Rt. Hon. Tony Blair

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Chancellor of {{{country-de}}}
Periods in Office:	2 May, 1997 – present
Predecessor(s):	John Major
Successor(s):	Incumbent
Date of Birth:	6 May 1953
Date of Death:
Place of Birth:	Edinburgh, Scotland
Place of Death:
Political Party:	Labour

The Right Honourable Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is the 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. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2337x2931, 1001 KB)Official G8 Photo. ... May 2 is the 122nd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (123rd in leap years). ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Right Honourable Sir John Major, KG, CH (born 29 March 1943) is a British politician who served in the Cabinets of Margaret Thatcher as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer before succeeding Thatcher as Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister of the United... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Edinburgh (pronounced ), Dùn Èideann () in Scottish Gaelic, is the second-largest city in Scotland and its capital city. ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the UK Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... The Right Honourable (abbreviated The Rt Hon. ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) is a common year starting on Thursday. ... In the United Kingdom, the Prime Minister is the head of government, exercising many of the executive functions nominally vested in the Sovereign, who is head of state. ... The First Lord of the Treasury is the head of the commission exercising the ancient office of Lord High Treasurer in the United Kingdom, usually but not always the Prime Minister. ... The Minister of the Civil Service is the head of the British Civil Service. ... The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... The Right Honourable John Smith QC (September 13, 1938 - May 12, 1994) was a Scottish and British politician who served as leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his unexpected death from a heart attack in May 1994 at the age of 55. ... In politics, a landslide victory (or just a landslide) is the victory of a candidate or political party by an overwhelming majority in an election. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... The Right Honourable Sir John Major, KG, CH (born 29 March 1943) is a British politician who served in the Cabinets of Margaret Thatcher as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer before succeeding Thatcher as Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister of the United... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister A prime minister is a politician who serves as the head of the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. ...

Blair is credited, along with Gordon Brown and Peter Mandelson, with moving the Labour Party towards the centre of British politics, using the term "New Labour" to distinguish his policies of support for the market economy from the party's older policy of nationalisation. He has referred to his policy as "modern social democracy" and "the third way". 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. This article is about the British Chancellor of the Exchequer. ... The Rt Hon. ... The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... A free market is an idealized market, where all economic decisions and actions by individuals regarding transfer of money, goods, and services are voluntary, and are therefore devoid of coercion and theft (some definitions of coercion are inclusive of theft). Colloquially and loosely, a free market economy is an economy... Nationalization is the act of taking assets into state ownership. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... The Third Way is a centrist philosophy of governance that, at least from a traditional social democratic perspective, usually stands for deregulation, decentralisation and lower taxes. ... The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view. ... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply The Right, are terms that refer to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of conservatism, classical liberalism, the religious right, authoritarian nationalism; or often simply the opposite of left-wing politics. ... Income redistribution or redistribution of wealth is a political policy usually promoted by members of the political left, and opposed by members of the political right. ...

Since the advent of the War on Terror, a significant part of Blair's political agenda has been dominated by foreign affairs, particularly those concerning Iraq. Despite public protests, he supported many aspects of United States President George W. Bush's foreign policy, sending British forces to participate in the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the subsequent occupation and is known as one of the strongest foreign allies of the United States. In October 2004 Blair declared his intention to seek a third term but not a fourth. The War on Terrorism or War on Terror (in U.S. foreign policy circles, the global war on terrorism or GWOT ) is a controversial campaign by the United States government and some of its allies with the stated goal of ending worldwide terrorism by stopping terrorist groups and ending state... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... Combatants United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Poland Iraq Commanders Tommy Franks Saddam Hussein Strength 263,000 375,000 Casualties {{{notes}}} The 2003 Invasion of Iraq began on March 20, consisting primarily of United States and United Kingdom forces; 98% of the forces came from these two countries, although numerous other... Belligerent military occupation occurs when one nations military garrisons occupy all or part of the territory of another nation or recognized belligerent during an invasion (during or after a war). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Labour party won a third term in government at the 2005 general election for the first time in its history, although its majority in the House of Commons was reduced to 66. While the government is not in danger of losing a motion of no confidence, the fall in the Labour vote renewed speculation as to how long his leadership will continue. It is widely predicted that he will be succeeded by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown at some point before the next General Election (which will occur at the latest on June 3, 2010). The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 and won by the Labour Party, led by Tony Blair. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and is now the dominant branch of Parliament. ... A motion of no confidence, also called a motion of non confidence, is a parliamentary motion traditionally put before a parliament by the opposition in the hope of defeating or embarrassing a government. ... The Rt. ... This article is about the British Chancellor of the Exchequer. ... June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ... 2010 (MMX) will be a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In December 2005, the Prime Minister was presented with the "Statesman of the Decade" award by the EastWest Institute [1], a Transatlantic think tank that organizes an annual Security Conference in Brussels [2]. 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Family background

Blair was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, the second son of Leo Blair and his wife Hazel (née Corscadden). Leo Blair, the illegitimate son of two English actors, Charles Parsons (known as Jimmy Lynton) and Mary Augusta Ridgway Bridson, was given up for adoption to a Scottish shiprigger, James Blair. Tony Blair's mother's family were Protestants from County Donegal, Ireland. Edinburgh (pronounced ), Dùn Èideann () in Scottish Gaelic, is the second-largest city in Scotland and its capital city. ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the UK Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... Illegitimacy was a term in common usage for the condition of being born of parents who are not validly married to one another; the legal term is bastardy. ... The English are an ethnic group generally associated with England and the English language. ... Adoption is the legal act of permanently placing a child with a parent or parents other than the birth parents. ... Royal motto: Nemo me impune lacessit (English: No one provokes me with impunity) Scotlands location within the UK Languages English, Gaelic, Scots Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow First Minister Jack McConnell Area - Total - % water Ranked 2nd UK 78,782 km² 1. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... County Donegal (Irish: Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county in the northwest of Ireland. ...

His father studied law, becoming a barrister and later a law lecturer who, despite having been a communist in his youth, became active in the Conservative Party. Leo Blair had had ambitions to stand for Parliament in Durham, which were thwarted when he had a stroke when his son was 11, an event which affected Tony Blair deeply. A barrister (advocate in Scotland and the Channel Islands, barrister-at-law in Ireland and elsewhere) is a lawyer found in Common law jurisdictions who principally, but not exclusively, represents litigants as their advocate before the courts of that jurisdiction. ... Communism - Wikipedia /**/ @import /w/skins-1. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... Durham (IPA: locally, in RP) is a small city and main settlement of the City of Durham district of County Durham in North East England. ...

Blair spent the early years of his childhood living in Adelaide, Australia, where his father was a lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of Adelaide.[3] During this time the Blairs lived close to the university in the inner-eastern Adelaide suburb of Dulwich. Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia with a population of almost 1. ... The University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide (or Adelaide University) is located in Adelaide, South Australia. ... Dulwich is a suburb of Adelaide in the City of Burnside. ...

He spent the remainder of his childhood years back in England, in Durham. After attending Durham's Chorister School, Blair was educated at Fettes College in Edinburgh (sometimes called the "Eton of Scotland"), where he met Charlie Falconer, whom he would later appoint as Lord Chancellor. Blair's biographer John Rentoul reported that "All the teachers I spoke to ... said he was a complete pain in the backside, and they were very glad to see the back of him." After Fettes, he read law at St John's College, Oxford. During his college years he also played guitar and sang for a rock band called Ugly Rumours. After graduating from Oxford with a second class degree, Blair enrolled as a pupil barrister and met his future wife, Cherie Booth, at the Chambers of Derry Irvine, who was to be the first Lord Chancellor appointed by Blair. Durham (IPA: locally, in RP) is a small city and main settlement of the City of Durham district of County Durham in North East England. ... The Chorister School is a pre-preparatory and preparatory day and boarding school for ages 4-13 in Durham, England. ... Fettes College Fettes College is a private school located in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... The Kings College of Our Lady of Eton beside Windsor, commonly known as Eton College or just Eton, is a prestigious independent school for boys. ... Charles Leslie Falconer, Baron Falconer of Thoroton, PC (born November 19, 1951), is a British lawyer and Labour Party politician. ... The Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, or Lord Chancellor and in former times Chancellor of England, is one of the most senior and important functionaries in the government of the United Kingdom. ... St Johns College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. ... A guitar is a stringed musical instrument. ... Rock group (or later rock band) is a generic name to describe a group of musicians specializing in a particular form of electronically amplified music. ... Ugly Rumours were a rock band of which current (as of May 5, 2005) UK prime minister Tony Blair was a member (singing and playing guitar) whilst studying law at St Johns College, Oxford during the 1970s. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford, England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... Alexander Andrew Mackay Irvine, Lord Irvine of Lairg, QC, PC (born June 23, 1940), known as Derry Irvine, is a British lawyer and political figure who served as Lord Chancellor under his former pupil Tony Blair. ...

Blair married Cherie Booth, a practising Roman Catholic (and future Queen's Counsel), on March 29, 1980. They have three sons (Euan, Nicky, and Leo) and one daughter (Kathryn). Leo (born 20 May 2000) was the first legitimate child born to a serving Prime Minister in over 150 years, since Francis Russell was born to Lord John Russell on July 11, 1849. Leo was the centre of a debate over the MMR vaccine when Tony Blair, citing his family's right to privacy, refused to say whether or not his son had received the triple MMR vaccine or single inoculations. As is usual in what Roman Catholics would term a 'mixed marriage', the Blair children are being brought up in the Catholic faith. Blair himself has attended Mass with his family every Sunday, and has been seen attending Mass at Westminster Cathedral alone. He once even expressed a desire to take Catholic communion, but was advised by Basil Cardinal Hume that the Eucharist is reserved for baptised Catholics. Blair has the closest ties of a British Prime Minister to the Roman Catholic Church since the Reformation. Cherie Blair in full queens counsel ceremonial garments. ... Queens Counsel (postnominal QC), during the reign of a male Sovereign known as Kings Counsel (KC), are barristers or, in Scotland, advocates appointed by letters patent to be one of Her Majestys Counsel learned in the law. They do not constitute a separate order or degree of... March 29 is the 88th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (89th in Leap years). ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... Euan Blair Euan Blair (born January 19, 1984, London), is the eldest son of British Prime Minister Tony Blair. ... This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... Leo George Blair (born 20 May 2000) is the youngest son of Tony Blair, the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and his wife Cherie Blair. ... Kathryn Hazel Blair (b. ... 20 May is the 140th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (141st in leap years). ... This article is about the year 2000. ... John Russell, 1st Earl Russell (August 18, 1792 - May 28, 1878), known as Lord John Russell before 1861, was a Whig politician who served twice as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in the mid-19th century. ... July 11 is the 192nd day (193rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 173 days remaining. ... 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... The MMR vaccine is a mixture of live vaccines for immunization against measles, mumps and rubella. ... Westminster Cathedral from Victoria Street Westminster Cathedral is the motherchurch of the Roman Catholic faithful of Great Britain located in the City of Westminster in London. ... The Eucharist is the rite that Christians perform in fulfillment of Jesus instruction, recorded in the New Testament, to do in memory of him what he did at his Last Supper. ... Cardinal Basil Hume OSB OM (March 2, 1923 - June 17, 1999) was the Archbishop of Westminster and Primate of the Catholic Church in England and Wales from 1976-1999. ... The Roman Catholic Church, (also known as the Catholic Church), is the ancient Christian Church led by the Bishop of Rome (commonly called the Pope). ...

