Ryan's federal political career began in 1949 when he ran, twice, for the Toronto seat of Greenwood.
In 1962, Ryan made another attempt to gain a seat in the House of Commons of Canada, this time for the Toronto riding of Spadina in which he succeeded in defeating prominent Tory publisher John W. H. Bassett.
Uncomfortable with Trudeau's policies, Ryan left the Liberal Party and crossed the floor on December 3, 1969 to sit as an Independent MP.
[1] Ryan cited three reasons for leaving the Liberals - the Trudeau government's downgrading of Canada's relationship with NATO, the government's decision to recognize the People's Republic of China and what Ryan argued was the downgrading of the status and influence of backbench MPs and ordinary Members of Parliament under Trudeau.
[2] Attempting to retain his seat in the 1972 federal election Ryan ran as a Progressive Conservative candidate but finished in third place behind Liberal Peter Stollery and Bob Beardsley of the New Democratic Party.