Sir Jeffrey Donaldson could be stripped of his knighthood if he is convicted of rape, sources have claimed. It comes as the 61-year-old politician from Northern Ireland resigned as leader of the DUP after he was charged with historical sex offences.
He is due to appear in court on April 24 in Newry, County Down, after being arrested and charged by police. Mr Donaldson was arrested alongside a 57-year-old woman on Thursday afternoon and strongly denies the allegations.
Mr Donaldson could also be removed from the Privy Council following the allegations. Speaking to the Mail, a source said there was “historical precedent for the enforced removal of a member of the Privy Council in the event of a criminal conviction”.
They explained: “In the event of a conviction, it is open to the Prime Minister to advise His Majesty to seek the removal via formal submission.”
The source added that it was also possible for a member of the Privy Council to voluntarily leave it if necessary.
Following the allegations, the DUP released a statement on social media platform X, saying that the Party Chairman had received a letter stating that Mr Donaldson had been “charged with allegations of a historical nature”.
They added: “In accordance with the Party Rules, the Party Officers have suspended Mr Donaldson from membership pending the outcome of a judicial process.
“The Party Officers have…unanimously appointed Mr Gavin Robinson MP as the Interim Party Leader.”
Posting on social media, Labour MP Jess Philips said: “To be clear on the Jeffrey Donaldson arrests. It will still be completely legitimate for Donaldson to come to Westminster thanks to the delay and watering down of proposed safeguarding changes.
“The reason it was watered down has more to do with Tory leadership races than safety. So perfectly legitimate for a man accused of rape to jump in a lift completely alone with me or my staff.”
Mr Donaldson’s announcement came weeks after he decided to bring the DUP back into a power-sharing arrangement in Northern Ireland having led the party since July 2021.
The DUP returned to Stormont earlier this year after they agreed a new deal and a series of assurances over Northern Ireland’s constitutional position in the UK.
Should Mr Donaldson lose his knighthood, it wouldn’t be the first occasion that someone had been stripped of the honour.
Former boss of the Royal Bank of Scotland Fred Goodwin, Robert Mugabe, and former spy Anthony Blunt have also lost their knighthoods.