Euan and Nicky attended the London Oratory School in Fulham where they could be educated in accordance with the Catholic faith of their mother. When this decision was announced, Tony Blair was criticised for rejecting schools in Islington, where he then lived. These schools included a Catholic boys' school. Euan Blair received widespread publicity after police found him "drunk and incapable" in Leicester Square, London, while out celebrating the end of his GCSE exams in July 2000, shortly after his father had proposed on-the-spot fines for drunken and yobbish behaviour. While the Blairs have stated that they wish to shield their children from the media, they have not always been able, or willing, to do so. Blair has twice lodged complaints about press stories concerning his children. However, the fact that the family have occasionally held photo calls together has led some to accuse him of exploitation, and such photographs have been used on Private Eye covers. After leaving the University of Bristol Euan obtained a position as an intern for the House Committee on Rules under David Dreier, a Republican congressman. London Oratory School is a secondary school in London, England. ... Fulham is a district in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham located 3. ... Arms of Islington London Borough Council Islington Town Hall Islington is a borough of London to the north of the City of London, west of Hackney, east of Camden, and south of Haringey. ... Leicester Square (pronounced Lester Square) is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, United Kingdom. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... For other meanings of GCSE, please see GCSE (disambiguation). ... This article is about the year 2000. ... Look up yob in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The University of Bristol is a university in Bristol in the United Kingdom. ... David Dreier David Timothy Dreier (born July 5, 1952), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since January 1981, representing the 26th District of California (map). ... The Republican Party, often called the GOP (for Grand Old Party, although one early citation described it as the Gallant Old Party) [1], is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ...

Early political career

Front of Tony Blair's election address for Sedgefield in the 1983 general election

Shortly after graduation in 1975, Blair joined the Labour Party. During the early 1980s, he was involved in the Labour Party in Hackney South and Shoreditch, where he aligned himself with the "soft left" who appeared to be taking control of the party. However, his attempt to secure selection as a candidate for Hackney Borough Council was unsuccessful. Through his father-in-law he contacted Tom Pendry, a Labour MP, to ask for help in how to start his Parliamentary career; Pendry gave him a tour of the House of Commons and advised him to run for selection in a by-election due to be held in the safe Conservative seat of Beaconsfield,following the death of the sitting MP Ronald Bell in 1982, and where Pendry knew a senior member of the local party. Blair was chosen as the candidate; he won only 10% of the vote and lost his deposit, and the seat was retained comfortably by Tim Smith for the Tories, but he impressed the then Labour Party leader Michael Foot and got his name noticed within the party. At the time Blair was closely associated with the soft left current in the party centred on the Labour Co-ordinating Committee and espoused (for the time) conventional leftist positions. Download high resolution version (640x913, 82 KB)Election address of Tony Blair, 1983 General election This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (640x913, 82 KB)Election address of Tony Blair, 1983 General election This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The Labour Party is the principal centre-left political party in the United Kingdom (see British politics). ... Hackney South and Shoreditch is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Hackney Town Hall was built in the 1930s for the old Metropolitan Borough. ... Thomas Pendry, Baron Pendry, PC, (born 10 June 1934) is a Labour member of the House of Lords. ... A by-election or bye-election is a special election held to fill a political office when the incumbent has died or resigned. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... Beaconsfield is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... The Right Honourable Michael Mackintosh Foot (born 23 July 1913), British politician, was leader of the Labour Party from 1980 to 1983. ... The soft left was the name given to the more moderate left wing forces in the British Labour Party in the 1980s. ... The Labour Co-ordinating Committee (LCC) was a factional body inside the British Labour Party established in 1978 and wound-up in 1995. ...

In 1983, Blair found that the newly created seat of Sedgefield, near where he had grown up in Durham, had no Labour candidate. Several sitting MPs displaced by boundary changes were interested. He found a branch which had not made a nomination and arranged to visit them; coincidentally, the European Cup Winners Cup final involving Aberdeen FC was happening that night and so Blair settled down to watch it with five senior members of the local party before discussing his potential candidacy. With the crucial support of John Burton he won their endorsement; at the last minute he was added to the shortlist and won the selection over displaced sitting MP Les Huckfield. John Burton later became his agent and one of his most trusted and long-standing allies. Sedgefield is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... Durham (IPA: locally, in RP) is a small city and main settlement of the City of Durham district of County Durham in North East England. ... The Cup Winners Cup was a football club competition between the winners of the European domestic league cups. ... Aberdeen Football Club is a football team from Scotland, who compete in the Scottish Premier League. ...

Blair's election literature stressed the Labour Party's policies which included opposition to British membership of the EEC, despite having told the selection conference that he personally favoured continuing membership. He also, more enthusiastically, supported unilateral nuclear disarmament, being a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament at the time. The seat was safely Labour despite the party's collapse in the 1983 UK general election; Blair was helped on the campaign trail by soap actress Pat Phoenix, the girlfriend of his father-in-law Anthony Booth. The European Union or the EU is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 European countries, known as member states. ... Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament logo In British politics, the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has been at the forefront of the peace movement in the United Kingdom and claims to be Europes largest single-issue peace campaign. ... United Kingdom general election, 1983 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The first TIME cover devoted to soap operas: Dated January 12, 1976, Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes of Days of Our Lives are featured with the headline Soap Operas: Sex and suffering in the afternoon. A soap opera is an ongoing, episodic work of fiction, usually broadcast on television... Patricia Phoenix, as Elsie Tanner on Coronation Street, in a still from an episode first aired in the early 1970s. ... Anthony Booth (born October 9, 1931 in Liverpool, better known as Tony Booth) is a British actor, best known for his role in the BBC series Til Death Us Do Part. ...

In opposition

Once elected to Parliament, Blair's ascent was rapid, receiving his first shadow position in 1984 as assistant Treasury spokesman. He demanded an inquiry into the Bank of England's decision to rescue the collapsed Johnson Matthey Bank in October 1985 and embarrassed the government by finding an EEC report critical of British economic policy which had been countersigned by a member of the Conservative government. Blair was firmly aligned with the reforming tendencies in the party, headed by leader Neil Kinnock and was promoted after the 1987 election to the Trade and Industry team as spokesman on the City of London. He laid down a marker for the future by running for the Shadow Cabinet in 1987, obtaining 71 votes. This was considered a good showing for a newcomer. The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom, sometimes known as The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street or The Old Lady. The nearest London Underground station, and thus a busy commuter stop, is Bank station. ... Possible meanings: Energy Efficiency Centre Energy Efficiency in Construction Engineering Education Centre Eurocontrol Experimental Centre European Economic Community, former name of the now-called European Community European Egg Consortium Extended Error Correction, see RAM parity This page concerning a three-letter acronym or abbreviation is a disambiguation page — a navigational... The Right Honourable Neil Gordon Kinnock, Baron Kinnock, PC (born 28 March 1942) is a British politician. ... The UK general election, 1987 was held on June 11, 1987 and was the third victory in a row for Margaret Thatcher and the Conservatives. ...

As Shadow Employment Secretary, Blair announces that the Labour Party no longer supports the 'closed shop' (December 18, 1989)

The stock market crash of October 1987 raised the prominence of Blair who inveighed against the 'morally dubious' City whiz-kids as being incompetent. He signalled his modernising stance by protesting against the third-class service for small investors at the London Stock Exchange. Blair first entered the Shadow Cabinet as Shadow Secretary of State for Energy in 1988, and the next year became Shadow Employment Secretary. In this post he realised that the Labour Party's support for the emerging European 'Social Charter' policies on employment law meant dropping the party's traditional support for closed shop arrangements whereby employers required all their employees to be members of the same trade union. He announced this change in December 1989, outraging the left-wing of the Labour Party but making it more difficult for the Conservatives to attack. Image File history File links This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... Image File history File links This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Source by Greyworld, in the new LSE building Paternoster Square. ... The Shadow Cabinet (also called the Opposition Front Bench) is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster System of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition (or the leader of other smaller opposition parties) form an alternative cabinet to the governments, whose... The Secretary of State for Energy was a UK cabinet position from 1974 to 1992. ... A closed shop is a business or industrial establishment whose employees are required to be union members or to agree to join the union within a specified time after being hired. ...

As a young and telegenic Shadow Cabinet member, Blair was given prominence by the party's Director of Communications Peter Mandelson. However his first major platform speech at the Labour Party conference was a disastrous embarrassment in October 1990 when he spoke too fast and lost his place in his notes. He worked to produce a more moderate and electable party in the run-up to the 1992 general election, in which he had responsibility for developing the minimum wage policy which was expected to be strongly attacked by the Conservatives. During the election campaign Blair had a notable confrontation with the owner of a children's nursery who was adamant that the policy would cost jobs. The Rt Hon. ... The UK general election, 1992 was held on April 9, 1992, and was the fourth victory in a row for the Conservatives. ... The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. ...

