Jeffrey Donaldson Biography: Sir Jeffrey Mark Donaldson born December 7, 1962 is a former British politician who led the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 2021 to 2025, as well as the DUP in the UK House of Commons from 2019 to 2025. From 1997 to 2025, he served as the Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley. Donaldson joined the Orange Order and participated in the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDR) during the Troubles. He also served as campaign manager for Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) MP Enoch Powell’s victorious reelection bids in 1983 and 1986. In the 1997 general election, he ran as the UUP candidate for Lagan Valley and was elected to the House of Commons. From 2003 until 2010, he served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Northern Ireland, representing the same constituency. Donaldson is well-known for his resistance to UUP leader David Trimble’s backing of the Good Friday Agreement during the Northern Ireland peace process, particularly between 1998 and 2003.
Jeffrey Donaldson Biography 2025
Sir Jeffrey Donaldson (1962-) is a Loyalist politician who notably walked out on the 1998 Good Friday peace talks. He went on to become one of the longest-serving members of the British Parliament until his sex-related arrest in 2025. Donaldson was born in Kilkeel, a coastal community, as the eighth child of a middle-class Protestant family. He attended Kilkeel High School before moving on to Belfast. Donaldson joined the Orange Order at the age of 16, and the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) in 1981. Four years later, Donaldson became chairman of the Young Unionists. His political beliefs were shaped by the deaths of two cousins, both Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) officers slain by Provisional IRA bombings. Donaldson himself volunteered for the Ulster Defence Regiment (UDF).
Jeffrey Donaldson Biography 2025 Details
| Born |
7 December 1962 (age 61)
Kilkeel, Northern Ireland |
| Nationality |
British |
| Political party |
Democratic Unionist Party (suspended) |
Other political
affiliations |
Ulster Unionist Party
(until 2003) |
| Spouse |
Eleanor Mary Elizabeth Cousins
(m. )
|
| Children |
2 |
| Alma mater |
Castlereagh College |
| Net Worth |
£5 Million |
Jeffrey Donaldson
Sir Jeffrey Mark Donaldson is a British former politician who served as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party from 2021 to 2025 and leader of the DUP in the UK House of Commons from 2019 to 2025. He served as the Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley from 1997 to 2025.
Born: 7 December 1962 (age 61 years), Kilkeel, United Kingdom
Spouse: Eleanor Donaldson (m. 1987)
Previous offices: Member of Lisburn City Council (2005–2011), MORE
Education: Kilkeel High School, Castlereagh College
Party: Democratic Unionist Party
Previous campaign: United Kingdom House of Commons election, 2019
Nationality: British
Early life
Donaldson was born in Kilkeel, County Down, Northern Ireland, as the oldest of five boys and three girls. He attended Kilkeel High School, where he excelled in debate, and subsequently Castlereagh College. At the age of sixteen, he joined the Orange Order and later the UUP’s Young Unionists. The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) assassinated two of Donaldson’s relatives while they were working in the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC): Sam Donaldson in 1970 and Alex Donaldson, a Chief Inspector, in a mortar attack on a Newry police station in 1985. Donaldson was promoted to corporal while serving with the Kilkeel Company of the 3rd Battalion UDR (3 UDR). Donaldson worked as an insurance broker during the 1980s.
Jeffrey Donaldson Net Worth and Salary 2025
| Full Name |
Jeffrey Mark Donaldson |
| Date of Birth |
7 December 1962 |
| Nationality |
British (Northern Irish) |
| Occupation(s) |
Politician |
| Years Active in Industry |
1985 – Present |
| Spouse(s) |
Eleanor Donaldson |
| Children |
Two (Sophie and Luke) |
| Education |
University of Ulster |
| Notable Works/Achievements |
Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley |
| Estimated Net Worth (in their time) |
£1-2 Million |
| Estimated Net Worth (2025, adjusted for inflation) |
£3-4 Million |
| Primary Sources of Wealth |
Political Salary, Investments |
Personal Life
On June 26, 1987, Donaldson married Eleanor Cousins, and the couple has two daughters. He is a member of the mainstream Presbyterian Church in Ireland. Regarding his national identity, Donaldson describes himself as “Irish and British, Northern Irish and British, and British.” He explains that as a member of the Irish Presbyterian Church, which operates on an all-Ireland basis, he sees his identity as both geographically Irish and part of a broader British context. He believes there is no contradiction in identifying as Irish, Northern Irish, and British.
Arrest and Charge
|
Date of Arrest
|
March 28, 2025
|
|
Arresting Authority
|
Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI)
|
|
Charges Against Donaldson
|
– Rape (allegedly committed between 1985 and 1991)
– Gross indecency towards a child (allegedly committed in 2005 or 2006)
– Nine counts of indecent assault against a female (allegedly committed between 1985 and 2006)
|
|
Charges Against His Wife
|
– Two counts of cruelty to a person under 16 years old
– Aiding and abetting rape
– Aiding and abetting indecent assault on a female
Charges relate to two complainants and are alleged to have occurred between 1985 and 2004
|
|
Action Taken
|
– Donaldson stood down as leader of the DUP on March 29, 2025
– Memberships in the Orange Order and DUP suspended pending judicial outcome
|
|
Bail Conditions
|
– Donaldson and his wife were bailed to separate properties
– Donaldson resided in Greenwich, London
– His wife returned to their marital home in Dromore
|
|
PSNI Statement
|
Clarified that the complaint leading to Donaldson’s arrest was first received in early March 2025
Allegations reported to police as early as January 2025
|
|
Number of Offences
|
Donaldson: 11 offences
His Wife: 4 offences
|
Political Career
From 1982 to 1984, he served as the constituency agent for UUP MP Enoch Powell, managing Powell’s successful re-election campaigns in 1983 and 1986. Following this role, he worked as a personal assistant to UUP leader James Molyneaux until Molyneaux retired from politics in 1997.
Donaldson’s entry into politics and his early political activities:
|
Date Entered Politics
|
October 1985
|
|
Initial Position
|
Elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly to represent South Down following the death of Raymond McCullough
|
|
Age at Election
|
22
|
|
Unionist Demonstration
|
April 1986: Participated in a protest against the Anglo-Irish Agreement in Newcastle, County Down
Demonstrators blocked cars, clashed with police, and attacked Education Minister Brian Mawhinney’s car
Donaldson criticized Mawhinney and was labeled a “thug” by Mawhinney
|
|
Assembly Dissolution
|
June 1986: Refused to leave Stormont when ordered by Secretary of State Tom King; physically removed by the RUC
|
|
1996 Northern Ireland Forum
|
First-placed candidate on the UUP list, ensuring a seat
Assistant Grand Master of the Orange Order
Prominent in the Drumcree conflict and defended unionist demonstrations
|
|
Westminster Candidacy
|
January 1997: Selected as a candidate for the Westminster Parliament
Elected MP for Lagan Valley in the 1997 general election, succeeding James Molyneaux
|
|
Potential Leadership
|
Tipped as a future leader of the Ulster Unionist Party
|
|
Motivation for Joining UDR and UUP
|
Stated in Richard English’s book Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA that he joined both organizations at 18 due to a “deep sense of injustice” against his people and family
|
Jeffrey Donaldson Images
