Uncertainty over whether Sir Jeffrey Donaldson will continue in role as Lagan Valley MP

A spokesperson for the House of Commons said they have not been informed that Sir Jeffrey Donaldson intends to resign his seat.

​Before the news of his resignation as party leader, there had already been speculation about whether the former DUP leader would run for his Westminster seat again in the upcoming UK general election.

There had been suggestions he would either go back into the Assembly and lead the party from Stormont – or that he may be poised to take a seat in the House of Lords.

The DUP have been asked if Sir Jeffrey intends to stand down as an MP.

In the event that he does stand down it would likely trigger a by-election, with no date for a general election yet announced – and a likelihood that it will be towards the end of the year.

Sir Jeffrey was elected to Stormont in the May 2022 Assembly election, in which Sinn Fein became the biggest party for the first time.

He was already the sitting MP for the Lagan Valley constituency, and as it was not possible for him to hold both roles, the current deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly was co-opted into the set won by her party leader.

At the time, he said: “I will continue as the Member of Parliament for Lagan Valley until the protocol issues are resolved. “It is important that the protocol is replaced with new arrangements that respect Northern Ireland’s place within the United Kingdom and as the leader of Unionism that work is in London.

As an MP cannot directly “resign” their seat, they have to be appointed to a paid office of the Crown, which automatically disqualifies them from holding a seat in the House of Commons.

These titles usually alternate between Chief Steward & Bailiff of the Chiltern Hundreds and Chief Steward & Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead.

Once the seat has been vacated, the normal conventions for calling a byelection remain.

There is no statutory time limit for when this should occur.