The upshot was that he left and went to Queen's Park in London, to a church that was still meeting in a hall. In the next few years he raised all the money and got the proper chapel built. In 1888, Leach, who was living in Brondesbury Road, Kilburn, stood as a Progressive candidate in Chelsea division for the London School Board. He placed ninth, where there were five seats available. In 1889 he went on a preaching tour to Canada and America where he collected an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Ohio University. Always interested in education he was instrumental in setting up the Queen's Park Institute which used the chapel's school buildings. In 1892 he was elected to Chelsea Vestry. By 1894 he was despairing of the Liberal Party and joined Keir Hardie's recently founded Independent Labour Party. In 1894 after the new act, everyone had to be re-elected to the Vestry and he stood under his new colours. This was too much for his chapel and he was forced to resign and withdraw before the poll.