 Already active in Conservative politics, Lawler was an unsuccessful candidate for Humberside County Council in the 1977 elections.On graduating from university he briefly worked for Peat Marwick Mitchell before joining the Yorkshire Area of Conservative Central Office; he worked as a researcher in the Community Affairs department from 1978, moving in 1980 to the Research Department.In 1982, he became a public relations executive with Bulldog Publicity Services in Bradford.