At a conference the Unionists decided to support the Government provided that Ulster's position as part of Britain was protected. Liverpool has a substantial Irish population. Most of them nationalist but a substantial proportion were unionist. The local MP, Sir Laming Worthington Evans, was Unionist (the name for the Conservative Party from 1886 to 1922) and a member of the coalition Lloyd George government. 'Are you going to see Loyal Ulster whose sons died for you to Rebel Sinn Fein who stabbed you in the back' sandwich boards ask. This was on 17 November 1921, less than a month away from the signing of the Treaty (Worthington Evans was one of the signatories).