Russellite Unionist | |
|---|---|
| Leader | Sir Thomas Russell |
| Founded | February 1904 |
| Dissolved | 1910 |
| Split from | Liberal Unionists |
| Ideology | Land reform Irish Unionism Liberalism |
The Russellite group were the followers of Thomas Wallace Russell, an Irish political leader of the early twentieth century.
Russell was the Liberal Unionist MP for South Tyrone. He and some followers left the party in February 1904. They favoured a policy of compulsory land purchase.[1] Dod's Parliamentary Companion regarded them as ex-Liberal Unionists who had joined the Liberal Party, although Russell's two Parliamentary colleagues had been first elected as Independent Unionists and they did not seek re-election as Liberals in 1906.
At by-elections and in the 1906 United Kingdom general election Russellite candidates contested elections in Ulster seats as Independent Unionists. F.W.S. Craig's compilation of election results for 1906 includes them with the Liberals, but gives them a footnote.