The Right Honourable William Francis Deedes, Baron Deedes, KBE, MC, DL, PC (born 1 June 1913) is a veteran British journalist and a former politician. He is the only man to have been both a member of the British cabinet and the editor of a major daily newspaper. The Right Honourable (abbreviated The Rt. ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these... Military Cross The Military Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army, and formerly also to officers of the armies of other Commonwealth countries, for distinguished and meritorious services in battle. ... The Deputy Lieutenant is the deputy to the Lord Lieutenant of a county. ... Her Majestys Most Honourable Privy Council is a body of advisors to the British Sovereign. ... June 1 is the 152nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (153rd in leap years), with 213 days remaining. ... 1913 (MCMXIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A politician is an individual involved in politics to the extent of holding or running for public office. ...

Brought up in a castle and educated at Harrow, he fought in the Second World War and was elected Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Ashford in 1950 and served as a junior minister under Churchill for three years. He entered Harold Macmillan's Cabinet in 1962 as Minister without Portfolio. He left the Cabinet in 1964, as Minister of Information, and stood down as an MP 10 years later. Harrow School Crest Harrow School is a British public school, located in Harrow on the Hill in North West London. ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km into the air. ... The Conservative Party is the second-largest political party in the United Kingdom and the most successful party in political history based on election victories. ... A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters of an electoral district to a parliament; in the Westminster system, specifically to the lower house. ... Ashford is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Churchill redirects here. ... The Right Honourable Maurice Harold Macmillan, 1st Earl of Stockton, OM, PC (10 February 1894–29 December 1986), nicknamed Supermac and Mac the Knife, was a British Conservative politician and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1957 to 1963. ... 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). ... A Minister without Portfolio is a government minister with no specific responsibilities. ... For the Nintendo 64 emulator, see 1964 (Emulator). ... The Minister of Information is a British government position that was created briefly during the First World War and again during the Second World War. ...

He served as editor of the Daily Telegraph from 1974 to 1986 and after he was replaced by Max Hastings he continued as a journalist. His tenure was noted for battles with the print unions. This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (the link is to a full 1974 calendar). ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Sir Max Hastings is a British journalist, editor, historian and author. ...

Deedes was close to Margaret Thatcher and Denis Thatcher. The spoof letters "from" Mr. Thatcher which appeared in satirical magazine Private Eye throughout the Thatcher years in Downing Street were always addressed to Dear Bill - the "Bill" in question being Deedes. The two men regularly played golf together, with Deedes claiming it was a public service to take the Prime Ministerial consort away from the stress of being married to the country's governmental head. Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990. ... Margaret and Denis Thatcher Arms of Sir Denis Thatcher Major Sir Denis Thatcher, 1st Baronet, MBE (May 10, 1915 – June 26, 2003) was a businessman, and the husband of the former British Prime Minister, Baroness Thatcher. ... Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which exposes the follies of its subject (for example, individuals, organizations, or states) to ridicule, often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ... Private eye may mean: Look up Private eye on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Private Eye a fortnightly British satirical magazine-newspaper, edited by Ian Hislop (as of 2005) A private investigator, a private detective for hire (see also crime fiction and detective fiction) Private Eye, a song by Alkaline Trio... Downing Street For a wider coverage of London, visit the London Portal. ... Golf (gowf in Scots) is a game where individual players or teams hit a ball into a hole using various clubs, and is one of the few ball games that does not use a fixed standard playing area. ... Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. ... A consort is somebodys spouse, usually a royalty. ...

According to many sources, Deedes was also the journalist used by Evelyn Waugh as the model and inspiration for the war hack Boot in the novel Scoop. Waugh and Deedes had reported together from Abyssinia in 1936. Evelyn Waugh, as photographed in 1940 by Carl Van Vechten Arthur Evelyn St. ... Scoop is a 1938 novel by English writer Evelyn Waugh about the rush of war reporters to a thinly disguised Abyssinia (now Ethiopia). ... This article needs cleanup. ...

Deedes was made a life peer in 1986, becoming Baron Deedes, of Aldington in the County of Kent, though has always been more keen being addressed by all as "Bill" rather than "Lord Deedes". In the United Kingdom, Life Peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles may not be inherited (those whose titles are inheritable are known as hereditary peers). ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Married to Evelyn Branfort (d. May 2004), by whom he had two sons (one who died young) and three daughters; Deedes' son, Jeremy Deedes, is a director of the Telegraph Group of companies. His daughter, Lucy Whaley, is a master of foxhounds and was the first wife of the 9th Baron Latymer. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article concerns the British newspaper. ...

Lord Deedes continues to comment on social and political issues through his newspaper columns. He has recently gained a new, cult fanbase after two memorable appearances on Have I Got News For You and is the oldest guest ever to appear on the programme. He is also a stalwart member of the Carlton Club and has been an ambassador for UNICEF since 1998, running high-profile campaigns against landmines. Have I Got News for You (sometimes abbreviated to HIGNFY) is a long-running UK television topical panel game. ... The Carlton Club is a gentlemens club in London. ... An ambassador, rarely embassador, is a diplomatic official accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization, to serve as the official representative of his or her own country. ... UNICEF logo The United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund (UNICEF) was established by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... An advertising campaign is a series of advertisement messages that share a single idea and theme which make up an integrated marketing communication (IMC). ... Various anti-tank and anti-personnel land mines A landmine is a type of self-contained explosive device which is placed onto or into the ground, exploding when triggered by a vehicle or person. ...

Publications

• Deedes, WF, Dear Bill: A Memoir, Macmillan, 2005 ISBN 140505266X