William Astor
William Waldorf Astor III, 4th Viscount Astor (born 27th December 1951) is an English businessman and politician. He joined the House of Lords in 1973.
Political Career[edit]
William Astor first entered in the House of Lords in 1973. He was a Lord in Waiting (a House of Lords Whip) from 1990 to 1993. Meanwhile he was elected Government Spokesperson for the Department of Environment, then Home Office and finally for the Department of National Heritage. He has been also member of the Library and Computers Subcommittee. In 1993 he was appointed Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Social Security. One year later, he moved to the Department of National Heritage where he served until leaving the government in 1995. From 1999 he was Opposition Spokesperson for Education and Employment, then for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. From 2005 to 2006 he was Opposition Spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport. He was a member of the Founding Council of the Rothermere American Institute at the University of Oxford. Viscount Astor is currently Deputy Chairman of Silvergate Media Ltd, Director of Networkers Plc, Ancroft Tractor Ltd and Trustee of Stanley Spencer Gallery in Cookham.