When Kinnock resigned after defeat by John Major in the 1992 UK general election, Blair became Shadow Home Secretary under new leader John Smith. Blair defined his policy (in a phrase that had actually been coined by his current Chancellor Gordon Brown) as "Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime". This had been an area in which the Labour Party had been weak and Blair moved to strengthen its image. He accepted that the prison population might have to rise, and bemoaned the loss of a sense of community which he was prepared to blame (at least partly) on '1960s liberalism'. However, Blair spoke in support of equalisation of the age of consent for gay sex and opposed capital punishment. The Right Honourable Sir John Major, KG, CH (born 29 March 1943) is a British politician who served in the Cabinets of Margaret Thatcher as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer before succeeding Thatcher as Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister of the United... The UK general election, 1992 was held on April 9, 1992, and was the fourth victory in a row for the Conservatives. ... Home secretary The shadow home secretary is the MP within the shadow cabinet of the opposition who concerns themselves mainly with issues surrounding the home office and if the opposition is elected then the shadow home secretary then takes the secretariet of the home office job to become the Home... The Right Honourable John Smith QC (September 13, 1938 - May 12, 1994) was a Scottish and British politician who served as leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his unexpected death from a heart attack in May 1994 at the age of 55. ... This article is about the British Chancellor of the Exchequer. ... Get tough on crime (or simply tough on crime) is a slogan often used by supporters of law and order political platforms. ... In criminal law, the age of consent (AOC) is the age at which a person is considered to be capable of legally giving informed consent to sexual acts with another person. ... Sexual behavior is a form of physical intimacy that may be directed to reproduction (one possible goal of sexual intercourse) and/or to the enjoyment of activity involving sexual gratification. ... Capital punishment, also called the death penalty, is the execution of a convicted felon as a punishment for a crime (often called a capital offence or a capital crime). ...

Smith died suddenly in 1994 of a heart attack. Both Blair and Gordon Brown had been considered as possible leadership contenders and had always agreed that they would not fight each other. Brown had previously been thought the most senior and understood this to mean that Blair would give way to him; however, it soon became apparent that Blair now had greater support. A MORI opinion poll published in the Sunday Times on 15 May found that among the general public, Blair had the support of 32%, John Prescott, 19%, Margaret Beckett 14%, Gordon Brown 9%, and Robin Cook 5%. At the Granita restaurant in Islington on 31 May, Brown agreed to give way. There is no conclusive evidence of the terms of any wider "Granita Pact" but supporters of Brown maintain that Blair undertook to resign as Prime Minister after a set period in favour of Brown. The Labour Party Electoral College elected Tony Blair as Party Leader on 21 July 1994. The other candidates were John Prescott and Margaret Beckett. A myocardial infarction occurs when an atherosclerotic plaque slowly builds up in the inner lining of a coronary artery and then suddenly ruptures, totally occluding the artery and preventing blood flow downstream. ... The Sunday Times is the name of several Sunday newspapers. ... May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ... Robin Cook, December 1997 Robert Finlayson Robin Cook (February 28, 1946 – August 6, 2005), was a politician in the British Labour Party. ... Granita was a restaurant in the Islington area of London. ... Islington Town Hall. ... May 31 is the 151st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (152nd in leap years), with 214 days remaining. ... July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... 1994 (MCMXCIV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... John Prescott The Right Honourable John Leslie Prescott (born May 31, 1938) is a British Labour Party politician who is presently Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and First Secretary of State. ... The Right Honourable Margaret Mary Beckett (January 15, 1943 in Ashton-under-Lyne) is a British politician. ...

Leader of the Labour Party

Shortly after his election as Leader, Blair announced at the conclusion of his 1994 conference speech that he intended to propose a new statement of aims and values for the Labour Party to replace the charter originally drawn up in 1918. This involved the complete replacement of Clause IV which had committed the party to 'the common ownership of the means of production' (widely interpreted as wholesale nationalisation). A special conference of the party approved the change in March 1995. 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Clause IV of the Labour Party constitution sets out the objects of the Party, and has been the scene of political fights over its direction. ... Nationalization or Nationalisation is the act of taking assets into state ownership. ...

The cover of Labour's 1997 general election manifesto

While in opposition, Blair also revised party policy in a manner which enhanced the image of Labour as competent and modern. He used the term "New Labour" to distinguish the party under his leadership from what had gone before. Although the transformation aroused much criticism (its alleged superficiality drawing fire both from political opponents and traditionalists within the "rank and file" of his own party), it was nevertheless successful in changing public perception. At the 1996 Labour party conference, Blair stated that his three top priorities on coming to office were "education, education and education". Image File history File links Labour_manifesto_97. ... Image File history File links Labour_manifesto_97. ... (Redirected from 1997 general election) The 1 May 1997 UK general election brought the first change in UK Government for 18 years. ... A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature. ...

Aided by disaffection with the Conservative government (who were dogged by allegations of corruption, and long running divisions over Europe), "New Labour" achieved a landslide victory over John Major in the 1997 UK general election. At age 43, Blair became Britain's youngest prime minister since Lord Liverpool in 1812. The European Union or the EU is an intergovernmental and supranational union of 25 European countries, known as member states. ... The UK general election, 1997 was held on 1 May 1997. ... The Right Honourable Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool, KG, PC (7 June 1770–4 December 1828), known as Lord Hawkesbury from 1796 to 1808, was a British statesman who served Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1812 to 1827. ... 1812 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...

First term 1997 to 2001

Blair embraces like-minded U.S. President Bill Clinton, a fellow leader of the "Third Way" in politics.

Blair embraces like-minded U.S. President Bill Clinton, a fellow leader of the Third Way in politics. ... Blair embraces like-minded U.S. President Bill Clinton, a fellow leader of the Third Way in politics. ... The President of the United States of America (unofficially abbreviated POTUS) is the head of state of the United States and the chief executive of the federal government. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... The Third Way is a centrist philosophy of governance that, at least from a traditional social democratic perspective, usually stands for deregulation, decentralisation and lower taxes. ...

Establishment of the Third Way

Immediately after taking office, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown gave the Bank of England the power to set the base rate of interest autonomously. The traditional tendency of governments to manipulate interest rates around the time of General Elections for political gain is thought to have been deleterious to the UK economy and helped reinforce a cyclical pattern of boom and bust, for which Blair frequently criticises previous governments. Brown's decision was popular with the City, which the Labour Party had been courting since the early 1990s. Together with the government's avowed determination to remain within projected Conservative spending limits for the first two years of its period of office, it helped to reassure sceptics of the Labour Party's new-found fiscal "prudence". Brown, who had his own following within the Labour Party, was a powerful and independent Chancellor who was given exceptional freedom to act by Blair, although later reports by Downing Street insiders have said that Blair grew to regret this as he was cut out of important fiscal decisions. The Rt. ... This article is about the British Chancellor of the Exchequer. ... The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom, sometimes known as The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street or The Old Lady. The nearest London Underground station, and thus a busy commuter stop, is Bank station. ... In economics, the term boom and bust refers to the movement of an economy through economic cycles due to changes in aggregate demand. ... For London as a whole, see the main article London. ...

Control over House of Commons

Blair has encouraged reforms to Parliamentary procedures. One of his first acts as Prime Minister was to replace the two weekly 15 minute sessions of Prime Minister's Questions, held on a Tuesday and Thursday, with a single 30 minute session on a Wednesday. This reform was said to be more efficient, but critics point out that it is easier to prepare for one long set of questions than two shorter interrogations. There has been a perception that Blair has avoided attending debate and voting in Parliament, although his vote is seldom needed given Labour's large majorities in the House of Commons. Moreover, Blair has introduced rules governing the sitting time of parliament, reducing their ability to effectively scrutinise legislation. Prime Ministers Questions is a Parliamentary practice in the United Kingdom where every Wednesday when the House of Commons is sitting, the Prime Minister spends half an hour answering questions from MPs. ...

Further reforms include the prominence given to the Prime Minister's Press Secretary, who became known as the Prime Minister's Official Spokesman (though the current PMOS is not the press secretary). This role was filled by Alastair Campbell from May 1997 to 8 June 2001. Campbell had been an important cog in the New Labour election machine for the 1997 general election, working with Peter Mandelson to co-ordinate Labour's campaign. In the early years of his first term, Blair relied for his political advice on a close circle of his own staff, amongst whom Campbell was seen as particularly influential: he was given the authority to direct civil servants, who previously had taken instructions only from ministers. Unlike some of his predecessors, Campbell was a political appointment and had not come through the Civil Service. Despite his overtly political role he was paid from the public purse as a member of the civil service, in one of Blair's earliest moves to destroy the traditional political neutrality of the civil service. Campbell was replaced by Godric Smith and Tom Kelly when he moved to become the Prime Minister's Director of Communications and Strategy immediately after Blair's election success on 7 June 2001. Campbell ultimately resigned on August 29, 2003 following the Hutton report into the death of Dr. David Kelly. Alastair Campbell Alastair John Campbell (born May 25, 1957) was the Director of Communications and Strategy for 10 Downing Street. ... June 8 is the 159th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (160th in leap years), with 206 days remaining. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... The Rt Hon. ... A civil servant or public servant is a civilian career public_sector employee working for a government department or agency. ... A minister or a secretary is a politician who heads a government ministry or department (e. ... A civil servant or public servant is a civilian career public sector employee working for a government department or agency. ... People named Tom Kelly include: Tom Kelly (baseball) Tom Kelly (engineer) Tom Kelly (Ireland) Tom Kelly (musician) Tom Kelly (UK) Tom Kelly (USA) This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... August 29 is the 241st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (242nd in leap years), with 124 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Domestic policies

A significant achievement of Blair's first term was the completion of negotiations of the Belfast Agreement, commonly called the Good Friday Agreement, in which the British and Irish Governments and most Northern Irish political parties established an "exclusively peaceful and democratic" framework for power-sharing in Northern Ireland. Negotiations had begun under the previous Prime Minister, John Major but collapsed after the end of the IRA ceasefire. The agreement was finally signed on 10 April 1998, and on 26 November 1998 Blair became the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to address the Republic of Ireland's parliament. The Belfast Agreement (also known as the Good Friday Agreement and, more rarely, as the Stormont Agreement) was arguably a major step in the Northern Ireland peace process. ... The Right Honourable Sir John Major, KG, CH (born 29 March 1943) is a British politician who served in the Cabinets of Margaret Thatcher as Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer before succeeding Thatcher as Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister of the United... TUAS - the tactical use of the armed struggle was the name given by Irish Republicans to the strategy of military cessation (ceasefire is a termed frowned upon by Republicans for historical reasons) implemented between August 1994 and February 1996. ... April 10 is the 100th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (101st in leap years). ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ... November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

Blair's first term saw an extensive programme of constitutional alteration. A Human Rights Act was introduced in 1998; a Welsh Assembly and a Scottish Parliament were both set up; most hereditary peers were removed from the House of Lords in 1999; the Greater London Authority was established in 2000; and the Freedom of Information Act was passed later that year, with its provisions coming into effect over the next decade. This latter proposal disappointed campaigners whose hopes had been raised by a White Paper of 1998 which promised a more robust Act. No significant further progress has been made in reforming the House of Lords since 1999: the debate remains open whether the reformed chamber should be fully elected, fully appointed, or part elected and part appointed. The Human Rights Act 1998 is a United Kingdom Act of Parliament which received Royal Assent on November 9, 1998, and came into force on October 2, 2000. ... The National Assembly for Wales (or NAW) (Welsh: Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru) was established in 1998, following a 1997 referendum in which a small majority of voters (but not the electorate) voted in favour of the Labour Governments plans for devolution. ... For the national legislative body adjourned in 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... The Peerage is a system of titles of nobility which exists in the United Kingdom and is one part of the British honours system. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ... The Greater London Authority (GLA) administers the 1579 sq. ... The Freedom of Information Act 2000 (2000 c. ... A white paper can be an authoritative report on a major issue, as by a team of experts; a government report outlining policy; or a short treatise whose purpose is to educate industry customers. ...

