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Tag: Jeffrey Donaldson

  • Jeffrey Donaldson – 2022 Statement on Death of Christopher Stalford

    Jeffrey Donaldson – 2022 Statement on Death of Christopher Stalford

    The statement made by Jeffrey Donaldson, the Leader of the DUP, on 20 February 2022.

    I am deeply saddened to learn of Christopher’s sudden death. He was not just an elected representative or a colleague, he was a friend.

    On behalf of the Party, I express my sympathies to Laura and the wider Stalford family on the loss of a husband, father, son and brother.

    I talked at length with Christopher on Friday night. He was passionate about Northern Ireland and wanted the best for his constituents. I was never to know how precious that conversation was to be.

    Most telling of all in that conversation was his pride in Laura and their children. He talked about his eldest child transferring to big school and the discussions that were ongoing in the home.

    Christopher was born to be a public representative. From his teenage years he was a regular contributor to politics both in the print and broadcast media. He was elected as a Belfast City Councillor in 2005 to represent the Laganbank area and then from 2014 represented the Balmoral area. Christopher was elected the High Sheriff of Belfast in 2010 and Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast in 2013/14.

    In 2016, Christopher was elected to represent Belfast South in the Northern Ireland Assembly and from January 2020 served as the Principal Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

    Christopher believed in stretching himself to build a genuinely shared future. He was confident in his unionism and his identity and was always prepared to provide leadership to keep Northern Ireland moving in the right direction.

    The Stalford family will be in our prayers as they mourn Christopher’s passing.

  • Jeffrey Donaldson – 2021 Speech on HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

    Jeffrey Donaldson – 2021 Speech on HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

    The speech made by Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP MP for Lagan Valley, in the House of Commons on 12 April 2021.

    On behalf of the Democratic Unionist party and the people in Northern Ireland we have the privilege to represent, I convey our sincere sympathy to Her Majesty the Queen and the entire royal family on the sad passing of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, a devoted husband and a much loved father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and indeed a father figure for our nation. We uphold them all at this time in our prayers.

    During his lifetime, the Prince made more than 50 visits to Northern Ireland, and on many of those occasions, he stayed at Hillsborough castle in my constituency, which is the home of the royal family in our part of the United Kingdom. The royal family is always welcome in Hillsborough. The people of the village, and their neighbours throughout the Lagan Valley constituency, share in our sense of loss at this time. Prince Philip was very fond of Hillsborough, and especially the beautiful gardens of Hillsborough castle. His memory will live long within our local community and among those who had the privilege to meet him.

    Ulster people prefer plain speaking, and in Prince Philip they found a man who was reassuring in his honesty and in his passion for ensuring that our young people, in particular, had the best opportunity to enjoy a meaningful and purposeful life. He recognised that when we invest in young people, we invest in the future. The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme has been referred to by the Prime Minister and by many colleagues across the House. In Northern Ireland, young people from right across the community—from all parts of that community —took part in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, and I know that he took great pride in the fact that the young people in that scheme in Northern Ireland came from all kinds of backgrounds.

    In the last year alone, more than 6,000 young people in Northern Ireland have started their programme in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, and more than 3,000 have completed their awards. Many young lives have been shaped and influenced by that scheme, and by the attributes that the Duke inculcated into the scheme. Young people in Northern Ireland are the leaders of the future, and we thank His Royal Highness for his investment in their future.

    We also salute the Duke’s service to our country––his service with and support for our armed forces. He served with courage and distinction, and he was an inspiration to many, not least our veterans, with whom he identified so closely.

    In her annual message, Her Majesty the Queen refers often to the importance of her Christian faith in dealing with the challenges that we all face in life. Losing a loved one is one of the greatest challenges. It is our prayer that in these days of mourning and in the times ahead, Her Majesty, and, indeed, the royal family as a whole, will be able to draw upon this deep well of faith, and that it will bring comfort and sustain them, especially Her Majesty. As she continues her journey of service to this nation of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and to the Commonwealth of nations and the overseas territories, she will do so without the support of her much loved companion, Prince Philip. As a nation, we will miss him. In Northern Ireland, we salute his memory.

     

  • Jeffrey Donaldson – 2019 Speech in Commons Following General Election

    Below is the text of the speech made by Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP MP for Lagan Valley, in the House of Commons on 17 December 2019.

    On behalf of the Democratic Unionist party, Mr Speaker-Elect, I want to associate ourselves with the remarks of the Prime Minister. Coming from Northern Ireland, we know all too well the impact that terrorism can have and the devastation it wreaks on families, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of that atrocity.

    I congratulate you, Mr Speaker-Elect, on your re-election as Speaker. We regard you as someone who is fair and upholds the rights of all Members in this House, and we look forward to working with you.

    I also congratulate the Prime Minister and the Conservative party on their victory in the election. We look forward to working with them going forward, particularly in relation to the matters that the Prime Minister spoke of—the Union of our United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. As the Prime Minister takes forward his proposals on Brexit, we want to ensure that Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom is secured and that the economic, political and constitutional integrity of the United Kingdom is respected.

    May I, Mr Speaker-Elect, pay tribute to my colleagues the former Members for Belfast North, Nigel Dodds, and for Belfast South, Emma Little-Pengelly, who are not with us but who made a massive contribution to the work of this House in the last Parliament—and indeed, in the case of Nigel, over many years? I welcome my hon. Friend the Member for Upper Bann (Carla Lockhart) to our ranks, but also the other Members from Northern Ireland who are today taking their seats for the first time in this House. We welcome the fact that they are here and take their seats—unlike others—and will no doubt make a contribution to this House and to the democratic process.​

    So, Mr Speaker-Elect, we wish you and all colleagues well in this Parliament. We look forward to outlining the voice of Northern Ireland along with our colleagues and ensuring that our place in this Union is secure.