Tony Blair - wikipedia Tony Blair `` Anthony Blair '' redirects here. For other uses, see Anthony Blair ( disambiguation ) and Tony Blair ( disambiguation ). The Right Honourable Tony Blair Prime Minister of the United Kingdom In office 2 May 1997 -- 27 June 2007 Monarch Elizabeth II Deputy John Prescott Preceded by John Major Succeeded by Gordon Brown Leader of the Opposition In office 21 July 1994 -- 2 May 1997 Monarch Elizabeth II Prime Minister John Major Preceded by Margaret Beckett Succeeded by John Major Leader of the Labour Party In office 21 July 1994 -- 24 June 2007 Deputy John Prescott Preceded by John Smith Succeeded by Gordon Brown Shadow Cabinet positions Shadow Home Secretary In office 24 July 1992 -- 24 October 1994 Leader John Smith Margaret Beckett ( Acting ) Himself Shadowing Kenneth Clarke Michael Howard Preceded by Roy Hattersley Succeeded by Jack Straw Shadow Secretary of State for Employment In office 2 November 1989 -- 24 July 1992 Leader Neil Kinnock Shadowing Norman Fowler Michael Howard Gillian Shephard Preceded by Michael Meacher Succeeded by Frank Dobson Shadow Secretary of State for Energy In office 23 November 1988 -- 2 November 1989 Leader Neil Kinnock Shadowing Cecil Parkinson John Wakeham Preceded by John Prescott Succeeded by Frank Dobson Shadow Minister for Trade In office 13 July 1987 -- 23 November 1988 Leader Neil Kinnock Shadowing Alan Clark Preceded by Bryan Gould Succeeded by Robin Cook Member of Parliament for Sedgefield In office 9 June 1983 -- 27 June 2007 Preceded by Constituency created Succeeded by Phil Wilson Personal details Anthony Charles Lynton Blair ( 1953 - 05 - 06 ) 6 May 1953 ( age 64 ) Edinburgh, Scotland, UK Political party Labour Spouse ( s ) Cherie Booth ( m. 1980 ) Children Parents Leo Blair Hazel Corscadden Education Chorister School Fettes College Alma mater St John 's College, Oxford Inns of Court Signature Website www.tonyblairoffice.org a. ^ Electorate abolished on 28 February 1974, and reconstituted on 8 June 1983. This article is part of a series about Tony Blair Political positions Electoral history MP for Sedgefield Cultural depictions Rock band Nethermere ( St Neots ) Ltd v Gardiner Beaconsfield by - election ( 1982 ) Leadership election ( 1994 ) Brown Deal Shadow Cabinet New Labour Third Way Office Fund Blair Babes Tony 's Cronies Prime Minister of the United Kingdom First Ministry and Term Premiership ministry election HK Handover Belfast Agreement PP Military intervention in Sierra Leone Fuel protests Foot - and - mouth outbreak Dissolution Honours ( 2001 ) Second Ministry and Term 2001 re-election War in Afghanistan Africa Commission Dissolution Honours ( 2005 ) Impeachment campaign ( 2004 ) Iraq Invasion Downing Street memo September Dossier Bush Memo February Dossier Ultimatum to Iraq Invasion War Third Ministry and Term 2005 re-election London bombings Respect agenda Cabinet reshuffle `` Cash for Honours '' scandal Timeline for leadership succession Post-Premiership Quartet on the Middle East Sports Foundation Faith Foundation Associates Iraq Inquiry A Journey Anthony Charles Lynton Blair ( born 6 May 1953 ) is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He is the most recent British Labour Party leader to have won a general election. From 1983 to 2007, Blair was the Member of Parliament ( MP ) for Sedgefield. He was elected Labour Party leader in July 1994, following the sudden death of his predecessor, John Smith, who together with his predecessor, Neil Kinnock, had started to move the party closer to the political centre, in the hope of winning power. Under Blair 's leadership, the party used the phrase `` New Labour '', to distance it from previous Labour policies and the traditional conception of socialism. Blair declared support for a new conception that he referred to as `` social - ism '', involving politics that recognised individuals as socially interdependent, and advocated social justice, cohesion, the equal worth of each citizen, and equal opportunity, also referred to as the Third Way. Critics of Blair denounced him for bringing the Labour Party towards the perceived centre ground of British politics, abandoning ' genuine ' socialism and being too amenable to capitalism. Supporters, including the party 's public opinion pollster Philip Gould, stated that ( after four consecutive general election defeats ) the Labour Party had to demonstrate that it had made a decisive break from its left - wing past, in order to win an election again. In May 1997, the Labour Party won a landslide general election victory, the largest in its history, allowing Blair, at 43 years of age, to become the youngest Prime Minister since 1812. In September 1997, Blair attained early personal popularity, receiving a 93 % public approval rating, after his public response to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales. The Labour Party went on to