 In 1902, Irving was elected to Burnley Town Council, a post he held (with one gap) until 1922.In the 1906 election, Irving himself stood for Accrington; he then stood in the 1908 Manchester North West by-election, and in the January and December 1910 general elections he stood in Rochdale.While his votes varied considerably, as an SDF candidate he never came close to winning a seat.