For his part, Vernon seems to have avoided committing himself too firmly with one side. Despite Clarence's requests for Vernon to join the battles at Barnet and Tewkesbury, Vernon managed to find excuses to avoid involvement. Though his answers to Clarence and Warwick do not survive, there is no evidence to suggest that he left his home at Haddon. His lackluster response does not seem to have harmed his standing with the Yorkist faction; he was made an esquire of the body to both Edward IV and Richard III. He also served as MP for Derbyshire in 1478. Despite holding these offices, Vernon seamlessly transitioned from Yorkist loyalist to Tudor official.