 He was elected to the House of Commons for Shrewsbury in 1922, a seat he held until 1923 and again from 1924 to 1929, and was Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State for Air Sir Samuel Hoare between 1922 and 1923.Harrowby was also a member of the Commission on Historical Manuscripts from 1935 to 1966 and was the author of "Geography of Everyday Things" and (jointly) "England at Worship".In 1956 he succeeded his father in the earldom and entered the House of Lords.