Tony Blair

The Right Honourable Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953 in Edinburgh, Scotland) is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service. He has led the Labour Party since July 1994, (following the death of John Smith in May of that year) and brought Labour into power with a landslide victory in the 1997 general election, replacing John Major as Prime Minister and ending 18 years of Conservative government. He is now the Labour Party's longest-serving Prime Minister, and the only person to have led the party to three consecutive general election victories, just as Margaret Thatcher was the only Conservative Prime Minister to win three consecutive general elections.

Related Topics:
The Right Honourable - 6 May - 1953 - Edinburgh - Scotland - Prime Minister of the United Kingdom - Labour Party - John Smith - Landslide victory - 1997 general election - John Major - Conservative - Prime Minister - Margaret Thatcher - Conservative

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Blair moved the Labour Party towards the centre of British politics, using the term "New Labour" to distinguish what he identifies as "modern social democracy" and his party's refusal to reverse privatisation and support for a market economy from its past belief in nationalisation and Fabian socialism. However, critics on the left feel that he has compromised the principles of the founders of the Labour party, and that the Blair government has moved too far to the right, placing insufficient emphasis on traditional Labour priorities such as the redistribution of wealth.

Related Topics:
New Labour - Social democracy - Privatisation - Market economy - Nationalisation - Fabian - Socialism - Left - Right - Redistribution of wealth

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Since the advent of the War on Terror, much of the Prime Minister's political agenda has been dominated by foreign affairs, particularly those concerning Iraq, and he has supported many aspects of the foreign policy of United States president George W. Bush, sending British forces to participate in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the subsequent occupation and conflict. Blair's Labour party still managed to win an unprecedented third term in the 2005 general election (unprecedented for the Labour Party; the Conservatives having won three consecutive terms twice since the Second World War). Although Labour's majority in the House of Commons was reduced considerably to 67 MPs, this remains a substantial working majority and a measure of the relative political weakness and poor credibility of the main opposition party, the Conservatives. Some journalists immediately noticed that New Labour no longer has a majority independently of Old Labour, although this may discourage some MPs from mounting damaging rebellions against the leadership.

Related Topics:
War on Terror - Iraq - United States - George W. Bush - 2003 invasion of Iraq - 2005 general election - The Second World War - House of Commons

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While Blair is in no danger of losing a potential vote of no confidence, the fall in the Labour vote (from 41% to 35%) has renewed speculation amongst commentators as to how long his leadership can continue. It is widely predicted that he will be succeeded by his ambitious Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown before the next General Election (which will occur at the latest in 2010).

Related Topics:
No confidence - Chancellor of the Exchequer - Gordon Brown

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