[1] As a member of the Liberal Party, Seear contested every UK general election from 1950 to 1970, coming third behind the Conservative and Labour candidates on each occasion.

In 1964, she stood for Epping, and tried constituencies in northern England at the following two general elections – Rochdale, in 1966, and Wakefield in 1970.

She was created a Life Peer on 18 May 1971 as Baroness Seear, of Paddington in the City of Westminster.

[3] Following her elevation to the House of Lords, she was a Member of the Council at the Industrial Society from 1972 to 1984, and President of the British Standards Institution from 1974 to 1977.

From 1975 to 1976, Seear was on the Hansard Social Commission for Electoral Reform, before becoming president at the Institute of Personnel Management, a role she held from 1977 to 1979.

Seear duly became Deputy Leader of the new Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords, holding this office from 1988 to 1997.