'I would have never protected Jeffrey Donaldson', says Poots

The Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly has said he has "done nothing wrong" as he again defended his handling of misconduct concerns a woman raised about Jeffrey Donaldson.

In an impassioned response, Edwin Poots told assembly members he would "never have protected Jeffrey Donaldson in any circumstance".

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) veteran is facing calls from Sinn Féin to "step aside" over the allegations that surfaced in the wake of Donaldson's conviction for child sex offences.

A BBC Spotlight investigation revealed Poots and another senior DUP member were made aware in 2021 of claims from a woman who said she had been "exploited" by Donaldson.

The DUP is commissioning an independent review into issues raised since the party's former leader was convicted last week.

Donaldson was convicted of 18 counts of sex abuse, including one count of rape, committed against two women when they were children.

Earlier on Tuesday, DUP leader Gavin Robinson said he has "no reason to doubt" Poots' account of his handling of misconduct concerns, and he accused other parties of hypocrisy and using the situation for "political purpose".

Poots was briefly DUP leader in 2021 after narrowly defeating Donaldson in a leadership contest.

He resigned within weeks amid an internal party revolt and was succeeded by Donaldson.

In the assembly on Tuesday afternoon, Poots again strongly defended his actions.

"If anybody has any notion that I done anything to protect Jeffrey Donaldson after all that he had done to me previously, they are living in some other world or other planet," he said.

"And I will be cleared of any of the accusations that have been made against me by any individuals in this place or outside it, because I have done nothing wrong.

"I make that absolutely clear - I would never have protected Jeffrey Donaldson in any circumstance had he done wrong, but given what he done on me in particular previous to that, I definitely wouldn't have."

Poots was responding to a question from Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) assembly member Matthew O'Toole, leader of the opposition at Stormont.

O'Toole raised the possibility of the assembly being recalled over the summer recess "to express our confidence or otherwise in either the speaker or ministers".

The row follows a BBC Spotlight investigation which aired on Friday.

In it, the then-North Antrim MP Ian Paisley said not long before Donaldson became DUP leader in 2021, he was approached by a young woman who said she had been exploited by Donaldson and that he should not be allowed to lead the party.

Paisley said the woman did not want to make a formal complaint but he said he told Poots, when he was elected leader.

Paisley described her as a "victim" in a text to another politician during the DUP leadership contest between Donaldson and Poots in 2021.

Poots defended his actions on Monday as he faced questions from other Stormont parties, with some assembly members asking whether he should step aside during the DUP's review.

He said there was "nothing of a criminal or safeguarding nature raised" and the woman was offered "support" but she did not wish to make a formal complaint.

The assembly speaker said that "recusing myself is not something that is necessary at this point, because there is nothing to answer for".

At the start of the assembly business on Tuesday, Sinn Féin assembly member Sinéad Ennis called on the speaker to "stand aside pending the full disclosure of all of the issues".

She told MLAs the idea that Poots and other DUP members "had knowledge of the exploitation" of a young woman "raises serious questions".

Ennis said that, according to the current DUP leader, the matter "was not passed to the party officers".

"This is at best a gross misjudgement by the speaker, at worst it is a fundamental and disastrous moral failure," she added.

Speaking to BBC's Talkback programme on Tuesday, Robinson said Poots had been "very clear" that the information he had was neither criminal nor did it engage safeguarding concerns, and that he had no evidence to the contrary.

"That's why it is important to have evidence to make sure that these issues are explored fully," he said.

The DUP leader said Poots had also indicated when he was made aware of the claim, he met with the victim who had asked him not to take it further.

"I am constructing this inquiry for a specific matter - grave allegations have been raised on a whole series of issues that need explored appropriately and professionally."

The East Belfast MP said it was not for him to "pre-judge" as he did not have any evidence to disbelieve what has been said so far.

He also accused other parties of using the situation for "political purpose" and accused them of hypocrisy.

"The hypocrisy that lies behind those in politics using this tragedy for their own political ends, it's not only disappointing but I think it's clear for the public to see.

"We won't leave any stone unturned, we're bringing someone in who is independent to conduct this review in a way no other party has, including those hypocrites in Stormont who now seem to be pointing one finger and forget that three point back at them."

He added that he was not yet in a position to announce who will chair the DUP's independent review, but said it had presented the "realms of a terms of reference" to the expert.

"We await a return which I suspect will be augmented, a more professional version of the areas to be looked at."