He was the unsuccessful Liberal Party parliamentary candidate for the Unionist seat of
Ayr Burghs in 1918 where the intervention of a Labour Party candidate prevented what would otherwise have been a rare gain for the Liberals. He entered Parliament as
Liberal MP for
Aberdeen and Kincardine Central at a
by-election in April 1919. This was a notable gain for the opposition Liberals against a Unionist candidate supported by the Coalition Government. He served as the Scottish Liberal Whip from 1923 to 1924. At the 1924 general election, a Labour candidate intervened and split the anti-Unionist vote, which cost him his seat. He switched to contest
Banffshire for the
1929 United Kingdom general election. He comfortably re-gained a seat the Liberals had lost in 1924. In 1931, following the formation of the
National Government, he was returned unopposed at the general election as a supporter of the new administration. He was an unpaid Assistant Government
Whip from 1931 to 1932. When the Liberal party left the National Government he continued in the role of Scottish Liberal Whip from 1932 to 1934. In 1935 he was defeated at Banffshire and did not stand for parliament again.
Elections contested UK Parliament elections ==External links==