He became member of Parliament for Putney in 1979, and was made Queen's Counsel in 1987. He was Chief Secretary to the Treasury between 1990 and 1992 when he was given the newly created Department for National Heritage. However, he was forced to resigned as Secretary of State for National Heritage later that year, amid media coverage of his affair with actress Antonia de Sancha. He contested the UK general election, 1997 but lost his seat.
He was made head of the incoming Labour government's 'Football Task Force' in 1997. Until 2001 he was a presenter on BBC Radio 5.