Following World War II, he worked as a Russian interpreter in Germany attached to the Control commission (1946–48).
Lyons contested Harrogate in 1964, but was elected Labour Party (UK) Member of Parliament for Bradford East in 1966.
In 1979 Lyons secured an unusual swing to Labour (against the national trend), almost certainly[original research?]
as a result of heavy support amongst the Asian community angry at Margaret Thatcher's anti-immigrant rhetoric.
In the 1983 general election, Lyons polled 27% of the vote in Bradford West - and came third behind the new Labour candidate Max Madden.