Many were Conservative Party or Liberal Unionist politicians opposed to Joseph Chamberlain's campaign for tariff reform.
However as many local Conservative and Liberal Unionist associations supported Chamberlain's campaign, those who opposed Tariff Reform found their position precarious.
Those standing as Free Traders were concentrated in university constituencies, led by John Eldon Gorst, who had been previously elected as a Conservative Party M.P.
However attempts to form some sort of pro-free trade electoral pact with the Liberals were unsuccessful.
By then also the remaining free trade supporting Unionists who had stuck with their party had also been effectively purged.