He was a school teacher and lecturer and served as an alderman on Dartford Borough Council.
Irving was twice Member of Parliament for Dartford, originally elected in 1955.
In Harold Wilson's Labour Government 1964-1970, he was the government's Deputy Chief Whip and Treasurer of the Household from 1964 to 1966, and served as a Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons from 1966 to 1970, when he lost his seat to the Conservatives.
He was re-elected in 1974, but lost the seat again in 1979, to the Conservative Bob Dunn.
This article about a Labour Party member of Parliament representing an English constituency is a stub.