He became MP for Braintree in 1974, and was a government whip in 1979. In 1982 he moved to a junior ministerial position at the Department of Health and Social Security, where he remained until 1988.
He became Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and a minister at the DTI for a year, and then became Secretary of State for Social Security from 1989 to 1992, then Leader of the House of Commons until 1997. After he lost his seat he was created a life peer.