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Eamon
Sweeney’s engaging analysis of the political
career of Jeffrey Donaldson provoked me to visit the
Donaldson website which is, dare we use the term,
“in the process” of being updated. Undeterred
by the blank home page I accepted Donaldson’s
invitation to find out more “about me”.
Born of good Presbyterian stock he joined the Orange
Order at 16 years, progressed via the UDR to Enoch
Powell’s office in South Down. Jeffrey’s
coyness and reluctance to make any reference to educational
attainments are in stark contrast to his claim in
a sympathetic TV profile a few years ago that he had
“turned down an opportunity to study history
at Cambridge,” a claim which infers spectacular
early education attainment. At the time his fantasy
claim was met with a chorus of derision from those
who knew him when he was “serving his time”
as an apprentice electrician in Ballykinlar British
army camp. Apparently little Jeffrey left his local
school in Kilkeel with fewer GCEs than Rodney Trotter;
a fairly unremarkable achievement that would in later
life be a constant irritant to his self esteem, especially
in the company of the donnish Trimble and his coterie
of university trained ministers.
Requiring
a trade like all good working class Presbyterians,
his association with the Loyal Orders left him more
than well qualified to work in the camp where seemingly
his confusion about ac, dc and cross wiring proved
as potent a threat to the British soldiers as did
physical force Republicans. When an itinerant conservative
MP Enoch Powell arrived in the South Down constituency
looking for someone to drive him to and from the airport
the bright young spark did Ballykinlar camp and the
army a big favour by volunteering his services.
Very
presentable, the young fellow showed more flair as
a personal aide. In his television profile he confessed
to being educated into politics listening to Powell
talking about his work on those early morning journeys
to Aldergrove. Enoch a man of remarkable intellect,
double first in classics and ex military intelligence
soon recognised the gaping chasm in the Donaldson
c.v. and it was arranged that Jeffrey enter the hallowed
portals of QUB at a time when many a more deserving
young student was denied by an entry system which
demanded and got A level high achievers. Little is
known about his three months at Queens other than
the Donaldson trait of cut and run when confronted
with discipline, in this case academic, once again
displayed itself. One wonders how he explained this
early defection to his elderly mentors Powell and
Molyneaux, and will the combination of persuasiveness
coupled with his undoubted brown nosing ability which
sustained him throughout his early political career
work on his new boss?
One
thing certain is that the lack of an academic education
will not inhibit Jeffrey’s political ambitions
within the DUP. In fact he should be comfortable in
a party where there is a natural distrust of academia;
and a mediocre education considered to be a badge
of honour. So the bold and defiant Donaldson need
never again be reticent or embarrassed about his early
lack of it.
In
the recent assembly election all DUP candidates were
required to include educational background on the
DUP website. His updated site will make interesting
reading to political watchers for as well as education
attainment, it should indicate the degree of independence
he will be permitted to display in his new party.
Most people care little about a public representative’s
beginnings. Jeffrey Donaldson is a shrewd, clever
operator and nobody’s fool; he has not fallen
into the same trap of another famous Jeffrey (Archer)
and invented a glowing C.V. flagrantly using it to
climb the ladder to political power. He does however
owe the electorate an explanation on his public claim
as to how as a young man with no entry qualifications
he was offered a place in Cambridge to study history.
I don’t expect that we will ever get an explanation
-- anyway, bible studies at Bob Jones will prove more
advantageous to his advancement in the fundamental
ranks.
It
is a fairly safe prediction that in the medium future
he will conform and subscribe to the seven principles
of his new leader. Just how long he can contend with
and conceal a personality trait that resents authority
is another interesting question.
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