Cunningham, father to twelve children, was elected for the Nationalist Party to represent Fermanagh and Tyrone in the British House of Commons at the 1935 UK general election.

Cunningham did not take his seat until 1945, and with Anthony Mulvey, also proposed that the Nationalist Party took an abstentionist policy with regard to the Parliament of Northern Ireland.

Cunningham held his seat at the 1945 UK general election, but when the constituency was abolished at the 1950 election, he chose not to stand in another seat.

References

• Michael Stenton and Stephen Lees, Who's Who of British MPs: Volume IV, 1945-1979 (Harvester, Brighton, 1979) ISBN 0-85527-335-6