In the 1955 general election, Cunningham was chosen as the new Ulster Unionist MP for South Antrim. He was a delegate to the Council of Europe and Western European Union Parliamentary Assembly from 1956 to 1959.
In the 1955 general election, Cunningham was chosen as the new Ulster Unionist MP for South Antrim. He participated in various international organizations, including the Council of Europe and Western European Union Parliamentary Assembly, from 1956 to 1959.