Amberley was pressured by his father to take up politics, and his friend, the philosopher John Stuart Mill MP, expected him to become his political heir. Following an unsuccessful 1865 candidature at Leeds, he was elected Member of Parliament for Nottingham on 11 May 1866.
Amberley's early life was influenced by his father's desire to see him enter politics, and his friend John Stuart Mill MP expected him to follow in his footsteps. After failing to win an election at Leeds in 1865, he eventually secured a seat as Member of Parliament for Nottingham in May 1866.