win two more general elections under his leadership : in 2001, in which it won another landslide victory, and in 2005, with a greatly reduced majority. During the first ministry of Blair 's Labour government, his government oversaw a large increase in public spending and introduced the National Minimum Wage Act, Human Rights Act, and Freedom of Information Act. His government also held referenda in which the Scottish and Welsh electorates voted in favour of devolved administration. In Northern Ireland, Blair was involved in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. Blair supported the foreign policy of the George W. Bush administration, and ensured that the British Armed Forces participated in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and, more controversially, the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Blair has faced criticism for his role in the invasion of Iraq, including calls for having him tried for war crimes and waging a war of aggression. In 2016, the Iraq Inquiry criticised his actions and described the invasion of Iraq as unjustified and unnecessary. Blair also intervened militarily in Kosovo and Sierra Leone. Blair was succeeded as Leader of the Labour Party and as Prime Minister by Gordon Brown in June 2007. On the day that Blair resigned as Prime Minister, he was appointed the official Special Envoy of the Quartet on the Middle East, an office which he held until May 2015. He now runs a consultancy business and has set up various foundations in his own name, including the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. Contents 1 Earliest years 2 Education 3 Early political career 3.1 Leadership roles 3.2 Opposition Leader 4 Prime Minister 4.1 Northern Ireland 4.2 Military intervention and the War on Terror 4.3 Relationship with Parliament 4.4 Events before resignation 5 Policies 5.1 Social reforms 5.2 Economic policies 5.3 Environmental record 5.4 Foreign policy 5.4. 1 Middle East policy 5.4. 2 Syria and Libya 5.4. 3 Zimbabwe 6 Relationship with media 6.1 Rupert Murdoch 6.2 Contacts with UK media proprietors 6.3 Media portrayal 7 Relationship with Labour Party 7.1 Gordon Brown 8 Post-premiership ( since 2007 ) 8.1 Diplomacy 8.2 Private sector 8.3 Tony Blair Associates 8.4 Charity 8.5 Non-profits 8.6 Memoirs 8.7 Accusations of war crimes 8.8 Response to the Iraq Inquiry 9 Personal life 9.1 Family 9.2 Wealth 9.3 Religious faith 9.4 Extramarital affair allegations 10 Portrayals and cameo appearances 10.1 Appearances 10.2 Portrayals 10.3 Blair in fiction and satire 11 Titles and honours 11.1 Styles since the 1983 election 11.2 Appointments 11.3 Honours 12 Works 13 See also 14 Notes 15 Further reading 16 External links Earliest years Anthony Charles Lynton Blair was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, on 6 May 1953. He was the second son of Leo and Hazel ( née Corscadden ) Blair. Leo Blair was the illegitimate son of two entertainers and was adopted as a baby by Glasgow shipyard worker James Blair and his wife, Mary. Hazel Corscadden was the daughter of George Corscadden, a butcher and Orangeman who moved to Glasgow in 1916. In 1923, he returned to ( and later died in ) Ballyshannon, County Donegal. In Ballyshannon, Corscadden 's wife, Sarah Margaret ( née Lipsett ), gave birth above the family 's grocery shop to Blair 's mother, Hazel. Blair has an older brother, Sir William Blair, a High Court judge, and a younger sister, Sarah. Blair 's first home was with his family at Paisley Terrace in the Willowbrae area of Edinburgh. During this period, his father worked as a junior tax inspector whilst also studying for a law degree from the University of Edinburgh. Blair 's first relocation was when he was nineteen months old. At the end of 1954, Blair 's parents and their two sons moved from Paisley Terrace to Adelaide, South Australia. His father lectured in law at the University of Adelaide. It was when in Australia that Blair 's sister Sarah was born. The Blairs lived in the suburb of Dulwich close to the university. The family returned to the United Kingdom in the summer of 1958. They lived for a time with Hazel 's mother and stepfather ( William McClay ) at their home in Stepps on the outskirts of north - east Glasgow. Blair 's father accepted a job as a lecturer at Durham University, and thus moved the family to Durham, England. Aged five, this marked the beginning of a long association Blair was to have with Durham. Education With his parents basing their family in Durham, Blair attended Chorister School from 1961 to 1966. Aged thirteen, he was sent to spend his school term time boarding at Fettes College in Edinburgh from 1966 to 1971. Blair is reported to have hated his time at Fettes. His teachers were unimpressed with him ; his biographer, John Rentoul, reported that `` All the teachers I spoke to when researching the book said he was a complete pain in