Viscount William Whitelaw, who died on 31 June, 1999, was a dedicated Conservative politician who supported Thatcher through difficult times and was the first politician to hold the post of Northern Ireland secretary.

One of the few politicians to be affectionately known by his first name, Willie was a charming, endlessly decent gentleman who combined discretion and sensitivity with a shrewd intellect.

Throughout his four decades in politics, he became known for his legendary skills as a conciliator and was remarkably close to negotiating a peace plan for Northern Ireland .

But history could have been very different if he had been ruthlessness enough to fight his revered boss, Sir Edward Heath, in the Tory party leadership election that brought Thatcher to power.

William Stephen Ian Whitelaw was born on 28 June, 1918, in Nairn, north east Scotland . He was a pupil at Winchester College before studying at Trinity College , Cambridge . He became a Major in the Scots Guards and was awarded a Military Cross in the Second World War.

Politics was never his intention, but after leaving the army to look after the family estates, he was persuaded to stand as a Tory party candidate. In 1955, he landed the seat of Penrith and the Borders and remained their MP until he entered the House of Lords in 1983.

He was a talented politician, quickly appointed junior whip and then a parliamentary secretary in 1962. He was promoted to the important post of opposition chief whip after Labour came to power in 1964. When Sir Edward Heath became Prime Minister in 1970, he made Viscount Whitelaw leader of the Commons.

In 1972 Sir Edward created the post of Northern Ireland secretary for him, and very nearly succeeded in implementing a peace strategy for the region. He was a highly respected negotiator, and many believe the deal only fell through because Sir Edward needed Viscount Whitelaw back in London to tackle the miners’ strike.

Problems came with the 1975 Tory backbenchers’ revolt that forced a re-election of Sir Edward's leadership. Despite being the party favourite, Viscount Whitelaw was hesitant to stand against his boss to whom he felt great loyalty and only joined in the fight after Sir Edward's defeat in the first round.

Margaret Thatcher took over and made him deputy leader. He became home secretary and deputy prime minister after the 1979 Conservative victory, and Baroness Thatcher relied on him to fill a great number of parliamentary positions. He was an effective chairman of the "star chamber" committee and also sat as leader of the House of Lords following his 1983 peerage.

But four or five full-time positions proved too much and he was forced to retire after a stroke in 1987. Despite ill-health and a private disappointment with the changes in his party, he continued to attend and speak at the House of Lords. Many believed his retirement was the beginning of the end of Baroness Thatcher’s reign

He suffered a further number of small strokes which left him incapacitated. He was nursed by Cecilia, his wife of 56 years, in their home in Cumbria . He died on 31 June, 1999, aged 81 leaving behind Cecilia and their four daughters.

Viscount Whitelaw was a talented, highly respected politician and the best Tory chief whip since the war. In recognition of his unrelenting loyalty, commitment and hard work, he received the first hereditary peerage since the Macmillan years in 1983 and was created Knight of the Thistle in 1990.

Baroness Thatcher once famously declared: "Every prime minister needs a Willie" and it is highly likely that her reign would have ended sooner without his loyalty and advice. As Home Secretary he will be remembered for handling the Brixton and Toxteth riots and increasing the number of prisons and police.

His legacy in Northern Ireland , in particular, was profound. Many have speculated that he was capable of bringing an end to the troubles if Heath had left him at Stormont for long enough.

Baroness Thatcher remembers him as "one of the great figures of our time, representing all that is best in Britain . His decency, integrity and patriotism were of the highest order and for once the word 'indispensable' is not misplaced. He had an extraordinary and intuitive understanding of what people were thinking, faultless judgment, and was always a loyal and unwavering friend."