In the 1922 general election he stood as Labour candidate at Winchester, but failed to be elected in this safe Conservative seat. In the following year the prime minister, Stanley Baldwin, called an election on the issue of tariff reform. Haycock was chosen to contest the constituency of Salford West, and managed to unseat the sitting Conservative member of parliament, Lieutenant-Commander Frederick Astbury. Following the election, a minority Labour government under Ramsay MacDonald was formed. The administration collapsed in the following year, necessitating a further general election. Haycock attempted to defend his seat, but there was a landslide to the Conservatives, and he was defeated by Astbury, his opponent of the previous year. The next election was held in 1929. Haycock stood once more as Labour candidate at Salford West. There was a swing to Labour, which became the largest party in the Commonsfor the first time and Haycock returned to parliament. In a notable incident, Haycock publicly defied Manchester City Council's bylaws prohibiting the playing of games in city parks on Sundays. In front of a large crowd he played a game of bowls in Gorton Park and indicated his willingness to suffer imprisonment rather than pay a fine or be bound over. Although his name and address was taken by the park superintendent, no charges were brought. By the time of the next general election in 1931 a National Government had been formed. Haycock and the majority of the Labour Party MPs refused to support the government, and he was heavily defeated by Frederick Astbury, running as a "National" Conservative, who became Salford West's MP for the third time.
Later parliamentary contests
At the 1935 general election Haycock attempted to regain the Salford West constituency for Labour, but failed to be elected. Elections were postponed due to the onset of World War II with the next election in 1945. Haycock stood unsuccessfully for Labour at the new constituency of Bucklow, which included parts of Manchester's Wythenshawecouncil estate. In December 1957 Haycock, then aged 75, and described as a barrister, declared he would stand as an Independent Labour candidate for the forthcoming by-election at Rochdale. He subsequently announced he was considering standing aside, and had invited J B Priestley to stand in his place. He claimed that his doctor had told him "this campaign will kill me". Priestley, however, denied any interest in contesting the election. In January 1958 Haycock stood aside, feeling his position was very close to that of the TUC and the official Labour Party and he did not want to "score a goal for the other side". He died at Tarporley in December 1970 aged 87.