the backside and they were very glad to see the back of him. '' Blair reportedly modelled himself on Mick Jagger, lead singer of The Rolling Stones. During his time there he met Charlie Falconer ( a pupil at the rival Edinburgh Academy ), whom he later appointed Lord Chancellor. Leaving Fettes College at the age of eighteen, Blair next spent a year in London attempting to find fame as a rock music promoter. Then in 1972, at the age of nineteen ; he enrolled for university at St John 's College, Oxford, reading Jurisprudence for three years. As a student, he played guitar and sang in a rock band called Ugly Rumours, and performed some stand - up comedy, including parodying James T. Kirk as a character named Captain Kink. He was influenced by fellow student and Anglican priest Peter Thomson, who awakened his religious faith and left - wing politics. While Blair was at Oxford, his mother Hazel died of cancer, which greatly affected him. While at Oxford, Blair has stated that he was briefly a Trotskyist, after reading the first volume of Isaac Deutscher 's biography of Leon Trotsky, which was `` like a light going on. '' He graduated from Oxford at the age of 22 in 1975 with a second - class Honours B.A. in Jurisprudence. Blair then became a member of Lincoln 's Inn and enrolled as a pupil barrister. He met his future wife, Cherie Booth ( daughter of the actor Tony Booth ) at the law chambers founded by Derry Irvine ( who was to be Blair 's first Lord Chancellor ), 11 King 's Bench Walk Chambers. Early political Career Blair joined the Labour Party shortly after graduating from Oxford in 1975. In the early 1980s, he was involved in Labour politics in Hackney South and Shoreditch, where he aligned himself with the `` soft left '' of the party. He put himself forward as a candidate for the Hackney council elections of 1982 in Queensbridge ward, a safe Labour area, but was not selected. In 1982, Blair was selected as the Labour Party candidate for the safe Conservative seat of Beaconsfield, where there was a forthcoming by - election. Although Blair lost the Beaconsfield by - election and Labour 's share of the vote fell by 10 percentage points, he acquired a profile within the party. In contrast to his later centrism, Blair made it clear in a letter he wrote to Labour leader Michael Foot in July 1982 ( published in 2006 ) that he had `` come to Socialism through Marxism '' and considered himself on the left. Like Tony Benn, Blair believed that `` Labour right '' was bankrupt : `` Socialism ultimately must appeal to the better minds of the people. You can not do that if you are tainted overmuch with a pragmatic period in power. '' Yet, he saw the hard left as no better, saying : There is an arrogance and self - righteousness about many of the groups on the far left which is deeply unattractive to the ordinary would - be member... There 's too much mixing only with people ( with ) whom they agree. With a general election due, Blair had not been selected as a candidate anywhere. He was invited to stand again in Beaconsfield, and was initially inclined to agree but was advised by his head of chambers Derry Irvine to find somewhere else which might be winnable. The situation was complicated by the fact that Labour was fighting a legal action against planned boundary changes, and had selected candidates on the basis of previous boundaries. When the legal challenge failed, the party had to rerun all selections on the new boundaries ; most were based on existing seats, but unusually in County Durham a new Sedgefield constituency had been created out of Labour - voting areas which had no obvious predecessor seat. The selection for Sedgefield did not begin until after the 1983 general election was called. Blair 's initial inquiries discovered that the left was trying to arrange the selection for Les Huckfield, sitting MP for Nuneaton who was trying elsewhere ; several sitting MPs displaced by boundary changes were also interested in it. When he discovered the Trimdon branch had not yet made a nomination, Blair visited them and won the support of the branch secretary John Burton, and with Burton 's help was nominated by the branch. At the last minute, he was added to the shortlist and won the selection over Huckfield. It was the last candidate selection made by Labour before the election, and was made after the Labour Party had issued biographies of all its candidates ( `` Labour 's Election Who 's Who '' ). John Burton became Blair 's election agent and one of his most trusted and longest - standing allies. Blair 's election literature in the 1983 UK general election endorsed left - wing policies that Labour advocated in the early 1980s. He called for Britain to leave the EEC as early as the 1970s, though he had told his selection conference that he personally favoured continuing membership and voted `` Yes '' in the 1975 referendum on the