In 1999, Blair designed and presided over the declaration of the Kosovo War. The Labour Party in opposition had criticised the Conservative government for weakness over Bosnia, and Blair was one of those urging a strong line by NATO against Slobodan Milošević. He persuaded the US Clinton administration to support the use of ground troops should aerial bombardment fail to win the war, although in the event they were not needed. His speech setting out the Blair Doctrine of the International Community was made one month into the war, in Chicago on April 22, 1999 (transcript). The same year he was awarded the Charlemagne Award by the German city of Aachen, for his contributions to the European idea and to European peace. The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts (a civil war followed by an international war) in the southern Serbian province called Kosovo (officially Kosovo and Metohia), part of the former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. ... Bosnia and Herzegovina (officially Bosna i Hercegovina, shortened to BiH, also in English variously written Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Bosnia-Hercegovina) is a mountainous country in the western Balkans. ... The NATO flag NATO 2002 Summit in Prague The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), sometimes called North Atlantic Alliance, Atlantic Alliance or the Western Alliance, is an international organisation for defence collaboration established in 1949, in support of the North Atlantic Treaty signed in Washington, D.C., on April 4... Slobodan MiloÅ¡ević, on trial at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, The Hague Slobodan MiloÅ¡ević â–¶ (help· info) (Serbian: Слободан Милошевић, pronounced []; born 20 August 1941) is a former President of Serbia and of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia as well as leader of the Socialist Party of Serbia. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States, serving from 1993 to 2001. ... April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Bill Clinton received the Karlspreis in 2000. ... Aachen Cathedral Printen Figurine at Aachen Cathedral Top Floor of Aachen Cathedral Tree-lined boulevard in Aachen Typical Aachen street with early 20th century Gründerzeit houses Aachen (French Aix-la-Chapelle, Dutch Aken, Latin Aquisgranum, Ripuarian Oche) is a spa city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, on the border...

In the 2001 UK general election, Blair campaigned the election on improvements to public service, including the National Health Service. The Conservatives largely ignored the issue of public services in favour of opposing British membership of European Monetary Union, which proved to do little to win over floating voters: the Labour Party preserved its majority, and Blair became the first Labour Prime Minister to win a full second term. However the election was notable for a large fall in voter turnout. The leader of the Conservative Party, William Hague, resigned the following morning. The UK general election, 2001 was held on 7 June 2001 and was dubbed the quiet landslide by the media. ... The logo of the NHS for England. ... In economics, a monetary union is a situation where several countries have agreed to share a single currency among them. ... A swing voter is a voter who may not be affiliated with a particular political party (independents) or who will vote across party lines. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... William Hague The Right Honourable William Jefferson Hague (born March 26, 1961) is a British politician, the Member of Parliament for Richmond, North Yorkshire, former leader of the Conservative Party, and currently Shadow Foreign Secretary. ...

Second term 2001 to 2005

Blair welcomes President George W. Bush to Chequers, the Prime Minister's countryside retreat.

Following the 11 September 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, Blair was very quick to align the UK with the US, engaging in a round of shuttle diplomacy to help form and maintain a coalition prior to their attack on Afghanistan (in which British troops participated). He maintains this role to this day, showing a willingness to visit countries on diplomatic missions that other world leaders might consider too dangerous to visit. In 2003 he was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress for being "a staunch and steadfast ally of the United States of America." [4] although media attention has been drawn to the fact that Blair has yet to attend the ceremony to receive his medal; some commentators point to the unpopularity of support for the US as explaining the delay. Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... Image File history File links Please see the file description page for further information. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... Chequers, or Chequers Court, is a large house to the south east of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire, England, that sits at the foot of the Chiltern Hills. ... The September 11, 2001 attacks (also referred to as 9/11) were a set of coordinated suicide attacks upon the United States of America carried out on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, in which a total of nineteen hijackers of Arabic origin simultaneously took control of four U.S. domestic commercial... The World Trade Center in New York City (sometimes informally referred to as the WTC) was a complex of seven buildings designed by Japanese-American architect Minoru Yamasaki and leased by Larry Silverstein from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey around a central plaza, near the south... In diplomacy and international relations, shuttle diplomacy is the use of a third party to serve as an intermediary or mediator between two parties who do not talk directly. ... (Redirected from 2001 Attack on Afghanistan) The United States, with support from the United Kingdom, Australia and the Northern Alliance, Afghanistan in October 2001 as part of its War on Terrorism campaign. ... Congressional Gold Medal presented to Navajo Code talkers in 2000 The Congressional Gold Medal of Honor is the highest award which may be bestowed by the Legislative Branch of the United States government. ... Congress in Joint Session. ...

Iraq war

Blair was a strong supporter of U.S. President George W. Bush's controversial plan to invade Iraq and overthrow dictator Saddam Hussein. Blair soon became the face of international support for the war, often clashing with French President Jacques Chirac, who became the face of international opposition. Regarded by many as a more persuasive orator than Bush, Blair gave many speeches arguing for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in the days leading up to war. The President of the United States of America (unofficially abbreviated POTUS) is the head of state of the United States and the chief executive of the federal government. ... Wikinews has news related to this article: Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, (Arabic ), born April 28, 1937 , was President of Iraq from 1979 until his removal and capture after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ... The President of France, known officially as the President of the Republic (Président de la République in French), is Frances elected Head of State. ... â–¶ (help· info), (born November 29, 1932 in Paris) is a French politician who is currently President of the French Republic. ...

Blair made a case for war against Saddam based on Iraqi possession of weapons of mass destruction and breach of UN resolutions, but was wary of making a direct appeal for regime change as international law does not recognize that as a legal ground for invasion. A memorandum from a July 2002 meeting which was leaked in April 2005 to The Sunday Times showed that Blair believed that the British public would support regime change in the right political context; however the memo states that legal grounds for such action were weak. On Tuesday 24 September 2002 Downing Street published a dossier based on intelligence agencies' assessments of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. Among the items in the dossier was a recently received intelligence report that "the Iraqi military are able to deploy chemical or biological weapons within 45 minutes of an order to do so". (A briefing paper in February 2003 entitled 'Iraq - its infrastructure of concealment, deception and intimidation' was also issued to journalists; this document was discovered to have taken a large part of its text without attribution from a PhD thesis available on the World Wide Web. Where the thesis hypothesized about possible WMD, the Downing Street version presented the ideas as fact and it was thus subsequently referred to as the 'Dodgy Dossier'). Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) generally include nuclear, biological, chemical and, increasingly, radiological weapons. ... Regime change is the overthrow of a government (or regime) considered illegitimate by an external force (usually military), and its replacement with a new government according to the ideas and/or interests promoted by that force. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Downing Street memo The Downing Street memo (occasionally DSM), sometimes described by critics of the Iraq War as the smoking gun memo, contains an overview of a secret 23 July 2002 meeting among United Kingdom Labour government, defence and intelligence figures, discussing... The Sunday Times is the name of several Sunday newspapers. ... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years). ... The September Dossier is the name given to a document published by the British government on 24 September 2002. ... The possibility that the government of Iraq used, possessed or intend to acquire weapons of mass destruction (WMD) was a major international issue in the last dozen years. ... The briefing paper entitled Iraq - its infrastructure of concealment, deception and intimidation has come to be known as the Dodgy Dossier. ...

Forty-six thousand British troops, one third of the total strength of the UK army (land forces), were deployed to assist with the 2003 invasion of Iraq. When after the war it was established that Iraq possessed no weapons of mass destruction, Blair's pre-war statements became a major domestic controversy. Many members of the Labour Party, not only those who were opposed to the Iraq war, were among those critical; among opponents of the war, accusations that Blair had deliberately exaggerated the threat were made. Successive inquiries (including those by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee of the House of Commons, Lord Hutton, and Lord Butler of Brockwell) have found that Blair honestly stated what he believed to be true at the time. These findings have not prevented frequent accusations that Blair lied, most notably during the 2005 election campaign from Conservative leader Michael Howard. The British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. ... Combatants United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Poland Iraq Commanders Tommy Franks Saddam Hussein Strength 263,000 375,000 Casualties {{{notes}}} The 2003 Invasion of Iraq began on March 20, consisting primarily of United States and United Kingdom forces; 98% of the forces came from these two countries, although numerous other... A Select Committee of the British Parliament is a committee made up of a small number of members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues. ... The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, and is now the dominant branch of Parliament. ... The Hutton Inquiry was a British judicial inquiry chaired by Lord Hutton, appointed by the British government to investigate the death of a government weapons expert, Dr. David Kelly. ... On February 3, 2004 the British Government announced an inquiry into the intelligence relating to Iraqs weapons of mass destruction which played a key part in the Governments decision to invade Iraq (as part of the U.S.-led coalition) in 2003. ...

