 When Jeffrey Archer suddenly announced his decision to stand down from Parliament due to financial problems, Brotherton was selected as candidate for Louth in the October 1974 general election.Brotherton won the seat but, in terms of swing, the result was one of the worst for the Conservatives in the election, attributed to the circumstances in which Archer left and the short time Brotherton had to make himself known.Once in Parliament, Brotherton used the platform it gave him to express his views in somewhat forceful terms.