📁 Whitelaw,

William Stephen Ian Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw, KT, CH, MC, PC, DL (28 June, 1918 – 1 July, 1999) was a British Conservative politician. Member of Parliament for Penrith and The Border (26 May 1955 – 28 July 1983). He was the first Secretary of State for Northern Ireland after the imposition of direct rule in 1972. While he was a Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Lords, Margaret Thatcher relied on him heavily, even declaring that "every Prime Minister needs a Willie".