Tony Blair

Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (b. 1953), known as Tony Blair, was the British Prime Minister from 1997 to 2007. He is known for reforming the Labour Party, which than was called “New Labour”. He followed John Major in office. His successor was Gordon Brown.

Life

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, to Hazel and Leo Blair, he spent the first years of his life in Adelaide, South Australia where his father worked. After returning to Great Britain in the late 1950s, Blair grew up in Durham and was educated at well-known Edinburgh boarding school Fettes. He graduated with three A-levels and went on to study Law at St. John’s College in Oxford. After leaving Oxford with a second-class degree, he became a trainee barrister in the chambers of Derry Irvine.

Blair married Cherie Booth, a Roman Catholic lawyer, in 1980. The couple has four children: Euan, Nicholas, Kathryn and Leo. Leo was the first child born to a Prime Minister in office since 1849.

Known as a very religious person with his Christian beliefs also largely influencing his politics, Blair converted to Catholicism in 2007. His Tony Blair Faith Foundation aims at supporting inter-religious dialogue arguing that faith is a major force for the world’s improvement.

Politics

After sympathizing with the Conservative Party in his youth, Blair became a member of the Labour Party in the reformation of which he took a very active role.

In October 1996, the Labour Party agreed on a manifesto named New Labour which argued for a “Third Way” reflecting both Thatcherism’s and Post-War Consensus’ heritage.

Sources

“Times People: Tony Blair.” The New York Times. [1] (May 13, 2011)

“The Blair Years 1997-2007. BBC. [2] (May 13, 2011)

“About Us.” Tony Blair Faith Foundation. [3] (May 13, 2011)

"Timeline: The Blair Years." BBC. [4] (May 13, 2011)

Hills, John. “Thatcherism, New Labour and the Welfare State.” Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London School of Economics. PDF. [5] (May 13, 2011)