Pressure mounts on Edwin Poots over Donaldson 'inappropriate behaviour' claims - as SF call for him to step aside as Speaker

Mr Poots has said he has nothing to answer for and he did not e”ngage in any misbehaviour of any kind”.

The move adds to pressure on Mr Poots from the DUP’s political rivals in the Assembly, amid calls for him to temporarily relinquish his position until a review into what the party knew about Donaldson’s behaviour is completed.

Gavin Robinson announced last week that his party would conduct an “independent” review into Donaldson, as allegations about his personal conduct emerged in a BBC ‘Spotlight’ investigation. The claims were unrelated to the child sex offences Donaldson is now in prison for.

The review will seek to determine who in the party had knowledge of inappropriate behaviour by Donaldson, but the party has already determined that such claims were not reported to the party officers.

One such claim about Donaldson’s activities was made by former DUP MP Ian Paisley. He said that a young woman raised concerns with him about Donaldson’s behaviour towards her, but did not want to make a formal complaint.

He said he raised the matter with Mr Poots, who was then DUP leader. Mr Poots said he “at all times observed the wishes of the young woman”.

On Monday, Speaker Poots told MLAs that he was “absolutely confident that there was not a safeguarding issue at any point, because the person was an adult”.

He said he had asked for an investigation on behalf of the assembly – and called for separate probes by the Northern Ireland Civil Service and Westminster authorities, given Donaldson’s role as a Stormont junior minister and his many years as an MP.

Justice Minister and Alliance leader Naomi Long had said there is precedent “for people stepping aside for a short period of time whilst investigations into their conduct have taken place” – but that it was a decision for Mr Poots.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson said he would not “interfere” in the investigation his party had commissioned – but added “circumstances were raised last week that were not put through our appropriate channels”.

On Tuesday, Sinn Fein MLA Sinead Ennis set out her party’s position on the Speaker’s future.

She said: “Revelations over recent days that members of the DUP, including the Assembly Speaker Edwin Poots, had knowledge of the exploitation of a young woman by the now convicted paedophile Jeffrey Donaldson raises serious questions for the DUP.

“Even if we accept that there were no criminal or safeguarding issues, and that remains to be seen; there was clearly knowledge of inappropriate behaviour by Donaldson, which, according to the current DUP leader (Gavin Robinson), was not passed to the party officers.

“The result of this is that these issues were not raised or dealt with, even as the DUP elevated Donaldson to the leadership of the DUP, effectively Donaldson’s behaviour was ignored, and in terms of this Assembly, it raises serious questions for Edwin Poots as Assembly Speaker.

“This is at best a gross misjudgment by the Speaker, at worst it is a fundamental and disastrous moral failure.”

Ms Ennis told MLAs that a “dangerous paedophile went unchallenged”.

She added: “Worse still, and despite clear and knowing red flags, he was elected leader of the DUP.

“On that basis, I am calling for the speaker to now stand aside pending the full disclosure of all of the issues and any and all knowledge of them within the DUP about inappropriate behaviour before and during Donaldson’s time as DUP leader.”

There is no evidence that anyone in the DUP knew that Donaldson was a danger to children, or that he had abused children.

However, it is now clear that some within the party knew about personal conduct which could have compromised him in his role as an MP, political leader and member of the Privy Council which advises the monarch.

In the Assembly on Monday, Mr Poots was asked if an Assembly investigation would also look at his own actions.

He said: “I don’t have anything to answer for because I did not engage in any misbehaviour of any kind.

“This is an investigation which would allow potential victims of abuse by Jeffrey Donaldson to come forward.”

He added: “Let’s be very clear about this, this is about the paedophile Jeffrey Donaldson, nothing else.”

Mr Poots said that “recusing myself is not something that is necessary at this point, because there is nothing to answer for”.