inc la ir ▁letter ▁had ▁been ▁decis ive ▁in ▁losing ▁him ▁the ▁seat . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁after math ▁of ▁Chi ppen ham , ▁Johnson ▁had ▁serious ▁thoughts ▁about ▁fighting ▁the ▁next ▁by - e lection , ▁in ▁Peter borough . ▁However , ▁a ▁local ▁uno fficial ▁Labour ▁candidate ▁was ▁found ▁and ▁Johnson ▁abandoned ▁his ▁campaign . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁general ▁election ▁Johnson ▁fought ▁Chi ppen ham ▁again . ▁Although ▁selected ▁as ▁an ▁official ▁Liberal ▁candidate , ▁he ▁presented ▁himself ▁to ▁the ▁elect ors ▁as ▁an ▁" Ind ep endent ▁Liberal ". ▁He ▁came ▁bottom ▁of ▁the ▁poll , ▁be aten ▁by ▁E cc les ▁and ▁Labour ▁candidate ▁Andrew ▁Tom lin son ; ▁Johnson ▁had ▁tried ▁to ▁persu ade ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party ▁to ▁stand ▁down ▁in ▁his ▁favour ▁again , ▁but ▁without ▁success . ▁ ▁Political ▁shift ▁After ▁his ▁defeat ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁Johnson ▁res igned ▁from ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party , ▁due ▁to ▁" dis app oint ment ▁at ▁the ▁hop eless ness ▁of ▁the ▁Liber als ". ▁He ▁received ▁inv itations ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party ▁from ▁Frank ▁P aken ham ▁and ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Conserv atives ▁from ▁David ▁E cc les , ▁who ▁had ▁be aten ▁him ▁in ▁Chi ppen ham . ▁" After ▁months ▁of ▁ag on ising ▁re app rais al " ▁he ▁decided ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁Conserv atives , ▁rec ru ited ▁by ▁their ▁s log an ▁" set ▁the ▁people ▁free ". ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 6