He was elected to the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention (1975–1976) for North Belfast, and to the Northern Ireland Assembly for the Lagan Valley constituency in 1998 and again in 2003. In 1996 he was an unsuccessful candidate in the Northern Ireland Forum election in Lagan Valley.
A local politician was chosen to represent North Belfast at the Northern Ireland Constitutional Convention from 1975 to 1976, and later served in the Northern Ireland Assembly for the Lagan Valley constituency in both 1998 and 2003. He also failed to win a seat in the Northern Ireland Forum election in Lagan Valley in 1996.