He was educated at Hither Green central school, and went on to pursue evening classes at Chelsea Polytechnic and at King's College London.

A correspondent reporting the result in The Glasgow Herald described his victory as "an unpleasant surprise", noting that while it was not expected that his Conservative opponent would hold the seat with "a large majority, there was a confident hope that he at least would win through.

The same report argued various factors as bringing about his victory including apathy of Conservative and Liberal voters compared to the strong support he received from Labour electors.

The report also argued that Germany's withdrawal from the League of Nations and the World Disarmament Conference had caused a "War scare" which Wilmot's supporters fully exploited to win votes, particularly from female voters in the constituency.

[3] Wilmot was elected as an alderman of London County Council in November 1937, remaining a member until 1945.