Shipwright also wrote to The Autocar explaining how he had driven his car from Hyde Park Corner in London to St Ives in Cornwall and made a good average speed and without the car breaking down. The letter prompted a reply from Lord Curzon who objected that publicising his activities would encourage the police to set more speed traps for motorists. Shipwright kept up his interest in motor racing and in April 1930 bought another Armstrong Siddeley car. He competed in other speed trials and hill climbs. Politics On 17 December 1921 Shipwright was adopted as Conservative candidate for Penryn and Falmouth, succeeding the retiring Conservative MP Sir Edward Nicholl. Shipwright was only 23 years old but his record of serving throughout the war was noted. He had begun a business career as a Director of Porthia China Clays Ltd. During his election campaign Shipwright's election address pledged him to a strong Navy, and a foreign policy which aimed at securing an honourable peace with a just settlement of reparations and war debts. In domestic policy he sought economy without decreasing safety and efficiency. The Liberal Party's national split was mirrored in Penryn and Falmouth with Sir Courtenay Mansel fighting as the official candidate but opposed by George Hay Morgan who was a former MP for Truro; there was also a Labour Party candidate. Shipwright won the election with 11,566 votes and a majority of 2,687 over Mansel. To celebrate his election, the ex-servicemen of Falmouth ceremoniously dragged his motor car up hill to the station when he caught the train to London to take his seat. Parliament Shipwright made his maiden speech in a debate on unemployment on 8 March 1923. He attributed part of the blame for the state of unemployment to the miners' strike of 1921, and pointed out that every tin mine in Cornwall had closed down after that strike and had not reopened. He gave praise to the Conservative government for reducing the numbers of unemployed people and appealed for more faith, good will and confidence. His speech was received with cheers. This proved to be his only speech before the short 1922 Parliament was dissolved and Shipwright was forced to face re-election. Unlike the previous election, the Liberal reunification meant he faced a straight fight with Sir Courtenay Mansel. Government proposals for the China clay industry, where mines in the constituency had been going