William Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw
William Stephen Ian Whitelaw, 1st Viscount Whitelaw (June 28, 1918 - July 1, 1999) was a British Conservative politician.He was the first British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland after the imposition of direct rule in March 1972 and he served in that capacity until November 1973. During his time in Northern Ireland he introduced 'special category' status for paramilitary prisoners.
In the later Thatcher government he was Deputy Prime Minister and Home Secretary from 1979 to 1983, and Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the House of Lords from 1983 to 1988.
He was a Conservative MP from 1955 until he went to the House of Lords in 1983. He was returned as MP for Penrith and the Border in the 1983 general election but was elevated to the peerage just two days later, on June 11, 1983, sparking an immediate by-election.
| Preceded by: Fred Peart | Lord President of the Council 1970-1972 | Followed by: Leonard Robert Carr |
| Preceded by: --- | Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 1972-1973 | Followed by: Francis Pym |
| Preceded by: Maurice Macmillan | Secretary of State for Employment 1973-1974 | Followed by: Michael Foot |
| Preceded by: Merlyn Rees | Home Secretary 1979-1983 | Followed by: Leon Brittan |
| Preceded by: John Biffen | Lord President of the Council 1983-1988 | Followed by: John Wakeham |
| Preceded by: New Creation | Viscount Whitelaw | Followed by: Extinct |