[1] When a general election was called in January 1910, P W Raffan was selected as Liberal candidate for Leigh in south Lancashire.

The constituency contained a large number of coalminers, and Raffan was opposed not only by the Conservatives, but by Thomas Greenall of the Labour Party, who was a leader of the Lancashire and Cheshire Miners' Federation.

In the Commons Raffan became secretary of the Land Values Group who sought reform in property taxation.

[4][5][6] At the 1918 general election Raffan was re-elected at Leigh as a Liberal and received the "coupon" despite being an opponent of the Coalition Government.

[8][9] At the succeeding 1923 general election he successfully contested Edinburgh North for the Liberals, unseating the Unionist MP, Patrick Johnstone Ford.