The former Conservative cabinet minister, Lord Whitelaw (81), died on Wednesday night, his family announced yesterday.
It was once said of him that he "literally sweated goodwill" and during a political career which spanned over 30 years on the British government and opposition benches, and later in the House of Lords, his immense political ability and loyalty toward the former prime minister, Baroness Thatcher, helped to hold the party together.
Lord Whitelaw died in his sleep at home in Penrith, Cumbria, after a long illness. He is survived by his wife, Cecilia, and their four daughters.
The British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, speaking ahead of the resumption of talks at Stormont, led the tributes. He said: "I would like to express my deep regret over the death of Willie Whitelaw. He was a politician who commanded enormous respect from friend and foe alike. He made a huge contribution to British public life and he will be sorely missed."
Baroness Thatcher, who appointed him as deputy party leader and later home secretary after he unsuccessfully challenged her for the Tory leadership in 1975, described him as "one of the greatest figures of our time [who] represented 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.
"As deputy prime minister he was a pillar of strength and he deserved much of the credit for our success in the 1980s. He had an extraordinary and intuitive understanding of what people were thinking, faultless judgment, and to me he was always a loyal and unwavering friend."
The two remained firm friends throughout his political career, Baroness Thatcher once famously saying that every prime minister "needed a Willie". Their friendship was undimmed despite differences on economic policy and the leadership challenge, a race which he only joined on the second ballot when her lead was unassailable.
Baroness Thatcher later appointed him, as Viscount Penrith, leader of the House of Lords, where he earned a private rebuke from his party leader when he warned the government it could be defeated in the Lords on contentious areas of education reform. He resigned from the Lords in January 1988, after a stroke a month earlier.
Another former Tory prime minister, Sir Edward Heath, who gave Lord Whitelaw his first cabinet post in 1970 when he appointed him lord president of the council and leader of the House of Commons, recalled a man who "calmly battled" with the problems of Northern Ireland, including internment, when he became Northern Secretary in 1972. "It was Willie Whitelaw's tireless efforts that led directly to the Sunningdale Agreement under which was created the first and, so far, only cross-community government for the area, which took office on January 1st, 1974.
"He went on to play a major part in the general election campaign of February 1974, when the Conservatives were so narrowly defeated. He then did excellent work as party chairman from 1974 to 1975. Willie's disarming charm always made him a popular figure to friend and foe alike. But he was also a shrewd and determined colleague and, for decades, one of the most skilful and dependable men in politics. His influence throughout his long career was immense."
The former Tory prime minister, Mr John Major, described Lord Whitelaw as "one of the great Conservative figures of the last 50 years who made a massive contribution to our public life. He personified decency, compassion and tolerance."
It was his time in Northern Ireland, during which "political" status was conferred on some paramilitary prisoners, which caused discomfort for the Conservatives. Baroness Thatcher regarded the decision as loathsome, and Lord Whitelaw later came to believe that it was his greatest political error.
Within months of taking up his post in the North, there were more difficulties to face, but he did so with typical calmness and diplomacy. The Provisional IRA revealed that he had secretly met some of its leaders in London and he was called to Westminster to explain his actions. One commentator wrote of the "ordeal" before MPs: "The morning before he faced parliament, Mr Whitelaw talked privately of resigning. When he got through the ordeal unscathed he was bouncing with enthusiasm again."
When he left the North a year later in 1973, a colleague was reported to have said: "He is the only English politician since the Earl of Essex to be thrown into the Irish bog and to emerge from it not only with credit but a shining reputation."
Lord Whitelaw was MP for Penrith from 1955 to 1983. He was a golfing blue at Cambridge and was once captain of the Royal and Ancient at St Andrews. He was an officer in the Scots Guards during the second World War.
The Conservative leader, Mr William Hague, said his death had deprived British politics of "a towering figure". The Liberal Democrats leader, Mr Paddy Ashdown, said: "He played a crucial role as the sheet anchor of the government during the Thatcher years, giving invaluable service both to the nation and to his party. He belonged to a generation of politicians whose views were formed by their experiences in the second World War. His passing marks the end of an era. He will be much missed."