 He unsuccessfully contested Wokingham at the 1966 United Kingdom general election, and was also unsuccessful in the 1968 Warwick and Leamington by-election.He was Member of Parliament for Birmingham Northfield from 1970 to 1979, and from 1974 to 1976 served on the Western European Union and the Council of Europe.He was then a junior minister for the Northern Ireland Office until 1979.