 In the 1945 general election, Byers gained the formerly Conservative seat of North Dorset, with the absence of a Labour candidate being a key factor in this success.In 1946 Byers was appointed Liberal Chief Whip and gained a reputation for hard work and effective organisation both in parliament and at Liberal Party headquarters.However he was unable to hold North Dorset in 1950, losing by just 97 votes to the Conservatives following Labour's decision to stand a candidate.