At the 1983 general election, he sought re-election but came third with 18% of the vote while the Labour candidate Robert Wareing won. It was a time of intense political change and Eric no longer thought that the party he joined was any longer true to the political principles he believed in.
In the 1983 general election, he ran for re-election but finished third with 18% of the vote while Robert Wareing, the Labour candidate, won. It was a period of significant political shifts and Eric no longer believed that his party adhered to the political principles he held dear.