 After serving in World War II, he became assistant secretary at the Institute of Hospital Administrators in 1946, and became active in the Labour Party, standing unsuccessfully as their candidate in Chippenham in the 1950 General Election.In 1952, he began working for Milton Antiseptic, before being called to the bar as a barrister in 1955.He also remained active in local politics in Hampstead, London, and unsuccessfully attempted to have the Labour leader Hugh Gaitskell expelled from the constituency party when Gaitskell attempted to abandon the original version of Clause IV.