​Sir Jeffrey Donaldson threat claim a ‘slur’ on DUP’s Stormont deal opponents

TUV leader Mr Allister was commenting after the PSNI said “no offences were detected” having examined Sir Jeffrey’s claim.

Last month, Sir Jeffrey told the Commons that he had been subjected to threats as he continued his negotiations with the UK Government over a deal on post-Brexit trading arrangements – that would ultimately lead to the restoration of the powersharing executive.

At the time, a DUP spokesperson said the party trusted that those responsible for the threats “will be held accountable for their actions”.

He said people who made threats against him now know “they are not beyond the reach of the law”.

The DUP later confirmed the matter had been reported to police, however, in a subsequent statement, Sir Jeffrey said he made a decision not to press charges.

In a statement on Thursday, Sir Jeffrey said: “I thank the police for their investigative efforts.

“A decision was made not to press charges. Those who made the threats now know they are not beyond the reach of the law.

“They cannot threaten people in public life and stay anonymous from the police.

“I want to see more people in public life where issues are debated and discussed through democratic politics alone.

“We must stand against those who would seek to bully with violent threats.

“I wasn’t intimidated out of politics 30 years ago and I won’t be intimidated in 2024.”

A PSNI spokesperson told the PA news agency: “Inquiries were made, no offences were detected and the investigation has now concluded.”

Jim Allister said: “Sir Jeffrey Donaldson’s claim in the House of Commons that he had been threatened was couched to try and inflict maximum damage by association with those of us opposing his [Northern Ireland] Protocol sell out. He directly linked the alleged threat to such opposition.

“Now that it turns out there was no criminal threat, Sir Jeffrey not just looks, at best, foolish, but needs to man up and withdraw his deliberate slur on those he tried to blacken.”

Speaking on the BBC’s Nolan Show on Thursday, TUV leader Jim Allister said: "I think it’s quite clear that Sir Jeffrey was indicating that the threat he was talking about was a criminal act".

Mr Allister said the DUP should now “withdraw the deliberate slur”.

Challenging Mr Allister’s assertion that Sir Jeffrey owed some of his critics an apology, the show’s host said he had personal experience of a situation where a direct threat was deemed to have fallen short of the threshold for a criminal investigation.

Mr Nolan said: “There was someone... who threatened to come to my home and assault me, and it was the decision of the PSNI that that did not make the criminal threshold”.

He added: “They looked at it, and they didn’t go – they didn’t get to the point of going and contacting the person because they decided it did not meet the threshold”.

Sir Jeffrey first revealed the threats during an impassioned Westminster speech shortly before his party ended its two-year boycott of the Stormont powersharing institutions.

He told the Commons: “And yet today, because of the stirring up that is going on, I was threatened, threatened, by those who never put on a uniform, by those who haven’t served our country.”

He added: “They are threatening people like me, who’s working day and night to try and find solutions and to move Northern Ireland forward on a basis that the vast majority of people can support.

“Well, I would just say this to those who stir up, and those who threaten: the provisional IRA attacked me in the past and it didn’t deflect me from the task that I have, and my colleagues have, to do our job and to get the best that we can for Northern Ireland.”

UUP chairwoman Jill Macauley posted a challenge to Sir Jeffrey on social media, saying: “Think we all would like to hear Jeffrey clarify what exactly was the basis of his recent ‘I was threatened’ claim. This does nothing but negatively stereotype sections of our community, who don’t deserve to be used as political pawns.”