The Eliotts of Stobs dominated the politics of Roxburghshire. Three generations of Eliott's ancestors had represented the county in the
Parliament of Scotland. At the
1708 British general election, Eliott was returned in a contest to serve in the new
Parliament of Great Britain at
Westminster as the
Member of Parliament (MP) for
Roxburghshire. On an election case on 16 December 1708, he upset his Scottish colleagues by sticking to the Whigs rather than joining with the Tories against a member who expressed anti-Scottish sentiments. He voted for the impeachment of Dr Sacheverell in 1710. At the
1710 British general election, he was returned as a Whig, again a contest and initially voted with the Whigs. However he began to act independently, and took part in an attempt to dissolve the Union in May 1713 and voted against the French commerce bill on in June 1713. He was returned unopposed at the
1713 British general election and voted against the expulsion of Richard Steele on 18 March 1714, He told in support of the Whigs, but was willing to work with Tories on some matters of Scottish interest. Eliott received a
royal pardon, and returned to Scotland. ==Death and legacy==