TUV chief says Jeffrey Donaldson carried out a ‘risky lifestyle’ in London – The Irish Information

TUV chief Jim Allister claims info circulating about Jeffrey Donaldson’s paedophilia and what’s described as his identified “risky lifestyle” in London might have been used as leverage throughout negotiations forward of the signing of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Mr Allister stated allegations that Donaldson abused kids was within the “ether” from March 2023, a full yr earlier than the previous DUP chief was arrested.

The MP instructed the intelligence companies and “the very top of government would have been aware of that”.

“And when you set that along the timeline of how Sir Jeffrey somersaulted from his opposition to the Protocol to (its) implementation of the Protocol then it does beg questions,” Mr Allister stated.

“Was there some sort of leverage used to induce him and the party he led to perfect that somersault?”

When it was identified the 2 girls solely met in January 2024, the month the Protocol was signed, to debate what they have been going to do and made complaints to police some weeks later, Mr Allister stated the primary assembly between a police officer and one of many complainants was in March, 2023,

However, Newry Crown Court heard the girl approached the Presbyterian Church’s safeguarding staff at the moment, which then facilitated a gathering with a police officer. But no names have been talked about and no official criticism was made.

Mr Allister informed the BBC: “I think we need to have that clarified by someone. I am simply making the observation that if you start from the premise that the relevant services would have known from that stage what was afoot, then I don’t think it is at all fanciful to think that the leverage wouldn’t have been applied and that he may well have been under a pressure to which he succumbed in that regard.”

“But my concern it this. I would be satisfied that from the moment that it became clear that allegations of this nature were being made and that was back in 2023 that the intelligence services…the very top of government would have been aware of that.”

Mr Allister stated that whereas he does consider anybody throughout the unionist neighborhood knew about his paedophilia, he does suppose some individuals had issues over his “risky lifestyle” in London, what the TUV chief described as his “other proclivities”.

He stated the British Government possible would have identified the “stories and indications about a risky lifestyle in London”.

“Those too would have been known so there was scope to apply leverage and if that happened then that’s a serious matter in itself but it is a serious betrayal of unionism and one would wonder why he was ever allowed in to that position if other people knew of those proclivities,” Mr Allister stated.

Later on Tuesday, a UK Government spokesperson responded: “Our thoughts are first and foremost with the victims of Jeffrey Donaldson who have shown immense courage in coming forward and giving evidence.

“Mr Allister’s allegations are deeply distasteful and absolute nonsense.”