 In 1947, Fernyhough was elected Member of Parliament for the Labour stronghold of Jarrow in a by-election caused by the death of Ellen Wilkinson - and held the seat until he retired in 1979.Fernyhough was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Prime Minister Harold Wilson from 1964 and a junior minister for Employment and Productivity from 1967 to 1969.He was also a member of the Council of Europe from 1970 to 1973.