Tony Blair
Tony Blair, full name Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born May 6, 1953) is a former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. The Labour Party's longest-serving Prime Minister, he served from May 2, 1997 to June 27, 2007. Blair is also the only person to have led the Labour Party to three consecutive general election victories, and the only Labour Prime Minister to serve more than one full consecutive term.
He was elected to the Labour Party leadership in 1994 following the death of his predecessor, John Smith. As well as being leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister, Blair also served as the MP for Sedgefield, a constituency in County Durham in North East England.
While the Labour Party is a self-described "democratic socialist party"[1], Blair coined the phrase "New Labour" to distinguish his own pro-business policies from the more collectivist platform of his predecessors. He also used the phrase "The Third Way". He was criticized by some more left-wing members of the Labour Party for "selling out" to conservative thinking, particularly in his support for the United States in the Iraq War. On the other hand, Blair's policies were decidedly liberal by American standards: they have included increases in taxation, increases in government spending (particularly on public schools and Britain's socialized healthcare system), the introduction of an increased minimum wage, and support for the homosexual agenda.
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Personal
[2] The son of a barrister and lecturer Leo Blair, Tony Blair was born in Edinburgh, but spent most of his childhood in Durham. At the age of 14 he returned to Edinburgh to finish his education at Fettes College. Blair was known as a cheeky, rebellious, and argumentative schoolboy, and at 17 he was threatened with expulsion for persistently breaking school rules.[2]. After leaving Fettes with three A levels he studied law at Oxford University, and went on to become a barrister (Lincoln's Inn) himself, before entering politics. Blair married his wife, Cherie Booth QC a barrister and daughter of the actor Tony Booth, in 1980, and they have four children. Cherie hails from Liverpool.
Blair is a competent guitar player and at university was a member of a rock band called Ugly Rumours. His favourite music includes The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Free, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Coldplay, The Foo Fighters, and Simply Red.[2]
While Blair rarely discusses his religious faith in public, he is a convinced Christian, a fact for which he is often criticised or mocked by British commentators. His wife, Cherie, is a Catholic; he has attended Catholic Masses, and it is thought that he may himself be sympathetic to Catholicism, though he is a member of the Church of England.
Blair's political career
A combination of the Labour Party's new-found moderation, Blair's personal popularity and the deep unpopularity of the Conservatives under John Major resulted in a landslide victory for Blair and his party in the 1997 general election, ending 18 years of Conservative government. Labour easily won re-election in 2001 and in 2005, although with losses.
Blair became the first active prime minister to be interviewed in a police investigation, in December 2006[3] and again in January 2007[4], over allegations he had illegally nominated donors to the Labour Party for peerages - the so called "Cash for Honours" scandal. The government stressed that he was being interviewed only as a witness however, and the nominations of the money lenders were rejected by the independent appointments' commission.[2] However the allegations were a popular story in the media, and dogged his final months in office. Tony Blair was superseded by Gordon Brown as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in June 2007.
Blair's policies
During Blair's tenure as Prime Minister, the Labour government made the Bank of England independent, allowing them to set the nation's interest rates (which had previously been set by the Chancellor of the Exchequer), and has introduced a national minimum wage, in 1998, which has gradually been increased over time. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have gained their own legislatures, and limited attempts have been made to devolve power to the regions of England (although these have not been successful). Blair's government has also banned fox-hunting and cigarette smoking in public places.
One of the most controversial aspects of Blair's premiership was been his commitment to and support of the Iraq war, which strongly divided opinion, both in the House and among the British people. His strong support of America and President George W. Bush in particular have set him apart from most European leaders, especially with the parties of the left (including his own Labour Party). This came at considerable political cost with his own popularity suffering greatly, and the Government may have lost considerable support in the 2005 general election as a result.
Blair and the media
In the 1990s in particular, Blair was seen as a charismatic leader, with formidable media performing skills. His most famous television appearance was his tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales on the morning after her death in August 1997, in which he described her as "the People's Princess" and "the Queen of Hearts". Blair has, however, acquired a reputation for excessive news management, and even for dishonesty, particularly after the Iraq War. Blair's government has also banned fox-hunting and cigarette smoking in public places.
