Donaldson to give up knighthood and seat on Privy Council

Former DUP leader and now convicted child abuser Jeffrey Donaldson has asked for his knighthood to be forfeited.

He has also tendered his resignation from the Privy Council with immediate effect.

The moves were confirmed in a statement issued by his solicitor John McBurney.

It read: "I have this afternoon issued a letter signed by Jeffrey Donaldson to the Cabinet Office indicating a request to renounce and forfeit his knighthood."

On Monday, Donaldson was found guilty of 18 counts of sex abuse, including one count of rape, which he committed against two women when they were children.

"I have this afternoon issued a letter signed by Jeffrey Donaldson to the Privy Council office tendering his resignation from the privy council with immediate effect," the statement continued.

Donaldson was awarded a knighthood in 2016.

Honours are awarded by the monarch and can only be formally revoked by them.

Cases are considered by the independent Honours Forfeiture Committee, which makes recommendations through the prime minister before a final decision is taken by the King.

The Forfeiture Committee is a Cabinet Office body that recommends whether an honour should be revoked.

It has been in existence for around 50 years and meets as necessary.

An honour can be withdrawn, or forfeited, for a variety of reasons, including criminal conviction and bringing the honours system into disrepute.

However, it automatically considers cases where an individual has been found guilty of a criminal offence and sentenced to a term of imprisonment of more than three months, has been found guilty of a sexual offence, or has been found to have committed a sexual offence following a 'trial of the facts'.

If someone's honour is forfeited, they will be asked to return their insignia to Buckingham Palace and can no longer make any reference to having an honour.

An individual can decide to renounce the honour voluntarily, but they would still hold it until it was annulled by the King.