Jeffrey Donaldson

Jeffrey Mark Donaldson, MP, MLA PC (born 7 December 1962) is a Northern Irish politician and Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley. He is best known for his opposition to Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader David Trimble during the Northern Ireland peace process, especially from 1998 to 2003.
==Early life==
Donaldson was born in Kilkeel, County Down, in Northern Ireland. He attended the Kilkeel High School then Castlereagh College. He joined the Ulster Unionist Party and the Orange Order as a young man and later worked for the MP Enoch Powell.
Two of Donaldson's cousins were killed by the Provisional Irish Republican Army while serving in the Royal Ulster Constabulary: Sam Donaldson was killed in 1970 and Alex Donaldson, a Chief Inspector, died in a mortar attack on a Newry police station in 1985.About Me - Jeffrey Donaldson MP official site
==Political career==
===Entering politics===
In 1985 he was elected in a by-election to the Northern Ireland Assembly. In 1996 he was first placed candidate on the UUP list for the 1996 forum elections, virtually guaranteeing him a seat. This led to his selection in 1997, for the Westminster Parliament where he was elected as a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Lagan Valley constituency. At that time he was tipped as a potential future leader of the Ulster Unionist Party.RTE NewsPermanent Revolution.net 
Donaldson stated in Richard English's book, Armed Struggle: "A big part of the motivation for me in becoming actively involved in politics was the deep sense of injustice that I felt had been perpetrated against my people and specifically against my family and I wanted to do something about that. And that's why, at the age of 18, I did two things, I joined the Ulster Defence Regiment and I joined the Ulster Unionist Party, because I wanted to pursue, through the forces of the state and the forces of law and order, the IRA and to oppose their campaign. But I also wanted to be involved politically in opposing that campaign as well".English, R. (2003) Armed Struggle: The History of the IRA, Oxford University Press, USA, p.373
===Role in the Peace Process===
In 1998 Donaldson was in the Ulster Unionists' negotiating team for the Good Friday Agreement.What happened to Good Friday? Garret FitzGerald (London Review of Books) However, he walked out of the delegation at the end of the negotiations in protest at some of the arrangements, notably the lack of a link between Sinn Féin's admittance to government and IRA decommission.
===Dissent in the UUP===
Disagreements over the Good Friday Agreement negotiations planted the seeds of discontent between the figurehead of the anti-agreement faction of the UUP (Donaldson) and the party leader (Trimble). Donaldson was not allowed to stand in the 1998 assembly election as a party rule stopped MPs, apart from the leader and deputy leader, from going forward as assembly candidates.
Donaldson engineered several party council meetings in protest against David Trimble's policies. The council, however, backed Trimble's leadership, and on 23 June 2003, along with fellow MPs David Burnside and Martin Smyth, Donaldson resigned the Ulster Unionist whip at Westminster."UUP rebels to face discipline", BBC News, 26 June 2003. The MPs remained party members and in November 2003 Donaldson was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly for the UUP.
Following the success of the rival Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) in the same election Assembly election of 2003, he reiterated his call for Trimble's immediate resignation,Irish TimesIrish Examiner - 2003/12/02: Paisley pledges to play ‘positive role’ in North but the party continued to back Trimble. On 18 December 2003 Donaldson, Norah Beare MLA and Arlene Foster announced their resignation from the UUP and on 5 January 2004 they announced that they had joined the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
===Donaldson as DUP member===
Donaldson was returned to the British House of Commons in the 2005 UK general election and in 2007 was appointed to Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, making him the Right Honourable Jeffrey Donaldson MP MLA.Jreffrey Donaldson MP Election Site
In 2009, Alasdair McDonnell demanded an apology from Donaldson and a retraction of his claim that Catholics owed allegiance in the first instance to the pope and the Vatican.DUP conflict of interest claim over fealty to pope angers SDLP 
Donaldson was appointed to Government by First Minister Peter Robinson, and held the position of Junior Minister in the Office of the FM from 2008 to 2009. He lost his position as part of the DUPs phasing out of "double jobbing". This action has indicated that he will more than likely concentrate on being an MP.
==Personal life==
He married Eleanor on 26 June 1987, with whom he has two daughters. He is a member of the Orange Order.Telegraph - 1997/26/01: RUC may lose final word on Orange Order marches
==References==
==External links==
* Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask Aristotle: Jeffrey Donaldson MP
* TheyWorkForYou.com - Jeffrey M. Donaldson MP
* Maiden Speech : House of Commons - 20 May 1997
* BBC Politics
Category:1962 births
Category:Living people
Category:Democratic Unionist Party MPs
Category:Members of the United Kingdom Parliament for Northern Irish constituencies
Category:Ulster Unionist Party politicians
Category:Northern Ireland MPAs 1982-1986
Category:Members of the Northern Ireland Forum
Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2003-2007
Category:Northern Ireland MLAs 2007-
Category:Northern Ireland Government ministers
Category:Orange Order
Category:Orangemen
Category:UK MPs 1997-2001
Category:UK MPs 2001-2005
Category:UK MPs 2005-
Category:People from Kilkeel
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