Whakaotihia te rerenga e whai ake nei: I whanau a Wilkinson ki roto i te whanau Manchester rawakore ahakoa he hiahia nui, a, i uru ia ki te hapori i te wa o te tamarikitanga. Whai muri i tana tohu i te Whare Wananga o Manchester, i mahi ia mo te whakahaere wahine wahine, a muri ake nei hei kaiwhakahaere uniana. I whakaaweahia e te Russian Revolution o te tau 1917, ka uru a Wilkinson ki te British Communist Party, ka kauwhau i te hapori hurihuri i a ia e rapu ana i nga huarahi ture ki te mana torangapu ma te Rōpū Mahi. I pootihia ia hei MP mo Middlesbrough East i te tau 1924, a i tautoko ia i te
Te Pirihitanga Nui o te tau 1926. I te kawanatanga mahi 1929-1931, i mahi ia hei Hekeretari Motu mo te Minita Hauora rangatahi. I whakapā atu ia ki tētahi mema wahine taitamariki, he kaitohutohu hoki a Jennie Lee. Whai muri i tana hinganga i Middlesbrough i te 1931, ka noho a Wilkinson hei kairipoata me te kaituhi, i mua i tana hokinga ki te whare paremata hei mema mo Jarrow i te 1935. He kaitautoko kaha ia mo te kawanatanga Republican i te Pakanga Tangata Paniora, a he maha nga haerenga ki nga rohe whawhai.