 He worked as a steel smelter, and during World War I he served in the Middle East with the East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry.He was elected at the 1945 general election as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolton, and held the seat until the constituency abolished in 1950.He was then elected as MP for Rotherham at the 1950 general election, and held the seat until he was killed in a road accident on Halloween 1962.