Bill Deedes - Journalism and Later Life

Journalism and Later Life

He was Editor of The Daily Telegraph from 1974 to 1986, and after he was replaced by Max Hastings, continued his career as a journalist. His tenure was noted for battles with the print unions.

Deedes was made a life peer in 1986, becoming Baron Deedes, of Aldington in the County of Kent, though he always preferred to be addressed as "Bill" rather than "Lord Deedes".

Bill Deedes continued to comment on social and political issues through his newspaper columns up to his death. In his later years, he gained a cult fanbase after two memorable appearances on Have I Got News For You becoming, at the age of 88, the oldest guest ever to have appeared on the programme. He was also a stalwart member of the Carlton Club and was appointed as an ambassador for UNICEF in 1998, running high-profile campaigns against landmines. In 2006, he wrote an opinion piece for the Daily Telegraph, saying that Islam "is the only faith on Earth that persuades its followers to seek political power and impose a law — sharia — which shapes everyone's style of life" adding that Islam "forbids" Muslims from conforming with British society. He continued to write into his 94th year, with his final article, published on 3 August 2007, concerning Darfur.

He died on 17 August 2007 at his home in Kent, aged 94, after a short illness.