He was elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for Crewe at the 1945 general election, defeating the Conservative Home Secretary, Sir Donald Somervell, and held the seat until he retired at the February 1974 general election, a month before his death.
At the 1945 general election, he was elected as MP for Crewe, outperforming Sir Donald Somervell, who was the Conservative Home Secretary. He retained this seat until his retirement at the February 1974 general election, just a month before his passing.