![\"\"](\"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/2.59554464.png\")
DUP MPs and Assembly members have formally endorsed Jeffrey Donaldson as their new leader.<\/p>\nDUP MPs and Assembly members have formally endorsed Jeffrey Donaldson as their new leader.<\/p>\n
Mr Donaldson received 32 votes of the party\u2019s 36-strong electoral college as it met at a Co Antrim hotel to rubber stamp the Lagan Valley MP\u2019s ascent to the top job.<\/p>\n
The gathering came after a chaotic two months for Northern Ireland\u2019s largest party.<\/p>\n
Internal divisions have been laid bare after successive revolts deposed former leader Arlene Foster and her successor Edwin Poots.<\/p>\n
Mr Donaldson, the party\u2019s 58-year-old Westminster leader, was the only candidate to put his name forward for the DUP leadership after the dramatic resignation of Mr Poots last week.<\/p>\n
Mr Poots\u2019 demise came only weeks after he narrowly defeated Mr Donaldson in the leadership contest to succeed Mrs Foster.<\/p>\n
Mr Poots did not attend the meeting on Saturday morning.<\/p>\n
Having received the majority endorsement of the electoral college, which is made up of 28 MLAs and eight MPs, Sir Jeffrey has become leader designate.<\/p>\n
He will become the official party leader next week when the DUP\u2019s ruling executive meets to ratify his appointment.<\/p>\n
Mr Poots\u2019 resignation came after he pressed ahead with reconstituting the power-sharing Executive alongside Sinn F\u00e9in, despite a significant majority of his MPs and MLAs being vociferously opposed to the move.<\/p>\n
Party anger at a UK government pledge to grant Sinn F\u00e9in a key concession on Irish language laws was behind the internal opposition to Mr Poots\u2019 decision to nominate a First Minister to lead the administration alongside the republican party.<\/p>\n
Serious question marks now hang over the future of First Minister Paul Givan.<\/p>\n
Mr Donaldson has made clear his intent to return from Westminster to assume the First Minister\u2019s job.<\/p>\n
However, the timeline for that move remains unclear.<\/p>\n
He would have to trigger a parliamentary by-election in Lagan Valley in order to re-enter the Assembly and it is unclear whether he would want to prompt such a contest in the near future, given the DUP\u2019s recent poor poll ratings.<\/p>\n