Blair shakes hands with President Bush on 28 June 2004, on the day Iyad Allawi became Interim Prime Minister of Iraq

Several anti-war pressure groups want to try Blair for war crimes in Iraq at the International Criminal Court. The Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, stated in September 2004 that the invasion was "illegal" but did not state the legal basis for this accusation. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... (Some entries on this page have been duplicated on August 1. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Iyad Allawi Dr. Iyad Allawi (Arabic: ) (born 1945) is an Iraqi politician, and was the interim Prime Minister of Iraq prior to Iraqs 2005 legislative elections. ... The International Criminal Court (ICC) was established in 2002 as a permanent tribunal to prosecute individuals for genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes, as defined by several international agreements, most prominently the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. ...

United Kingdom armed forces were active in southern Iraq to stabilise the country in the run-up to the elections of January 2005. In October 2004 the UK government agreed to a request from US forces to send a battalion of the Black Watch regiment to the American sector to free up US troops for an assault on Fallujah. At present, British forces remain in Iraq. After the US election, Blair tried to use his relationship with President Bush to bring pressure on the US administration on Israel and Palestine. He has supported the Israeli government's plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip. The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) (named The Royal Highland Regiment (The Black Watch) before 1931) is an infantry regiment of the British Army. ... This article is about the city of Fallujah in Iraq. ... The West Bank The Gaza Strip The Palestinian territories or Occupied Palestinian Territory, also widely referred to as the Occupied Territories, a term which strictly speaking also includes the Golan Heights, are a non-sovereign territory in the Middle East, made up of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. ...

On May 1, 2005, The Sunday Times printed a leaked 'Downing Street memo' which appeared to be the minutes of a discussion of Iraq held in July 2002. The memo created a stir particularly among critics of the war by stating "It seemed clear that Bush had made up his mind to take military action ... But the case was thin." In the following weeks Blair was compelled to repeatedly reiterate his rationale for taking the UK to war, the basic tenets of which he has steadfastly maintained to this day. May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Sunday Times is the name of several Sunday newspapers. ... Wikisource has original text related to this article: Downing Street memo The Downing Street memo (occasionally DSM), sometimes described by critics of the Iraq War as the smoking gun memo, contains an overview of a secret 23 July 2002 meeting among United Kingdom Labour government, defence and intelligence figures, discussing...

Domestic politics

After fighting the 2001 election on the theme of improving public services, Blair's government continued to raise taxes (described by opponents as "stealth taxes") to increase spending on education and health in 2002. Blair insisted that the increased funding must be matched by internal reforms. The government introduced a scheme to allow local NHS hospitals financial freedom, (the Foundation Hospitals scheme) although the eventual shape of the proposals allowed somewhat less freedom than Blair would have liked after an internal struggle. Many such trusts are now in severe financial difficulties, having spent most of the funding increases on pay rises for staff. As a result, although inputs to the NHS have certainly increased, outputs from it have hardly increased at all. The peace process in Northern Ireland hit a series of problems and eventually on October 15, 2002 the Northern Ireland Assembly was suspended and direct rule returned; attempts to get the Provisional Irish Republican Army to decommisson its weapons were unsuccessful and in the second set of elections to the Assembly in November 2003 the Ulster Unionists lost the battle for largest Unionist party to the Democratic Unionists of Ian Paisley, making restarting devolution more difficult. At the same time Sinn Féin became clearly the largest nationalist party, as voters recognised that since Blair always capitulates to force, the most forceful party was the only one worth supporting. Stealth Tax is a term used for revenue from sources controlled by a Government, that is not classed as tax, but still used by the Government to fund public services. ... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in Leap years). ... 2002 (MMII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA; more commonly referred to as the IRA, the Provos, or by some of its supporters as the army or the Ra) is an Irish Republican paramilitary organisation. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Reverend and Right Honourable Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, MP, MLA (born 6 April 1926), is a prominent politician and church leader from Northern Ireland, founder and Moderator of the Free Presbyterian Church of Ulster, and Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party. ... It has been suggested that Provisional Sinn Féin be merged into this article or section. ...

In the first term, the government had introduced an annual fixed tuition fee of around £1,000 for higher education students (rejecting requests from universities to be allowed to vary the fee), and replaced the remaining student grant with a loan to be repaid once the student was in earning over a certain threshold. Despite a manifesto pledge in 2001 not to introduce variable (or "top-up") tuition fees in universities, Blair announced that exactly such a scheme would indeed eventually be brought in with the maximum fee limited to £3,000 per year, while simultaneously delaying the repayment of student loans until a graduate income was much higher and reintroducing some grants for students from poorer backgrounds. A university is an institution of higher education and of research, which grants academic degrees at all levels (bachelor, master, and doctor) in a variety of subjects. ...

On August 1, 2003, Blair became the longest continuously serving Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, surpassing Harold Wilson's 1964–1970 term. However, because of the crisis over the suicide of Dr David Kelly, a government scientist who had spoken to a BBC journalist precipitating a major fight between the BBC and the government, there were no celebrations. Blair set up an inquiry under the senior Law Lord Lord Hutton. August 1 is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Right Honourable James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, PC (11 March 1916 – 24 May 1995) was one of the longest serving Labour Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom. ... Dr. David Christopher Kelly CMG (May 17, 1944 – July 17, 2003) was an employee of the British Ministry of Defence (MoD), an expert in biological warfare, and a former United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq. ... The House of Lords, in addition to having a legislative function, has a judicial function as a court of last resort within the United Kingdom. ... Lord Hutton The Right Honourable James Brian Edward Hutton, Baron Hutton, PC (born 29 June 1932), is a former British Law Lord. ...

The second reading vote on the Higher Education Bill bringing in top-up fees was held on January 27, 2004, and saw the government scrape a majority of 5 due to a Labour rebellion. A first House of Commons defeat had been possible but averted when a small number of Gordon Brown's backbench allies switched sides at the last minute. The next day the Hutton Inquiry reported on the circumstances surrounding the death of David Kelly. The Inquiry was widely expected to criticise Blair and his government. In the event, Hutton absolved Blair and his government of deliberately inserting false intelligence into its dossier, but criticised the BBC editorial process which had allowed unfounded allegations to be broadcast. The report did not satisfy opponents of Blair and of the Iraq war. A second reading is the state of the legislative process where a draft of a bill is read a second time. ... The Higher Education Act 2004 is a British Act of Parliament which introduced several changes to the higher education system, the most important and controversial being a major change to the funding of universities, and the operation of tuition fees. ... January 27 is the 27th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Hutton Inquiry was a British judicial inquiry chaired by Lord Hutton, appointed by the British government to investigate the death of a government weapons expert, Dr. David Kelly. ... Dr. David Christopher Kelly CMG (May 17, 1944 – July 17, 2003) was an employee of the British Ministry of Defence (MoD), an expert in biological warfare, and a former United Nations weapons inspector in Iraq. ... Corporate logo of the British Broadcasting Corporation The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national public service broadcaster of the United Kingdom (see British television). ...

The term "Tony Bliar" is commonly used in anti-war demonstrations against the 2003 Iraq War

Although the Hutton Inquiry had vindicated Blair, evidence to the inquiry raised questions over the use of intelligence in the run up to the war in Iraq. Hutton was the subject of criticism for strictly interpreting his remit; after a similar decision by President Bush, Blair initiated another inquiry (the Butler Review) into the accuracy and presentation of pre-war intelligence. Opponents of the war, especially the Liberal Democrats, refused to participate as it did not meet their demands for a public inquiry into whether the war was justified. Statue of Tony Blair during an anti-war protest. ... Statue of Tony Blair during an anti-war protest. ... Anti war protest in Melbourne, Australia, 2003 Anti_war is a name that is widely adopted by any social movement or person that seeks to end or oppose a future or current war. ... Combatants United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Poland Iraq Commanders Tommy Franks Saddam Hussein Strength 263,000 375,000 Casualties {{{notes}}} The 2003 Invasion of Iraq began on March 20, consisting primarily of United States and United Kingdom forces; 98% of the forces came from these two countries, although numerous other... The Hutton Inquiry was a British judicial inquiry chaired by Lord Hutton, appointed by the British government to investigate the death of a government weapons expert, Dr. David Kelly. ... On February 3, 2004 the British Government announced an inquiry into the intelligence relating to Iraqs weapons of mass destruction which played a key part in the Governments decision to invade Iraq (as part of the U.S.-led coalition) in 2003. ... The Liberal Democrats, often shortened to Lib Dems, are a liberal political party based in the United Kingdom. ...

In April 2004, Blair announced that a referendum would be held on the ratification of the EU Constitution. This represents a significant change in British politics, where only one nationwide referendum has been held (this was the 1975 referendum on whether Britain should remain in the EEC). It was another dramatic U-turn for Blair, who had previously dismissed calls for a referendum unless the constitution fundamentally altered Britain's relationship with the EU; Michael Howard eagerly seized on the "EU-turn", reminding Blair of his 2003 conference oration that "I can only go one way. I haven't got a reverse gear". The referendum was expected to be held in early 2006; however since the French and Dutch rejections of the treaty, the Blair government have announced that they are putting plans for a referendum on hold for the foreseeable future. A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... The Treaty establishing a constitution for Europe is a proposed constitutional treaty for the European Union. ... The United Kingdom referendum of 1975 was a postlegislative referendum held on 5 June 1975 in the whole of the UK over whether there was support for the UK to stay in the European Economic Community, which the UK had entered in 1973, under the Conservative government of Edward Heath. ... Michael Howard The Right Honourable Michael Howard, QC, MP (born July 7, 1941) is a British politician and caretaker Leader of the Opposition and the Conservative Party, having formally resigned the post on 7 October 2005. ... On April 20, 2004, the British Prime Minister Tony Blair announced in the House of Commons that Britain would hold a referendum on its ratification of the proposed Treaty establishing a constitution for Europe when it was agreed by the European Council. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

During his second term Blair was increasingly the target for protests. On May 19, 2004, he was hit by two condoms filled with purple flour in the House of Commons, thrown by Fathers 4 Justice. His speech to the 2004 Labour Party conference was interrupted both by a protester against the Iraq war and then by a group who opposed the government's decision to allow the House of Commons to ban fox hunting. May 19 is the 139th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (140th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A standard latex condom still rolled up This article is about the contraceptive device. ... Look up flour in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... British House of Commons Canadian House of Commons In some bicameral parliaments of a Westminster System, the House of Commons has historically been the name of the elected lower house. ... Tony Blair being hit by one of the missiles The Fathers 4 Justice House of Commons protest, also dubbed The Fun Powder Plot, is an incident that took place on May 19, 2004. ... A fox hunt Fox hunting is a form of hunting for foxes using a pack of scent hounds. ...

