He joined the [[Conservative Party]] and started to work for the [[Conservative Research Department]]. He was elected to the British Parliament in 1950 as Conservative Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South West, a constituency he held until 1974. He was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (1955–1957), and Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1957–1958). In 1958 he resigned over public expenditure together with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, [[Peter Thorneycroft]] and [[Nigel Birch]]. The Prime Minister, [[Harold Macmillan]] famously dismissed their action as "[[little local difficulties]]". Powell returned to Macmillan's government as Minister of Health (1960–1963) and even entered Cabinet. He declined to serve under [[Alec Douglas-Home]] to protest against the way Macmillan handled his succession. | He joined the [[Conservative Party]] and started to work for the [[Conservative Research Department]]. He was elected to the British Parliament in 1950 as Conservative Member of Parliament for Wolverhampton South West, a constituency he held until 1974. He was Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (1955–1957), and Financial Secretary to the Treasury (1957–1958). In 1958 he resigned over public expenditure together with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, [[Peter Thorneycroft]] and [[Nigel Birch]]. The Prime Minister, [[Harold Macmillan]] famously dismissed their action as "[[little local difficulties]]". Powell returned to Macmillan's government as Minister of Health (1960–1963) and even entered Cabinet. He declined to serve under [[Alec Douglas-Home]] to protest against the way Macmillan handled his succession. |