In 1889 Champion was one of the leaders of the dock labourers' strike, to the funds of which a large sum was sent from Australia. Soon afterwards he had a disagreement with some of his fellow socialists, broke away, and for a time was assistant-editor of the "Nineteenth Century". He stood as an independent candidate for the House of Commons at Aberdeen, but, though he polled fairly well, was defeated and soon afterwards went to Melbourne to find relief from illness, arriving on 12 August 1890.