On September 15, 2004, Tony Blair delivered a speech on the environment and the 'urgent issue' of climate change. In unusually direct language he concluded that If what the science tells us about climate change is correct, then unabated it will result in catastrophic consequences for our world... The science, almost certainly, is correct. The action he proposed to take appeared to be based on business and investment rather than any tax or legislative attempts to reduce CO2 emissions: ...it is possible to combine reducing emissions with economic growth... investment in science and technology and in the businesses associated with it... The G8 next year, and the EU presidency provide a great opportunity to push this debate to a new and better level that, after the discord over Kyoto, offers the prospect of agreement and action. [5]. September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Variations in CO2, temperature and dust from the Vostok ice core over the last 400 000 years Climate change refers to the variation in the Earths global climate or regional climates over time. ... Carbon dioxide is an atmospheric gas composed of one carbon and two oxygen atoms. ...

Attempted impeachment

On August 25, 2004, Plaid Cymru MP Adam Price announced that he would attempt to impeach Blair [6]. The measure was supported by Plaid Cymru and the SNP, as well as by RESPECT's George Galloway and Independent MP Richard Taylor, but failed to get more than a few signatures from the MPs of the major parties. No impeachment has been attempted for 150 years, and no impeachment resolution has been passed since 1806; the last two impeachment trials resulted in acquittals. Many legal authorities consider impeachment to be obsolete (see, e.g., Halsbury). August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Plaid Cymru (literally meaning the Party of Wales) is the principal nationalist political party in Wales[1]. It advocates the secession of Wales from the United Kingdom (an ideology known as independence or self government) and the Welsh language and its associated culture. ... Adam Robert Price (born September 23, 1968, Carmarthen) is a politician in Wales, and Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr. ... Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body formally levels charges against a high official of government. ... Plaid Cymru (literally meaning the Party of Wales) is the principal nationalist political party in Wales[1]. It advocates the secession of Wales from the United Kingdom (an ideology known as independence or self government) and the Welsh language and its associated culture. ... In Scotland, the Scottish National Party (SNP) (Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a centre-left political party which campaigns for Scottish independence. ... RESPECT The Unity Coalition is a left wing British political party founded on January 25, 2004 in London. ... George Galloway George Galloway (born August 16, 1954) is a British politician noted for his socialist views, confrontational style, and rhetorical skill. ... There are several people called Richard Taylor: Richard Taylor (UK politician), independent Member of Parliament Richard Taylor (mathematician), involved in completing the proof of Fermats Last Theorem Richard Taylor (physicist), Canadian winner of the 1990 Nobel Prize Richard Taylor (movies), head of Weta Workshop Richard Taylor (musician), former member... 1806 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Halsburys Laws of England (also known as Halsburys Laws or simply Halsburys) is a definitive encyclopedic treatise on the laws of England. ...

Health problems

On October 19, 2003, it emerged that Blair had received treatment for an irregular heartbeat. Having felt ill the previous day, he went to hospital [7] and was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia. This was treated by cardioversion and he returned home that night. He took the following day (October 20) a little more gently than usual and returned to a full schedule on October 21. Downing Street aides later suggested that the palpitations had been brought on by Blair drinking lots of strong coffee at an EU summit and then working out vigorously in the gym. However, former Armed Forces minister Lewis Moonie, a doctor, said that the treatment was more serious than Number 10 had admitted: "Anaesthetising somebody and giving their heart electric shocks is not something you just do in the routine run of medical practice", he claimed. October 19 is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is a rapid rhythm of the heart in which the origin of the electrical signal is either the atria or the AV node. ... Through electricity or drug therapy, cardioversion converts heart arrhythmias to normal rhythms. ... October 20 is the 293rd day of the year (294th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 72 days remaining. ... October 21 is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 71 days remaining. ... coffee in beverage form Coffee is a drink, usually hot, prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant. ... The armed forces of a state are its government sponsored defense and fighting forces and organizations. ... Lewis George Moonie (born 25 February 1947) is a politician in the United Kingdom. ... 10 Downing Street, commonly known as Number 10, is arguably the most famous street address in London. ...

Tony Blair making his 2004 Labour Party conference speech, three days before his catheter ablation

Family problems in the spring of 2004 fuelled speculation that Blair was on the brink of stepping down. Lord Bragg, a close friend of the Blair family, admitted that Blair was "under colossal strain", that "considerations of his family became very pressing" and that Blair had thought "things over very carefully." This led to a surge in speculation that Blair would resign. Several Cabinet ministers urged Blair to continue. Tony Blair during his 2004 Labour Party conference speech This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... Tony Blair during his 2004 Labour Party conference speech This is a screenshot of a copyrighted website, video game graphic, computer program graphic, television broadcast, or film. ... Melvyn Bragg Melvyn Bragg, Baron Bragg (born 6 October 1939, in Wigton, Cumbria) is a British author, screenwriter and television and radio host and journalist. ...

Blair underwent a catheter ablation to correct his irregular heartbeat on 1 October 2004, having announced the procedure the day before in a series of interviews in which he also declared that he would seek a third term but not a fourth. The planned procedure was carried out at London's Hammersmith hospital. At the same time it was disclosed that the Blairs had purchased a house at No.29 Connaught Square, London, for a reported £3.5 million.[8] Some have speculated that part of No.29 is to be converted into offices for a future Blair Foundation. The purchase also fuelled speculation that Blair was preparing for life after government. Catheter ablation is an invasive procedure used to remove a faulty electrical pathway from the hearts of those who are prone to developing cardiac arrhythmias such as supraventricular tachycardias (SVT) and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in Leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... The Lyric theatre is just one of the arts and entertainment venues that have made Hammersmith a worthy rival to the West End. ... Connaught Square, Westminster - predominatly four storey town houses surround a private gated garden planted with mature trees. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ...

On May 19, 2005 (a fortnight after polling day in the 2005 general election), Blair was treated with an anti-inflammatory drug to control a slipped disc which had caused him back pain. May 19 is the 139th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (140th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Slipped disc (medical term: prolapsed or herniated intervertebral disc) is a condition in which, due to a tear in the outer fibrous ring (annulus), the central part (nucleus pulposis) of the intervertebral disc may extend into the spinal canal. ...

Third term 2005 to present

The Labour Party won the 2005 General Election and a third consecutive term in office. The next day, Blair was invited to form a Government by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. The reduction in the Labour majority and the low share of the popular vote (35%) led to some Labour MPs calling for Blair to leave office sooner rather than later; among them Frank Dobson who had served in Blair's Cabinet during his first term. However, dissenting voices quickly vanished as Blair entered into June 2005 and took on European leaders over the future direction of the European Union. Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor), born 21 April 1926, is the Queen regnant of the following countries (shown in the order of her accession): 1952: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (all 6 February) 1962: Jamaica 1966: Barbados 1973: The Bahamas... The Right Honourable Frank Gordon Dobson (born March 15, 1940) is a British politician and member of Parliament for Holborn and St. ...

G8 and EU presidencies

Tony Blair accepting the presidency of the European Union on 1 July

The rejection of the treaty to establish a constitution for the European Union by France and the Netherlands presented Blair with an opportunity to postpone the doubtful UK referendum on the constitution without taking the blame for failing the EU. Foreign Secretary Jack Straw announced that the Parliamentary Bill to enact a referendum was suspended indefinitely. It had previously been agreed that ratification would continue unless the treaty had been rejected by at least five of the 25 European Union member states who must all ratify it. Image File history File links Blair after accepting the EU presidency [1] This image is protected by British Crown copyright. ... Image File history File links Blair after accepting the EU presidency [1] This image is protected by British Crown copyright. ... The word Presidency is often used to describe the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation. ... July 1 is the 182nd day of the year (183rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 183 days remaining. ... A treaty is a binding agreement under international law concluded by subjects of international law, namely states and international organizations. ... A referendum (plural: referendums or referenda) or plebiscite is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (colloquially called the Foreign Secretary) is a member of the British Government responsible for relations with foreign countries, heading the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (often called simply the Foreign Office). ... Jack Straw The Right Honourable John Whitaker Jack Straw (born August 3, 1946, Buckhurst Hill) is a British Labour Party politician. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into European Union. ...

Chirac held several meetings with Schröder and the pair pressed for Britain to give up its rebate, famously won by Margaret Thatcher in 1984. After verbal conflict over several weeks, Blair, along with the leaders of all 25 member states, descended on Brussels for the EU Summit of the 18th June 2005 to attempt to finalise the EU budget for 2007-2013. Blair refused to renegotiate the rebate unless the proposals included a compensating overhaul of EU spending, particularly on the Common Agricultural Policy which takes 40% of the EU budget. After intense arguments inside closed doors, talks broke down late at night and the leaders emerged, all blaming each other. It is widely accepted that Blair came out on top, making allies in the Netherlands and Sweden and potentially (and crucially) several of the Eastern European accession countries. The UK rebate is a rebate on the UKs contribution to the EU budget paid back to the UK government by the European Union. ... (Redirected from 18th June) June 18 is the 169th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (170th in leap years), with 196 days remaining. ... The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies which represents about 44% of the EUs spending (€49bn scheduled spend for 2005 [1]). These subsidies work by guaranteeing a minimum price to producers and by direct payment of a subsidy for crops planted. ...

It fell to Blair to broker a deal on the EU budget during the UK's Presidency of the European Union during the latter half of 2005. Early international opinion, particularly in the French press, suggested that Blair held a very strong opening position partly on account of the concurrence of British presidencies of the EU and G8. However, early in the UK's six-month term the 7 July London bombings distracted political attention from the EU despite some ambitious early statements about Blair's agenda. Domestically Blair faced further distractions from European affairs including a resurgent Conservative Party under its newly-elected leader David Cameron, and assessments of the British presidency's achievements under Blair have been lukewarm in spite of some diplomatic success including a last-minute budget deal. The most controversial result was an agreement to increase British contributions to the EU development budget for new member countries, which effectively reduced the UK rebate by 20%. The Presidency of the Council of the European Union refers to the responsibility of presiding over all aspects of the Council of the European Union, when exercised collectively by a government, on a pre-established rota of the member states, of the European Union. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... On Thursday, 7 July 2005, a series of four bomb explosions struck Londons public transport system during the morning rush hour. ... The Conservative Party is the largest political party on the right-of-centre in the United Kingdom. ... Rt Hon. ...

