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The 2024 Democratic Unionist Party leadership election was held on 29 May 2024 at a meeting of the Party Executive to ratify Gavin Robinson as DUP leader.
Robinson had been serving as serving as interim leader since early April when Sir Jeffrey Donaldson resigned from the DUP after being charged with historical sexual offences.
Background
Gavin Robinson has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for East Belfast since the 2015 general election. On 9 June 2023, he was elected as deputy leader of the DUP, defeating Jonathan Buckley who is a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Upper Bann.
On 29 March 2024, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson stepped down as leader of the party, having been charged with rape and historical sexual offences. Robinson was thus "unanimously" appointed as the interim DUP leader by Party Officers.
The party sought to elect a permanent leader following the calling of the 2024 general election by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on 22 May 2024.
Candidates
Declared
| Candidate | Born | Political office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Gavin Robinson |
22 November 1984 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
Interim Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (since 2024) MP for East Belfast (since 2015) |
Robinson is considered "politically close" to former leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, under whom he served as deputy leader. |
Declined
| Candidate | Born | Political office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Sammy Wilson |
4 April 1952 Belfast, Northern Ireland |
Democratic Unionist Party Chief Whip in the House of Commons (2019–2024) MP for East Antrim (since 2005) |
Wilson is an outspoken critic of the party's Safeguarding the Union deal with the UK government, which restored devolution at Stormont. |
Results
Gavin Robinson was "unanimously" ratified as the party’s leader at a meeting of its ruling executive on 29 May 2024.
| 2024 Democratic Unionist Party leadership election | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Nominated by | |
| Gavin Robinson | Self-nominated | |
References
- "Gavin Robinson MP". DUP. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- https://www.itv.com/news/utv/2024-05-29/robinson-will-continue-irish-sea-border-fight-as-hes-ratified-as-dup-leader
- https://mydup.com/our-team/gavin-robinson
- "DUP: Gavin Robinson elected as DUP deputy leader". BBC News. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- "Jeffrey Donaldson: DUP leader resigns after rape charge". BBC News. 29 March 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- "Rishi Sunak announces UK general election for Thursday 4 July". BBC News. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- "DUP: Gavin Robinson elected as DUP deputy leader". BBC News. 9 June 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
- https://www.itv.com/news/utv/2024-05-29/robinson-will-continue-irish-sea-border-fight-as-hes-ratified-as-dup-leader
| 2024 United Kingdom party leadership elections | ||
|---|---|---|
| February: Welsh Labour
April: Scottish National Party May: Democratic Unionist Party July: Welsh Labour September: Ulster Unionist Party September: Scottish Conservatives September: Conservative (UK) October: Social Democratic and Labour Party December: Welsh Conservatives December: Liberal Democrats |  | |