Russell Watton

William James Russell Watton (born 1954), known as Russell Watton, is a Northern Irish Ulster loyalist, politician and community activist, serving as leader of the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP) since 2023, and a Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Councillor for the Coleraine DEA since 2014. He was also PUP deputy leader between 2022 and 2023.^[2]

Russell Watton
Leader of the Progressive Unionist Party
Incumbent
Assumed office 14 June 2023
Preceded by	Billy Hutchinson
Deputy leader of the Progressive Unionist Party
In office 15 October 2022 – 14 June 2023
Leader	Billy Hutchinson
Preceded by	John Kyle
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Councillor
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 May 2014
Preceded by	New council
Constituency	Coleraine
Personal details
Born	1954 (age 70–71) [1] Coleraine, Northern Ireland
Political party	Progressive Unionist Party (since 2014)
Other political affiliations	Independent (2005-2014)
Military service
Paramilitary	Ulster Volunteer Force
Rank	Officer Commanding
Conflict	The Troubles

Background

Ulster Volunteer Force

Watton joined the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF) in the 1970s, and was believed to be the commander of the UVF unit in Coleraine.^[3] He was involved in the bombing of the Salmon Leap Restaurant, which caused the deaths of several of Watton's UVF comrades.^[4]

He received three life sentences in 1977, and was imprisoned until his release in 1989.^[5]

Political career

At the 2005 local elections, Watton ran as an independent candidate, for the Central District, in the Coleraine Authority. ^[6] While out campaigning in the predominantly nationalist Somerset Drive area, Watton and his campaign team were threatened by a group of activists after putting up posters. ^[7]On the incident, Watton said: “One of them had a knife in his hand and he confronted me with it. I was forced to use a piece of wood which these scumbags had thrown and I was able to disarm the man to defend myself and he ran off."^[8]In total, he polled 380 first-preference votes, and was eliminated on the sixth count.^{[9] [10]}

Watton stood again in the district at the 2011 local elections, taking 342 first-preferences.^[11]

Causeway Coast and Glens Councillor

By the 2014 local elections, Watton was a member of the Progressive Unionist Party (PUP), standing for them in the successor Causeway Coast and Glens Authority.^[12] He topped the poll in the Coleraine District, and received 11.8% of first-preferences.^[13][14][15]

Watton stood in the East Londonderry constituency at the 2016 Northern Ireland Assembly election, where he took 1,356 first-preference votes (3.9%).^[16]At the 2017 Assembly election, Watton was eliminated on the third stage of counting, having polled 879 first-preferences (2.1%).^[17]

At the May 2019 Council election, Watton was once again the first candidate to be elected in Coleraine, with an increased total of 1,325 first-preferences.^{[18] [19][20]}

While campaigning for the 2022 Assembly election, Watton highlighted intimidation being directed to him from 'known drug dealers'.^[21] In the election, he took 933 first-preference votes (2.1%), and was eliminated on the third count.^[22][23][24]

Watton was the second candidate to be returned in the district at the May 2023 local elections, taking a decreased first-preference share of 13.7%.^[25][26] Notably, he became the only elected representative for the PUP, following the defeat of their leader, Billy Hutchinson, in Belfast.^[27][28]

Leader of the Progressive Unionist Party

Following the local election results, Hutchinson stood down as leader, with Watton being announced as his successor on 14 June 2023.^[29][30][31]