In the General Election of October 1885, Mundella stood for the new constituency of Brightside, one of Sheffield's five parliamentary divisions. He was elected with a healthy majority, but nationally the General Election was a stalemate, and the Conservatives took office with the help of Charles Stewart Parnell and his Irish Parliamentary Party, which held the balance of power. Mundella was once again in Opposition, but maintained his place on the Liberal frontbench. He did not languish there for long as Gladstone returned to the Prime Ministership barely three months later in January 1886 and after briefly considering Mundella for the post of Chancellor of the Exchequer he instead elevated him to the Cabinet as President of the Board of Trade, one of only fourteen members of the Cabinet.