Midgley had adopted a position of unswerving loyalty to Britain during World War II, and was increasingly out-of-step with the majority in the NILP, who wished it to remain neutral on the constitutional question, and the nationalist minority in the party, which included his two parliamentary colleagues, Paddy Agnew and Jack Beattie.
[1] The party created a newspaper, Justice, which was initially edited by Midgley's son, and maintained nine branches, three in Belfast and the others in predominantly unionist areas of Northern Ireland, and a total of somewhat fewer than 1,000 members.
No longer in opposition to the UUP which dominated the legislature, Midgley accepted an offer of a ministerial post from new Prime Minister Basil Brooke.
Concerned by the improved performance of the NILP, the party sought to identify itself more closely with unionism, and appealed to the Orange Order to support its candidates.
The CWLP held a conference under the chairmanship of William Brisbane, but disbanded before the end of the year, with McElroy and some supporters rejoining the NILP, and most other members either joining the UUP or moving away from party politics.