McNair-Wilson contested Lincoln in 1964, but was beaten by Labour"s Dick Taverne. In 1969 he stood as the Conservative candidate in the Walthamstow East by-election, defeating the Labour candidate, Colin Phipps. He held the seat until 1974, when it was abolished and replaced by the new Walthamstow constituency.
In the February 1974 general election he won the Conservative safe seat of Newbury where he remained as Member of Parliament for 18 years before standing down before the 1992 general election. His brother Patrick McNair-Wilson, who had been Conservative Member of Parliament for Lewisham West from 1964 to 1966, was also a by-election winner, returning to Parliament in 1968 for the New Forest constituency.
44th United Kingdom Parliament. 45th United Kingdom Parliament. 46th United Kingdom Parliament.
47th United Kingdom Parliament.
48th United Kingdom Parliament. 49th United Kingdom Parliament.
50th United Kingdom Parliament.
