Brown left the civil service in 1962, when he was selected as a prospective parliamentary candidate, and served as MP for Glasgow Provan from 1964 until he retired in 1987.</ref> His constituency in north-east Glasgow had a high rate of unemployment, included several large public sector housing estates, including Easterhouse and Blackhill, and also covered Barlinnie Prison. His political views lay to the left-wing of the party, and his parliamentary interests concentrated mainly on constituency and Scottish matters. After winning the ballot for Private Members Bills one year, he successfully pushed through his bill to become the Employer's Liability (Defective Equipment) Act 1969.