The party contested the first 1974 general election as the John Hampden New Freedom Party; it contested the second 1974 and the 1979 general elections as the ENP. Its best performance was at the second 1974 general election, where it fielded two candidates and secured 1,115 votes. It achieved its greatest notability in April 1976, when it was joined by the Member of Parliament John Stonehouse, who had formerly represented the Labour Party and at the time was awaiting trial for fraud. However, Stonehouse was convicted and left Parliament in August of that year, and the party did not stand a candidate in the subsequent by-election.
