scrutiny, or at least the willingness to have as much introspection.

“I don’t shy away from the challenges and I will give you the details when I’m in a position to do so.”

Robinson has previously said there were current and former members of the DUP who had information about the behaviour in Donaldson’s private life which was not formally shared with the party.

He said: “I am not going to answer what the outcome to a review may be before it starts.

“We have, for a myriad of reasons, for a whole host of reasons and accusations, and some smears, and some politicking along the way too, we have taken the unprecedented step of commissioning a review, so that we can answer these questions.

“Not a reluctance on my part to give you any further detail now. It’s actually a sign of our integrity and the importance with which we place on these issues, that we are going to deal with them seriously, sensibly.

“Bring somebody independent in to do something unprecedented in Northern Ireland political terms.”