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'''Tony Blair''', (born Anthony Charles Lynton Blair, 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, succeeding the Conservative Party's [[John Major]] and preceding [[Gordon Brown]]. 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.  Over the protest of the Old Left he abandoned most of the leftover leftist ideas in the Labour Party, endorsed the market solutions promulgated by [[Conservative Party]] Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] in the 1980s, and, as a close ally of the United States under [[Bill Clinton]] and [[George W. Bush]], he strongly endorsed the invasion of Iraq in 2003.  

'''Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" 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, succeeding the Conservative Party's [[John Major]] and preceding [[Gordon Brown]]. 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.  Over the protest of the Old Left he abandoned most of the leftover leftist ideas in the Labour Party, endorsed the market solutions promulgated by [[Conservative Party]] Prime Minister [[Margaret Thatcher]] in the 1980s, and, as a close ally of the United States under [[Bill Clinton]] and [[George W. Bush]], he strongly endorsed the invasion of Iraq in 2003.  

== Personal ==

== Personal ==

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.<ref name="bbc">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6506365.stm The Tony Blair Story] BBC News 10 May 2007</ref>. 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, [[Liverpool]]-born Cherie Booth QC a barrister and daughter of the actor Tony Booth, in 1980, and they have four children.

The son of barrister and lecturer Leo Blair and his wife Hazel, Tony Blair was born in [[Edinburgh]], but spent most of his childhood in Durham. Blair has an older brother, Sir William, and a younger sister, Sarah. 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.<ref name="bbc">[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/6506365.stm The Tony Blair Story] BBC News 10 May 2007</ref>. 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, [[Liverpool]]-born Cherie Booth QC, a barrister and daughter of the actor Tony Booth, in 1980, and they have four children.

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 (band)|Free]], [[Bruce Springsteen]], [[U2]], [[Coldplay]], [[The Foo Fighters]], and [[Simply Red]].<ref name="bbc" />

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.<ref name="bbc" />

While Blair rarely discusses his religious faith in public - and had been advised by his spokesman Alistair Campbell that "<i>We don't do God, Mate</i>" <ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2003/05/05/dl0501.xml A Question of Faith] Daily Telegraph 5 May 2003</ref> - he is a convinced Christian<!--This needs to be examined: I think that he was criticized more because he often acted hypocritically, choosing to portray himself as a religious man only when it suited his political diary, a fact for which he is often criticised or mocked by British commentators-->. His wife Cherie is a Catholic and Blair converted to Catholicism in 2007.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7157409.stm Tony Blair joins Catholic Church] BBC News 22 December 2007</ref>

While Blair rarely discusses his religious faith in public - and had been advised by his spokesman Alistair Campbell that "<i>We don't do God, Mate</i>" <ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2003/05/05/dl0501.xml A Question of Faith] Daily Telegraph 5 May 2003</ref> - he is a convinced Christian<!--This needs to be examined: I think that he was criticized more because he often acted hypocritically, choosing to portray himself as a religious man only when it suited his political diary, a fact for which he is often criticised or mocked by British commentators-->. His wife Cherie is a Catholic and Blair converted to Catholicism in 2007.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7157409.stm Tony Blair joins Catholic Church] BBC News 22 December 2007</ref>

==Career==

==Career==

He was elected to the Labour Party leadership in 1994 following the unexpected death of his predecessor, John Smith. As well as being leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister, Blair also served as the [[Member of Parliament|MP]] for Sedgefield, a constituency in [[County Durham]] in north-east England.

He was elected to the Labour Party leadership in 1994 following the unexpected death of his predecessor, John Smith. As well as being leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister, Blair also served as the [[Member of Parliament|MP]] for Sedgefield, a constituency in [[County Durham]] in northeast England.

==Blair's political career==

==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. Blair led Labour to easy triumphs in the 2001 and 2005 elections.  

A combination of the Labour Party's newfound 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. Blair led Labour to easy triumphs in the 2001 and 2005 elections.  

While the Labour Party still carries the old tag of a "socialist party", Blair eradicated most elements of socialism and committed his government to capitalism and private ownership. Blair coined the phrases "[[New Labour]]" and "[[The Third Way]]" to distinguish his own pro-business policies from the more collectivist platform of his leftist predecessors. He was often attacked by left-wing members of the Labour Party for "selling out" to conservative thinking, particularly in his support for privitisation and cooperating closely in the foreign policy of the United States in the [[Iraq War]]. On the other hand, some of Blair's policies were liberal by American standards: they have included increases in taxation, increases in government spending (particularly on public schools and Britain's [[National Health Service|public healthcare system]]), the introduction and subsequent increases of a minimum wage, and support for equal rights for gay people.

While the Labour Party still carries the old tag of a "socialist party", Blair eradicated most elements of socialism and committed his government to capitalism and private ownership. Blair coined the phrases "[[New Labour]]" and "[[The Third Way]]" to distinguish his own pro-business policies from the more collectivist platform of his leftist predecessors. He was often attacked by left-wing members of the Labour Party for "selling out" to conservative thinking, particularly in his support for privitisation and cooperating closely in the foreign policy of the United States in the [[Iraq War]]. On the other hand, some of Blair's policies were liberal by American standards: they have included increases in taxation, increases in government spending (particularly on public schools and Britain's [[National Health Service|public healthcare system]]), the introduction and subsequent increases of a minimum wage, and support for equal rights for gay people.

==Blair's policies==

==Blair's policies==

During Blair's tenure as Prime Minister, the [[Labour party|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 outside of [[London]] these have not been successful). Blair's government has also banned fox-hunting, cigarette smoking in public places and public demonstrations within 1 kilometre of Parliament, as well as preparing the way for a national identity card and increasing the time that suspects can be held in police custody without charge to 28 days. His government was also notable for legislating an equal age of consent for homosexuals, civil partnership laws, and the abolition of Clause 28 (a measure introduced by the previous Conservative administration which prohibited the promotion of homosexuality in schools).

During Blair's tenure as Prime Minister, the [[Labour party|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 introduced a national [[minimum wage]] in 1998, which has gradually been increased over time. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland gained their own legislatures, and limited attempts were been made to devolve power to the regions of England (although outside of [[London]] these were not successful). Blair's government also banned fox-hunting, cigarette smoking in public places and public demonstrations within 1 kilometre of Parliament, as well as prepared the way for a national identity card and increased the time suspects can be held in police custody without charge to 28 days. His government was also notable for legislating an equal age of consent for homosexuals, civil partnership laws, and the abolition of Clause 28 (a measure introduced by the previous Conservative administration which prohibited the promotion of homosexuality in schools).

The most controversial aspects of Blair's premiership was been his unstinting support for the Iraq war, despite strong opposition from the far left. He won the endorsement of majorities of both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party MP's for his policies in Iraq.

The most controversial aspects of Blair's premiership was his unstinting support for the Iraq war, despite strong opposition from the far left. He won the endorsement of majorities of both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party MP's for his policies in Iraq.

==Blair and the media==

==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 "<i>the People's Princess</i>" and "<i>the Queen of Hearts</i>". Blair has, however, acquired a reputation for excessive news management, and even for dishonesty, particularly after the Iraq War.

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 "<i>the People's Princess</i>" and "<i>the Queen of Hearts</i>". Blair acquired a reputation for excessive news management, and even for dishonesty, particularly after the Iraq War.

Blair was criticized by more liberal opponents for his close association with conservative News Corp. owner [[Rupert Murdoch]], and the positive press they believed he received in return.

Blair was criticized by more liberal opponents for his close association with conservative News Corp. owner [[Rupert Murdoch]], and the positive press they believed he received in return.