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| Tributes paid to reporter Deedes | |
| (1 day later) | |
| Voices from the worlds of politics and journalism have paid tribute to "gentleman journalist" Lord Deedes, who has died aged 94. | Voices from the worlds of politics and journalism have paid tribute to "gentleman journalist" Lord Deedes, who has died aged 94. |
| "Bill" Deedes was the only man to have edited a national newspaper - the Telegraph - and been in the Cabinet. | |
| Gordon Brown said Britain owed a "huge debt of gratitude" for Lord Deedes' public service, including as a Tory MP. | Gordon Brown said Britain owed a "huge debt of gratitude" for Lord Deedes' public service, including as a Tory MP. |
| His successor at the Telegraph, Sir Max Hastings, said he was a reporter of "utmost integrity and enormous skill". | His successor at the Telegraph, Sir Max Hastings, said he was a reporter of "utmost integrity and enormous skill". |
| Lord Deedes spent most of his life writing for national newspapers and became known as the "Grand Old Man of Fleet Street", completing his final column on 3 August this year. | Lord Deedes spent most of his life writing for national newspapers and became known as the "Grand Old Man of Fleet Street", completing his final column on 3 August this year. |
| He was also Conservative MP for Ashford in Kent and served as minister without portfolio from 1962 to 1964. | He was also Conservative MP for Ashford in Kent and served as minister without portfolio from 1962 to 1964. |
| The prime minister said: "He started writing as a professional journalist more than 76 years ago and few have served journalism and the British people for so long at such a high level of distinction and with such a popular following." | The prime minister said: "He started writing as a professional journalist more than 76 years ago and few have served journalism and the British people for so long at such a high level of distinction and with such a popular following." |
| Tory leader David Cameron said Lord Deedes had done "enough in his time to fill at least three lifetimes". | Tory leader David Cameron said Lord Deedes had done "enough in his time to fill at least three lifetimes". |
| 'Dear Bill' | 'Dear Bill' |
| The young Bill Deedes was the inspiration for Evelyn Waugh's infamous war reporter William Boot in the novel Scoop. | The young Bill Deedes was the inspiration for Evelyn Waugh's infamous war reporter William Boot in the novel Scoop. |
| He lacked the vanity and egotism that too many of us have and therefore he was a superb medium for news because he didn't want to get in the way of it Charles MooreFormer Telegraph editor A 'gentleman' remembered Obituary: Lord Deedes | He lacked the vanity and egotism that too many of us have and therefore he was a superb medium for news because he didn't want to get in the way of it Charles MooreFormer Telegraph editor A 'gentleman' remembered Obituary: Lord Deedes |
| One of his successors as editor of the Telegraph, Charles Moore, said he had set the highest standards in his work. | One of his successors as editor of the Telegraph, Charles Moore, said he had set the highest standards in his work. |
| "The reason why he was such a great journalist was that he remained absolutely on top of what was happening and he lacked the vanity and egotism that too many of us have. | "The reason why he was such a great journalist was that he remained absolutely on top of what was happening and he lacked the vanity and egotism that too many of us have. |
| "And therefore he was a superb medium for news because he didn't want to get in the way of it. | "And therefore he was a superb medium for news because he didn't want to get in the way of it. |
| "He understood the job of the reporter was to get the story and to tell it in a clear, crisp way." | "He understood the job of the reporter was to get the story and to tell it in a clear, crisp way." |
| Lord Deedes also achieved fame outside Fleet Street as "Dear Bill", addressee of the "Denis Thatcher" fortnightly letter in Private Eye. | Lord Deedes also achieved fame outside Fleet Street as "Dear Bill", addressee of the "Denis Thatcher" fortnightly letter in Private Eye. |
| He was made a life peer in 1986, the same year he handed the editorship of the Daily Telegraph to Max Hastings after 12 years at the helm. | He was made a life peer in 1986, the same year he handed the editorship of the Daily Telegraph to Max Hastings after 12 years at the helm. |
| He was still an active journalist in his 90s, making visits to war-torn places like Ethiopia and Sudan. | He was still an active journalist in his 90s, making visits to war-torn places like Ethiopia and Sudan. |
| 'Internet embraced' | 'Internet embraced' |
| Former editorial director of the Daily Telegraph, Kim Fletcher, said Lord Deedes had seen huge changes in the world of journalism. | Former editorial director of the Daily Telegraph, Kim Fletcher, said Lord Deedes had seen huge changes in the world of journalism. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY Bill Deedes was a voice of reason and sanity. His passing leaves us all the poorer Latimer Alder, Weybridge Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAY Bill Deedes was a voice of reason and sanity. His passing leaves us all the poorer Latimer Alder, Weybridge Send us your comments |
| "This was a man who went out in the 1930s to Abyssinia," he said. | "This was a man who went out in the 1930s to Abyssinia," he said. |
| During that time, ways of filing stories included by telex, he added. | During that time, ways of filing stories included by telex, he added. |
| "And yet at the end of his career he was happily embracing the internet, he was filing all the ways that you can file these days - a completely different life." | "And yet at the end of his career he was happily embracing the internet, he was filing all the ways that you can file these days - a completely different life." |
| Baroness Thatcher knew Lord Deedes for more than 50 years and told the Telegraph he was a "dear friend" who would be greatly missed. | Baroness Thatcher knew Lord Deedes for more than 50 years and told the Telegraph he was a "dear friend" who would be greatly missed. |
| "He managed to appeal to new generations just as effectively as he did to earlier ones," she said. | "He managed to appeal to new generations just as effectively as he did to earlier ones," she said. |
| Lord Deedes died at his home in Kent after a short illness. | Lord Deedes died at his home in Kent after a short illness. |
| His wife, Hilary Branfoot, who he married in 1942, died in 2004. They had two sons, one of whom died young, and three daughters. | His wife, Hilary Branfoot, who he married in 1942, died in 2004. They had two sons, one of whom died young, and three daughters. |