John Wilmot, 1st Baron Wilmot of Selmeston

Early life

Wilmot was born in Woolwich in 1893. He was educated at Hither Green central school, and went on to pursue evening classes at Chelsea Polytechnic and at King's College London. He worked in banking and served in the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I.

Political career

Wilmot was a member of the Independent Labour Party and the Fabian Society from age sixteen, and was a founder of the Lewisham Labour Party in 1919. His victory in the Conservative-held seat at the by-election was something of a surprise. 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. Certainly a Labour majority of 4840 was not in the picture." 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.

Wilmot was elected as an alderman of London County Council in November 1937, remaining a member until 1945. He returned to the House of Commons at another by-election, in 1939 as MP for Kennington. Wilmot was re-elected to Parliament at the 1945 election for the Deptford constituency, and served in Clement Attlee's post-war government as Minister of Aircraft Production from 1945 to 1946, when that office was abolished, and as Minister of Supply from 1945 to 1947. He was admitted to the Privy Council in 1945. He retired from the House of Commons at the 1950 general election and was raised to the peerage as Baron Wilmot of Selmeston, of Selmeston in the County of Sussex, on 30 January 1950.

Personal life

Wilmot married Elsa Slate in 1928. He died at St George's Hospital on 22 July 1964, aged 71.

References

References

1. Pimlott, Ben. (2004). "Wilmot, John Charles, Baron Wilmot of Selmeston (1893–1964), politician".
2. "leighrayment.com House of Commons: Fairfield to Fylde South".
3. (27 October 1933). "East Fulham Election. Some Causes of the Labour Victory. Effect of International Events". The Glasgow Herald.
4. (24 November 1937). "L.C.C. Estate at Tulse Hill". [[The Times]].
5. (1999). "Parliament and politics in the age of Churchill and Attlee: the Headlam diaries, 1935–1951". [[Royal Historical Society]] and [[Cambridge University Press]].
6. "leighrayment.com House of Commons: Keighley to Kilkenny".
7. "leighrayment.com House of Commons: Dagenham to Deritend".
8. {{London Gazette. (14 February 1950)