After the 1992 general election he became the chairman of the Trade and Industry Select committee where he served until 1995 when he became an opposition spokesman on the Lord Chancellor's Department.

In relation to the Wembley Stadium rebuilding project, he announced in October 2005: "They say the Cup Final will be there, barring six feet of snow or something like that".

Caborn was seen as a close ally of John Prescott, running his campaigns for the deputy leadership of the Labour Party in 1992 (whilst supporting Bryan Gould for leader).

He is a former Bennite, and was very active on South Africa issues, being pro-Mandela and anti-apartheid; he ran concerts in support of the African National Congress.

[1] In this role, he lobbied FIFA, oversaw the appointment of the bid's senior team and liaised between ministers and the Football Association.

In March 2010, Caborn faced accusations in The Sunday Times that he accepted money in exchange for influencing policy, implicating him in the "Lobbygate" affair.