Henry Holmes often known as Harry Holmes, was a politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

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Holmes worked as the managing director of a draper's shop. In 1943, he became the Honorary Treasurer of Harry Midgley

Harry Midgley

Henry Cassidy Midgley, PC , known as Harry Midgley was a prominent politician in Northern Ireland. Born to a unionist family in Belfast, he worked in the textile industry before joining the Royal Engineers during World War I....

's Commonwealth Labour Party

Commonwealth Labour Party

The Commonwealth Labour Party was a minor political party in Northern Ireland. The party was founded in 1942 by Harry Midgley, former leader of the Northern Ireland Labour Party , in order to pursue his brand of labour unionism....

, but he left in 1944 to join the rival Northern Ireland Labour Party

Northern Ireland Labour Party

The Northern Ireland Labour Party was an Irish political party which operated from 1924 until 1987.In 1913 the British Labour Party resolved to give the recently formed Irish Labour Party exclusive organising rights in Ireland...

 (NILP), for which he stood unsuccessfully in Antrim

Antrim (UK Parliament constituency)

Antrim is former UK Parliament constituency in Ireland. It was a two member constituency and existed in two periods, 1801–1885 and 1922-1950.-Boundaries:...

 at the United Kingdom general election, 1945

United Kingdom general election, 1945

The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...

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Holmes was Chairman of the NILP in 1948, but he resigned the following year to join the Ulster Unionist Party

Ulster Unionist Party

The Ulster Unionist Party – sometimes referred to as the Official Unionist Party or, in a historic sense, simply the Unionist Party – is the more moderate of the two main unionist political parties in Northern Ireland...

. He defeated the veteran Independent Unionist

Independent Unionist

See also Independent .Independent Unionist has been a label sometimes used by candidates in elections in the United Kingdom, indicating a support for Unionism, retaining the unity of the British state....

 MP Tommy Henderson

Tommy Henderson

Thomas Gibson Henderson was an Ulster independent Unionist politician. He served in the House of Commons of Northern Ireland from 1925 to 1953 in vigorous opposition to the Unionist governments on all issues other than the partition of Ireland, and is famous for having at one stage spoken for...

 in Belfast Shankill

Belfast Shankill (Northern Ireland Parliament constituency)

Belfast Shankill was a constituency of the Parliament of Northern Ireland.-Boundaries:Belfast Shankill was a borough constituency comprising part of northern Belfast...

 in 1953

Northern Ireland general election, 1953

-References:*...

 and was re-elected in 1958

Northern Ireland general election, 1958

-References:*-See also:*MPs elected in the Northern Ireland general election, 1958...

. He resigned in 1959, following business difficulties.