Though he wanted to be the miners' agent for Barnsley, in 1982 Arthur Scargill instead offered him the candidacy for the safe Labour seat of Dearne Valley, whose incumbent MP, Edwin Wainwright, was retiring.
[1] Patchett felt out of place in the House of Commons and rarely spoke in the chamber.
He also opposed the closure of rich collieries such as Barnburgh and plans to increase imports of foreign coal.
Suffering from cancer, he risked his life[1] to go to vote, against his doctor's advice and family's wishes, because of the opportunity of defeating the government.
[1] He died of cancer on 11 October 1996 and the subsequent by-election was won by Jeff Ennis.