Jeffrey Donaldson ratified as DUP’s new leader after meeting of Executive

Jeffrey Donaldson has been ratified as leader of the DUP following a meeting of the party's Executive in Belfast.

The choice of Mr Donaldson as leader was unanimously approved by the party’s MPs, Assembly members (MLAs), peers and representatives of the DUP’s constituency associations.

Speaking to the media afterwards, Mr Donaldson said he was “humbled to have received the unanimous endorsement of the party” and what he witnessed at the meeting was “our party coming together, healing, looking to the future, drawing a line over what has happened in the past.”

He said he intended to speak to the UK prime minister Boris Johnson as a "priority" in light of the High Court ruling over the Northern Ireland Protocol on Wednesday, saying he expected Mr Johnson to "take the option that is required to restore our place within the UK internal market."

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Mr Donaldson also said he would speak with the Government and he would make clear the “the Irish Government cannot expect to on the one hand cheerlead for the protocol and at the same time that there will be normality on a north-south basis.”

‘Right the wrong’

Ahead of the meeting, on arrival the outgoing DUP leader Edwin Poots was asked by the media if he was backing Mr Donaldson, and replied, "absolutely."

Mr Donaldson’s selection was rubber-stamped at a meeting of the party’s electoral college on Saturday, when his leadership was approved by 34 out of 38 MPs and MLAs .

Speaking after that vote, he said his priority would be to “right the wrong” of the Northern Ireland protocol and said the Government should stop “cheerleading” for the protocol.

He also vowed to reunite his party after a “difficult and bruising period” for the DUP, saying his endorsement was an “important first step in building the unity of my party, in rebuilding the strength of my party, in providing the leadership that Northern Ireland needs at that this time ... we are seeing our party coming back together again.”

Mr Donaldson – who is the MP for Lagan Valley – has made clear he intends to return from Westminster to take up the role of First Minister, but it is not clear how or when this will happen.

He said on Saturday that Paul Givan remained in office "for the time being" and that after the party's AGM – which also took place on Wednesday night – he would consider this and other decisions in conjunction with the party's officers.

The North Belfast MLA Paula Bradley remains the DUP's deputy leader.

Mr Donaldson was declared leader-designate earlier this month after he was the sole candidate to put his name forward for the position following the resignation of Edwin Poots only three weeks after his ratification.

Mr Poots stepped down following an internal party revolt over his decision to push ahead and nominate his close ally Mr Givan as the North’s First Minister against the wishes of a majority of MLAs and MPs, who wanted a delay amid anger over a UK government pledge to go over the heads of the North’s Assembly and introduce Irish language legislation at Westminster.

Mr Poots was the narrow winner over Mr Donaldson in the leadership contest triggered by the resignation of Arlene Foster, who quit as DUP leader at the end of April after more than 75 per cent of MPs and MLAs signed a letter of no confidence in her leadership.