Following the war, he was elected to Parliament as a Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for
Birkenhead East in the
1945 general election, and became
Solicitor General, receiving the customary
knighthood, in the government of
Clement Attlee, serving in that office throughout Attlee's government. He was also, briefly, UK delegate to the
United Nations General Assembly. As Solicitor General, Soskice was viewed as an important advocate for the government in the
House of Commons. His constituency was abolished in the
1950 election, when he unsuccessfully fought
Bebington, but he was soon returned to the
House of Commons at a
by-election in the
Sheffield Neepsend constituency, where the sitting MP
Harry Morris stood down to make way for Soskice. In April 1951, he became
Attorney General. In 1952, Soskice joined the shadow cabinet, and his fortunes rose in 1955 with the
election of his close ally
Hugh Gaitskell as party leader, although he continued his legal practice as well.
James Callaghan was Home Secretary. In 1966, Soskice retired, and was created a
life peer as "Baron Stow Hill", of
Newport in the
County of Monmouth on 7 June 1966.
Stow Hill is a steep hill in Newport, which runs from the
city centre up to
St. Woolos Cathedral. According to
Yes Minister co-writer
Antony Jay, the case of
Timothy Evans (who was wrongfully hanged for the murder of his wife and daughter) was part of the inspiration for the television satire because of Soskice's refusal to reopen the case despite having himself appealed for an inquiry while in opposition. ==Death==