Career
Hooley contested Skipton at the 1959 General Election, finishing second. He first stood for the Sheffield Heeley seat in 1964, but was beaten by the Conservative Peter Roberts. However, at the 1970 general election he lost the seat to the Conservative John Deane Spence by 713 votes.
He regained the seat at the February 1974 election and held it until 1983 general election, when he stood unsuccessfully in the Conservative stronghold of Stratford-on-Avon.