He left school at the age of twelve, working as a brickmaker in the summer, and as a general labourer in the winter.
[1][2] Inspired by Will Thorne, leader of the union, Whiting joined the Social Democratic Federation in his youth, and then its successor, the British Socialist Party (BSP).
One of the minority in the BSP who supported World War I, he joined the National Socialist Party (NSP) split in 1916, and served on its first provisional committee.
[5][6] For the 1922 UK general election, he was selected as the Labour Party candidate for Great Yarmouth, where he lost his deposit.
For the 1935 UK general election, his union sponsored him as a Labour Party candidate in Chorley.