Griffiths was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Sheffield Brightside in a 1968 by-election.
In September 1974, he was deselected as a candidate by his local Constituency Labour Party in favour of Joan Maynard one month before a general election, and then decided to stand against Maynard as an Independent Labour candidate.
In 1979 Griffiths switched sides and supported the Conservatives in the 1979 General Election held in May.
His defection was announced at an election rally for trade unionists who supported the Conservatives held in London on 29 April 1979.
This article about a Labour Party member of Parliament representing an English constituency is a stub.