Editing Henry Labouchère (section)

==Early diplomatic and political career==
[[File:Henry Labouchère Vanity Fair 1874-11-07.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Caricature of Labouchère by [[Carlo Pellegrini (caricaturist)|Ape]] in ''[[Vanity Fair (British magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'', 1874]]
While he was in the US, Labouchère (without his prior knowledge) was found a place in the British diplomatic service by his family.  Between 1854 and 1864, he served as a minor diplomat in [[Washington, D.C.|Washington]], Munich, [[Stockholm]], Frankfurt, [[Saint Petersburg]], [[Dresden]], and [[Constantinople]].  He was, however, not known for his diplomatic demeanour, and acted impudently on occasion.<ref name=odnb/> He went too far when he wrote to the Foreign Secretary to refuse a posting offered to him, "I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Lordship's despatch, informing me of my promotion as Second Secretary to Her Majesty's Legation at Buenos Ayres. I beg to state that, if residing at Baden-Baden I can fulfil those duties, I shall be pleased to accept the appointment." He was politely told that there was no further use for his services.<ref>Thorold, p. 65</ref>

The year after his dismissal, Labouchère was elected at the [[1865 United Kingdom general election|1865 general election]] as a member of parliament (MP) for [[Windsor (UK Parliament constituency)|Windsor]],<ref>{{London Gazette |issue= 22991 |date=14 July 1865 |page=3529 }}</ref> as a [[Liberal Party (UK)|Liberal]]. However, that election was overturned on petition,<ref name=odnb/> and in April 1867 he was elected at a by-election as an MP for [[Middlesex (UK Parliament constituency)|Middlesex]].<ref>{{London Gazette |issue= 23242 |date=16 April 1867 |page=2310 }}</ref> At the [[1868 United Kingdom general election|1868 election]] he lost the seat by 110 votes.<ref>"Election Intelligence", ''The Times'', 27 November 1868, p. 5</ref> He did not return to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] for 12 years.<ref name=odnb/>