The leader of the Democratic Unionist Party of Northern Ireland (DUP), Jeffrey Donaldson, has submitted his unexpected resignation with “immediate effect” after receiving “allegations” against him “of a historical nature”, although it has subsequently been revealed that would have been accused of crimes of a sexual nature.

In addition to Donaldson, A 57-year-old woman has been charged with complicity in these alleged crimes.. Both were arrested this Thursday and questioned before being formally charged that same day. Next month they will have to appear in court, according to the BBC, based on a statement from the Police.

Several British and Irish media outlets echoed the fact that Donaldson’s social media accounts disappeared on Thursday at night without the party having made any comments on the matter, an appearance that finally occurred this Friday.

At the same time, the DUP reported this Friday that, according to party regulations, Donaldson has been suspended from training “pending judicial proceedings”. His place will be taken by Gavin Robertsonuntil now number two in the party.

This announcement comes after Donaldson, the longest-serving MP in the Northern Irish Parliamentdeclared his intention to integrate the party into the power agreement with the republicans in Northern Ireland and thus end two years of institutional boycott after the post-Brexit agreements.

It is worth remembering that the leader of the ‘Sinn Féin for Northern Ireland’ party, Michelle O’Neill, became the first Northern Irish republican chief minister in February since its own institutions were established as a result of the peace process in which the party itself Republican Party has called it a “historic” milestone.

The unionists refused to participate until then, specifically in protest at the trade mechanism installed after Brexit, which left Northern Ireland for all purposes within the European common market, while goods from Great Britain were subject to customs controls. The solution has been a mixed model that allows the free entry of goods from Great Britain, although with specific inspections based on criteria from the secret services for food or security risks.