| Collection | Bernard Weatherill Papers |
| Description | Weatherill joined the Conservative Whips Office early in his parliamentary career, in January 1967, having come to the attention of Willie Whitelaw when leading a group of back benchers to vote with the Opposition on sanctions in Rhodesia. During his years in the Whips Office the Conservative Party was in Government only from June 1970 to February 1974 and so most of his experience was in Opposition. He had special responsibility for trade, power and labour affairs and held various appointments in the Royal Household - Commissioner of HM Treasury, 1970-1971; Vice-Chamberlain of HM Household, 1971-1972; Comptroller of HM Household, 1972-1973; Treasurer of HM Household, 1973-1974. From 1970-1979 he was a member of the Services (House of Commons) Committee and in 1974 became Deputy Chief Whip and so was in a prominent position at the time of the leadership election in 1975, when Margaret Thatcher replaced Edward Heath as leader of the Conservative Party. |
| Related Person | Whitelaw, William Stephen Ian (1918-1999) Viscount Whitelaw of Penrith, Conservative politician |
| Thatcher, Margaret Hilda (1925-2013) Baroness Thatcher of Kesteven, Prime Minister |
| Related Organisation | Conservative Party Whips Office |