William Waldorf Astor, 4th Viscount Astor (born 27 December 1951) is a British businessman and politician who sits as an elected hereditary peer in the House of Lords.

Astor was educated at Eton College, and in 1976 married Annabel, Lady Sheffield, with whom he has two sons and a daughter. Annabel is the stepdaughter of Astor's uncle Michael Astor. Lord Astor's own stepdaughter, Samantha Cameron, is a company director and is married to the Leader of the Opposition, David Cameron.

He was a Lord-in-Waiting (a House of Lords whip) from 1990 to 1993. He was then made a Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Social Security until 1994 when he moved to the Department of National Heritage where he served until leaving the government in 1995.

Lord Astor is presently Deputy Chairman of Chorion Plc (since 1996) and director of Networkers Plc (since 2007).

Sources

• http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/people/mr-william-astor

• http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/64988

• http://biographies.parliament.uk/engine.asp?lev1=4&lev2=38&menu=70&biog=y&id=26719&group=5&Page=Viscount%20Astor%20:%20Political%20Biography

Category:1951 birthsCategory:Living peopleCategory:British people of German descentCategory:Astor familyCategory:Conservative Baronesses and Lords-in-WaitingCategory:Hereditary Peers elected under the House of Lords ActCategory:Old EtoniansCategory:Viscounts in the Peerage of the United Kingdom

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