 After the war he briefly returned to teaching before moving in 1946 to work for the Co-operative Party as Research Officer.He advocated consumer welfare and democratising industrial relations, writing a series of publications including "The People's Industry".Oram attempted to win the parliamentary seats of Lewes, in 1945, where he was supported by the charismatic Harold Laski (who had greatly influenced him at LSE) and by his future wife Joan, and of Billericay, in 1950, where he lost despite winning 19,437 votes.