2012 Summer Olympics

Tony Blair calling the winning Olympic Bid "London's legacy to the Olympic Movement" after hearing the win at the G8 summit

On July 6, 2005, during the 117th International Olympic Committee (IOC) session in Singapore, the IOC announced that the 2012 Summer Olympics, the Games of the XXX Olympiad, were awarded to London. The surprise win by London over the perceived frontrunner Paris was said to have been decided by the presence of Tony Blair at the IOC session. Irish IOC member Patrick Hickey said, "This is down to Tony Blair. If he hadn't come here I'd say that six to eight votes would have been lost and London would not be sitting here today winners". [9] Image File history File links Blair calling the bid Londons legacy to the Olympic Movement [1] This image is protected by British Crown copyright. ... Image File history File links Blair calling the bid Londons legacy to the Olympic Movement [1] This image is protected by British Crown copyright. ... The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, will be held in London, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012. ... G8 countries. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Alternative meanings at IOC (disambiguation) The International Olympic Committee is an organization based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 to reinstate the Ancient Olympic Games held in Greece, and organize this sports event every four years. ... The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, will be held in London, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ...

Tony Blair reads a joint statement by the leaders attending the G8 summit, condemning the July 7, 2005 London bombings. To the right is French president Jacques Chirac, to the left is American president George W. Bush and South African president Thabo Mbeki.

Image File history File links Screenshot of the G8 press conference on the morning of 2005-07-07 — Blair center, Chirac (right), Bush (left), Mbeki (left background). ... Image File history File links Screenshot of the G8 press conference on the morning of 2005-07-07 — Blair center, Chirac (right), Bush (left), Mbeki (left background). ... [edit] For news on the current explosion reports see 21 July 2005 London bombings On Thursday, 7 July 2005, a series of four bomb attacks struck Londons public transport system during the morning rush hour. ... ▶ (help· info), (born November 29, 1932 in Paris) is a French politician who is currently President of the French Republic. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki (born June 18, 1942) is the President of the Republic of South Africa. ...

2005 London bombings

On Thursday July 7, 2005, a series of four bomb explosions struck London's public transport system during the morning rush hour. At 08:50, three bombs exploded within one minute on three London Underground trains. A fourth bomb exploded on a bus at 09:47 in Tavistock Square. All four incidents are believed to have been suicide bombings. 56 people were confirmed dead, with 700 injured. The incident was the deadliest single act of terrorism in the United Kingdom since 270 died in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, and it was the deadliest bombing in London since World War II. July 7 is the 188th day of the year (189th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 177 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide bombings that struck Londons public transport system during the morning rush hour. ... A suicide bombing is a bomb attack on people or property, committed by a person who knows the explosion will cause his or her own death (see suicide, suicide weapons). ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on a Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pan Am Flight 103 was Pan American World Airways third daily scheduled transatlantic flight from Londons Heathrow International Airport to New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport. ... Lockerbie is a small town with a population of about 4500 (as of 2004), located in the Dumfries and Galloway region in south-western Scotland. ... Combatants Allied Powers Axis Powers Commanders {{{commander1}}} {{{commander2}}} Strength {{{strength1}}} {{{strength2}}} Casualties 17 million military deaths 7 million military deaths {{{notes}}} World War II, also known as the Second World War (sometimes WW2 or WWII), was a mid-20th century conflict that engulfed much of the globe and is accepted...

Blair made a statement about the day's London bombings, saying that he believed it was "reasonably clear" that it was an act of terror, and that he hoped that the people of Britain could demonstrate that their will to overcome the events is greater than the terrorists' wish to cause destruction. He also said that his determination to "defend" the British way of life outweighed "extremist determination" to destroy it. The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide bombings that struck Londons public transport system during the morning rush hour. ...

On July 21, 2005, a second series of explosions were reported in London, two weeks and some hours after the 7 July 2005 London bombings. Four controlled explosions, of devices considerably less advanced than those of the previous attacks, were carried out at Shepherd's Bush, Warren Street and Oval underground stations, and on a bus in Shoreditch. Even though the attacks on the 21st were less severe than those on the 7th, Blair was reported to have said that the bombings in London today were intended "to scare people and to frighten them, to make them anxious and worried". He went on to say how the "police have done their very best, and the security services too, in the situation, and I think we have just got to react calmly and continue with our business as much as possible as normal". July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wikinews has news related to this article: Four small explosions strike Londons transport system On 21 July 2005, four attempted bomb attacks disrupted part of Londons public transport system two weeks after the 7 July 2005 London bombings. ... London is the capital city of the United Kingdom and of England. ... The 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide bombings that struck Londons public transport system during the morning rush hour. ... Shepherds Bush is a London Underground station. ... Warren Street Warren Street tube station is a London Underground station. ... Oval tube station Interior of Oval tube station Oval tube station in Kennington is a station on the Northern Line of the London Underground between Stockwell and Kennington stations. ... Shoreditch is a place in the London Borough of Hackney. ...

Concerns about terror attacks led to 10 Downing Street requesting media organizations not to identify the location of Blair's 2005 summer holiday. After Blair attended a public function it was acknowledged that the holiday was in Barbados, as a guest of the singer Cliff Richard (with whom Blair has stayed before). 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb in Lucknow, India, on October 14, 1940) is one of the United Kingdoms most popular singers. ...

A Guardian/ICM poll conducted after the first wave of attacks found that 64% of the British population believed that Blair's decision to wage war in Iraq had led indirectly to the terrorist attacks on London. [10] The public did however indicate approval of Blair's handling of the attacks, with his approval rating moving into positive territory for the first time in five years. [11]

Proposed laws to cope with the threat of terrorism proved extremely controversial. An amendment to require that glorifying terrorism be deliberate in order to be an offence was rejected in the House of Commons by just three votes (a result initially announced as a one vote margin due to a miscount). The proposal to allow terrorist suspects to be held for questioning for up to 90 days was defeated on November 9 by a margin of 31 [12] with 49 Labour MPs voting against the government. Instead, MPs supported an amendment to allow questioning for 28 days proposed by veteran backbencher David Winnick. This was Blair's first defeat on the floor of the House of Commons since he became Prime Minister in 1997, and most commentators saw this as seriously undermining his authority [13]. The Terrorism Bill 2005 is a bill introduced on October 12, 2005 [1] and currently progressing through the Parliament of the United Kingdom. ... November 9 is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 52 days remaining. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Departure

After Labour's 2004 conference, Blair announced via a BBC interview [14] that he would not fight a fourth general election, an unusual announcement in Britain, as there is no limit on the time someone may serve as Prime Minister. He also announced he would like to serve a "full third term".

In the months following the election, there was frequent speculation over the anticipated date of his departure. The Westminster consensus expected him to go after the proposed UK referendum on the European Union Constitution, but its collapse eliminated this juncture. The July 2005 terror attacks also appear to have strengthened his position. But while bookmakers take bets on his staying, [15] Blair's election agent John Burton said[16] that he will quit the House of Commons at the next election. The official line from the Downing Street press office on this was that it was the "last thing on [Blair's] mind," but there has been no firm denial. The Treaty establishing a constitution for Europe is a proposed constitutional treaty for the European Union. ...

If he remains in office until November 26, 2008 Blair will beat Margaret Thatcher's record for longest continuous service as Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool, 1812-27. November 26 is the 330th day (331st on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) will a Leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925), is a British politician. ... Robert Banks Jenkinson, 2nd Earl of Liverpool (June 7, 1770 - December 4, 1828) was a British statesman, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1812 to 1827. ...

Blair has said that after stepping down as Prime Minister, he plans to leave front-line politics and does not intend to take a seat in the House of Lords, commenting that it is, "...not my scene." [17]

Common criticisms of Blair

Spin

The word 'spin' has risen to prominence in UK politics since Blair was elected as prime minister in 1997. The word means to selectively present news in a way which minimizes the political damage, and emphasises any positive aspects. A widely-levelled criticism of Blair and his government is that they make excessive use of spin to such an extent that government statements, even if entirely true, are now disbelieved; it is also said that the government has on occasions crossed the line between selective presentation of information and deliberate misleading.

The most widely-publicised example concerned Blair's appeal for trust over the danger from Iraq and weapons of mass destruction, which led to British participation in the invasion of Iraq. One 'intelligence dossier' later distributed on behalf of Blair [18] was substantially plagiarised from an academic thesis available on the internet [19], with some phrases altered to make them sound more threatening. No weapons of mass destruction were found in Iraq following the fall of Saddam Hussein's government, and Blair was later forced to concede that they had not existed [20][21]. A consequence of the lead-up to the Iraq is the belief that Blair compromised his credibility; however, defenders of Blair point to the fact that he was publishing to the public what he had been told in private and honestly believed at the time - even if such a belief was wrong. The briefing paper entitled Iraq - its infrastructure of concealment, deception and intimidation has come to be known as the Dodgy Dossier. ...

Authoritarianism

Blair had made himself a leading candidate for the Labour leadership by his actions as Shadow Home Secretary in turning around Labour's image as "soft on crime", and support for the police and increasing their powers has always been characteristic of the Labour Party under his leadership. While initially these moves attracted a consensus, the government's legislative reaction to the September 11 attacks has been regarded be some as authoritarian. Even before the attacks, the Terrorism Act 2000 forced disclosure of information believed to be of assistance in preventing a terrorist act, or apprehending those involved in such acts [22]. The Terrorism Act 2000 is a current United Kingdom Act of Parliament - An Act to make provision about terrorism; and to make temporary provision for Northern Ireland about the prosecution and punishment of certain offences, the preservation of peace and the maintenance of order. ...

The 2000 act gave the police powers against a wide range of activities, with reported instances of the Act being used against peaceful protestors (including an 11-year-old girl at a Peace camp outside an RAF base [23]). After September 11, the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 was passed, allowing foreign nationals to be detained without charge for an indefinite period (subject to appeal to a special tribunal) if they were suspected international terrorists but had committed no offence under United Kingdom law. This provision was later struck down as incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights. At the 2005 Labour Party conference, the 82-year-old veteran pacifist Walter Wolfgang was removed from the conference hall after heckling Jack Straw. When he attempted to return without his conference pass, Wolfgang was briefly detained for questioning under section 44 of the Terrorism Act. First peace camps Peace camps are known from the 1920s. ... The Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 or ATCSA is a British Act of Parliament introduced as emergency legislation after the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pacifism is opposition to war. ... Walter Julius Wolfgang (born June, 1923) is a British socialist and peace activist. ... Jack Straw was/is the name of two famous individuals: John Whitaker Straw (born August 3, 1946), commonly known as Jack Straw, is a British Labour Party politician. ...

Later in 2005, Blair gave personal strong backing to proposals to allow terrorism suspects to be held for questioning for up to 90 days, and dissuaded other Ministers from offering a compromise which might prove more acceptable; the insistence resulted in the first defeat of the Blair Government on the floor of the House of Commons in November 2005. Ongoing events • Abramoff-Reed gambling scandal • Al Jazeera bombing memo • Avian influenza (H5N1) outbreak • Black sites scandal • Conservative leadership race (UK) • Fuel prices • Irans nuclear program • Jilin chemical plant explosions • Kashmir earthquake • Malawi food crisis • Malaysian prisoner abuse scandal • New Delhi bombings investigation • Niger food crisis • North Indian cyclone...

The flagship anti-crime policy introduced in Blair's first term, Anti-social behaviour orders (ASBOs), have been criticised as excessively punitive and as a way of criminalising non-criminal conduct: an ASBO may be imposed preventing conduct which is entirely legal, but breach of the ASBO is a criminal offence. Examples are on record of ASBOs preventing their subjects from being sarcastic, using the word "grass", or attending a drug clinic which was treating them for their addiction, though opinion polling has shown that ASBOs remain popular with the public. In the United Kingdom an anti-social behaviour order (ASBO) is a civil order made against a person, as a result of persistent anti-social behaviour. ... Sarcasm is sneering, jesting, or mocking a person, situation or thing. ...

The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 has also been criticised for allowing too great a latitude for law enforcement agencies to intercept communications. Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIP or RIPA) is a United Kingdom law covering the interception of communications. ...

Relationship with USA

Due to Blair's close co-operation with the USA on the war in Iraq, where the UK was one of several countries to offer military support to the US-led invasion, he has been called "Bush's poodle", "Governor of the 51st state" and "Tony in the London office". The alliance between the two men is somewhat upsetting to many supporters of his party, which traditionally allies itself with the Democrats. British Prime Minister Tony Blair (left) hosted by the President of the United States, George W. Bush at Camp David in March 2003, in the build-up to the invasion of Iraq by their countries. ... George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is the 43rd and current President of the United States. ... The poodle is a breed of dog; specifically, it is a gun dog noted for its ability in the water and bird hunting skills. ... A governor is also a device that regulates the speed of a machine. ... A U.S. 51 star flag has been designed in case of a 51st state actually joining the United States. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major political parties in the United States. ...

United States President George W Bush has enjoyed a very close relation with Blair to the point that in his post-9/11 speech, he claimed that the United States had no greater friend than Great Britain. George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and the 43rd and current President of the United States. ...

A 2005 book by the former United Kingdom Ambassador to the USA, Sir Christopher Meyer, concurred with these criticisms, accusing Blair of being a hawk and insufficiently cautious about the war [24] [25]. Meyer expressed his opinion that Blair could have stopped the war had he acted at an opportune time in the summer of 2002. Sir Christopher Meyer (born 22 February 1944) is the former British Ambassador to the United States (1997-2003), and the current chair of the Press Complaints Commission (since 2002). ... War Hawk is a term originally used to describe a member of the House of Representatives of the Twelfth Congress of the United States who advocated going to war against Great Britain in the War of 1812. ...

Criticisms by the left

While the Blair government has introduced some social policies seen by the left of the Labour Party as progressive, especially the minimum wage, on economic and management issues he is seen as being to the right of the party. The 2005 announcement of more independent Trust Schools [26], was likened to the Major government's Grant Maintained Schools policy which Labour criticised while in opposition, and was criticised by teachers' unions (traditionally left wing), as well as by the left within the party. The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. ...

The use of private finance to fund public projects has also been criticised by Labour left-wingers as both an economic bad deal and as privatising public service [27]. The Private Finance Initiative, under which public services are built by private companies and then leased back to the state, began under the Major government and was expanded significantly under Blair. The Private Finance Initiative specifies a method, developed initially by the United Kingdom government, to provides financial support for Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) between the public and private sectors. ...

Private Eye cover speculating on a Gordon Brown leadership challenge

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (500x713, 43 KB) Summary Magazine cover, scanned. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (500x713, 43 KB) Summary Magazine cover, scanned. ... This article is about the British Chancellor of the Exchequer. ...

Satire

Blair has avoided the traditional pigeonholes of British political leaders. He has often (particularly after the invasion of Iraq) been labelled as insincere ("King of Spin", "Phoney Tony"), and has been accused of cronyism due to his perceived penchant for promoting his friends to top jobs. In his early years, Blair was often criticised as an unscrupulous opportunist who was solely interested in doing anything that would get him elected, that was a focus group politician. More recently, his unpopular policy supporting the US over Iraq has demonstrated a politician with more commitment to his own policies despite public opposition. His name has been deliberately mis-spelled 'Tony Bliar' (sometimes 'B. Liar') or 'Tory Blur' by critics of his actions and his policies (particularly his stance on Iraq). This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... A focus group is a form of qualitative research in which a group of people are asked about their attitude towards a product, concept, advertisement, idea, or packaging. ...

Since Blair became Prime Minister, Private Eye has run a regular feature called the St Albion Parish News based on the Blair government. In this series, the parish incumbent ('Rev. A.R.P. Blair MA (Oxon)') combines a relentless trendiness with a tendency to moralise and to exclude all those who criticise him. The series highlights Blair's perceived penchant for spin and his zealous enthusiasms in relation to recent political events. Private eye may mean: Look up Private eye on Wiktionary, the free dictionary Private Eye a fortnightly British satirical magazine-newspaper, edited by Ian Hislop (as of 2005) A private investigator, a private detective for hire (see also crime fiction and detective fiction) Private Eye, a song by Alkaline Trio... St Albion Parish News is currently a regular feature in the satirical magazine Private Eye. ... In public relations, spin is a usually pejorative term signifying a heavily biased portrayal in ones own favor of an event or situation that is designed to bring about the most positive result possible. ...

In his first term of office, Blair was the subject of a satirical comic strip Dan Blair in The Times. This strip spoofed the comic book hero Dan Dare and his nemesis, the Mekon, who represented William Hague in the strip, portrayed with a very large forehead. He has also been parodied in the comic 2000 AD in the series B.L.A.I.R. 1 (a spoof of the old-fashioned strip M.A.C.H.1 written by David Bishop) where he acts as a futuristic crime fighter controlled by an artificial intelligence known as "Doctor Spin". The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom. ... The return of the original Dan Dare in 1989 Dan Dare - Pilot of the Future is a classic British science fiction comic hero, created by Frank Hampson in 1950. ... William Hague The Right Honourable William Jefferson Hague (born March 26, 1961) is a British politician, the Member of Parliament for Richmond, North Yorkshire, former leader of the Conservative Party, and currently Shadow Foreign Secretary. ... 2000 AD logo 2000 AD is a weekly British science fiction oriented comic. ... M.A.C.H.1 was a series that appeared in the first issue of the British science fiction comic 2000 AD and ran nearly continously to issue 80. ... David Bishop is the New Zealand born editor of British comics the Judge Dredd Megazine and 2000 AD. Generally agreed to have been the man who began to reverse the steep decline in sales suffered by both titles in the early 1990s, Bishop has been responsible for discovering many... Wikibooks has more about this subject: Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is defined as intelligence exhibited by an artificial entity. ...

In opposition under John Smith, the ITV satirical puppet show Spitting Image depicted Blair within the Shadow Cabinet as a schoolboy with a high-pitched voice and bottle-green uniform, complete with cap. The first show after Smith's death featured Blair singing "I'm going to be the leader! I'm going to be the leader!" over and over. Once settled in as leader, the programme, which was in its last years, changed its caricature of Blair to have a small face with an outsized toothy grin. The show ended before Labour gained power. Current ITV logo. ... Satire is a literary technique of writing or art which exposes the follies of its subject (for example, individuals, organizations, or states) to ridicule, often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. ... A puppet is any controlled character, whether formed by a shadow, strings, by the use of a glove, by direct mechanical contrivance (for example a cable-controlled figure for film or TV) or electronic guidance (such as a radio or infrared remote controller). ... Spitting Image was a satirical puppet-show that ran on Britains ITV Network from 1984 to 1996. ...

Jamie Foxx portrayed a black Tony Blair in a skit from Chappelle's Show. Foxx uses a fake British accent and performed actions considered stereotypically British, such as drinking tea. Jamie Foxx (born Eric Marlon Bishop on December 13, 1967 in Terrell, Texas) is an American Academy Award winning actor, Contemporary R&B singer and Comedian. ... Chappelles Show is a comedy series starring comedian David Chappelle. ...

Works

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Tony Blair

Wikisource has original works written by or about:

Tony Blair

• Blair, Tony (2003). Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction: The Assessment of the British Government Diane Publishing, ISBN 075673102X
• Blair, Tony (2002). The Courage of Our Convictions Fabian Society, ISBN 0716306034
• Blair, Tony (2000). Superpower: Not Superstate? (Federal Trust European Essays) Federal Trust for Education & Research, ISBN 1903403251
• Blair, Tony (1998). The Third Way: New Politics for the New Century Fabian Society, ISBN 0716305887
• Blair, Tony (1998). Leading the Way: New Vision for Local Government Institute for Public Policy Research, ISBN 1860300758
• Blair, Tony (1997). New Britain: My Vision of a Young Country Basic Books, ISBN 0813333385
• Blair, Tony (1995). Let Us Face the Future Fabian Society, ISBN 0716305712
• Blair, Tony (1994). What Price Safe Society? Fabian Society, ISBN 0716305623
• Blair, Tony (1994). Socialism Fabian Society, ISBN 0716305658

Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom

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Leaders of the Labour Party
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