subject. He opposed the Exchange Rate Mechanism ( ERM ) in 1986 but supported the ERM by 1989. He was a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, despite never strongly being in favour of unilateral nuclear disarmament. Blair was helped on the campaign trail by soap opera actress Pat Phoenix, his father - in - law 's girlfriend. At the age of thirty, he was elected as MP for Sedgefield in 1983 ; despite the party 's landslide defeat at the general election. In his maiden speech in the House of Commons on 6 July 1983, Blair stated, `` I am a socialist not through reading a textbook that has caught my intellectual fancy, nor through unthinking tradition, but because I believe that, at its best, socialism corresponds most closely to an existence that is both rational and moral. It stands for cooperation, not confrontation ; for fellowship, not fear. It stands for equality. '' Once elected, Blair 's political ascent was rapid. He received his first front - bench appointment in 1984 as assistant Treasury spokesman. In May 1985, he appeared on BBC 's Question Time, arguing that the Conservative Government 's Public Order White Paper was a threat to civil liberties. Blair demanded an inquiry into the Bank of England 's decision to rescue the collapsed Johnson Matthey Bank in October 1985. By this time, Blair was aligned with the reforming tendencies in the party ( headed by leader Neil Kinnock ) and was promoted after the 1987 election to the Shadow Trade and Industry team as spokesman on the City of London. Leadership roles In 1987, he stood for election to the Shadow Cabinet, receiving 71 votes. When Kinnock resigned after a fourth consecutive Conservative victory in the 1992 general election, Blair became Shadow Home Secretary under John Smith. The old guard argued that trends showed they were regaining strength under Smith 's strong leadership. Meanwhile, the breakaway SDP faction had merged with the Liberal Party ; the resulting Liberal Democrats seemed to pose a major threat to the Labour base. Blair, the leader of the modernising faction, had an entirely different vision, arguing that the long - term trends had to be reversed. The Labour Party was too locked into a base that was shrinking, since it was based on the working - class, on trade unions, and on residents of subsidised council housing. The rapidly growing middle - class was largely ignored, especially the more ambitious working - class families. They aspired to middle - class status, but accepted the Conservative argument that Labour was holding ambitious people back with its levelling - down policies. They increasingly saw Labour in terms defined by the opposition, regarding higher taxes and higher interest rates. In order to present a fresh face and new policies to the elect, New Labour needed more than fresh leaders ; it had to jettison outdated policies. The first step was procedural, but essential. Calling on the slogan, `` One member, one vote '' Blair ( with some help from Smith ) defeated the union element and ended the block voting by which leaders of labour unions cast hundreds of thousands of votes on behalf of their members, and had an outsize voice in the party. Blair and the modernizers called for radical adjustment of Party goals by repealing `` Clause IV, '' the historic commitment to nationalisation of industry. That was achieved in 1995. Opposition leader See also : Shadow Cabinet of Tony Blair John Smith died suddenly in 1994 of a heart attack. Blair defeated John Prescott and Margaret Beckett in the subsequent leadership election and became Leader of the Opposition. As is customary for the holder of that office, Blair was appointed a Privy Councillor. Labour was seen by The Guardian to be `` definitely socialistic '' since its first constitution was published in 1918, saying that support for the `` common ownership of the means of production and exchange '' in Clause IV of the party 's constitution, was `` decisive '' in making Labour a socialist party. Blair announced at the end of his speech at the 1994 Labour Party conference that he intended to replace this clause of the party 's constitution with a new statement of aims and values. This involved the deletion of the party 's stated commitment to `` the common ownership of the means of production and exchange '', which was widely interpreted as referring to wholesale nationalisation. At a special conference in April 1995, the clause was replaced by a statement that the party is `` democratic socialist '', and Blair also claimed to be a `` democratic socialist '' himself in the same year. However, the move away from nationalisation in the old Clause IV made many on the left wing of the Labour Party feel that Labour was moving away from traditional socialist principles of nationalisation set out in 1918, and was seen by them as part of a shift of the party towards `` New Labour ''. He inherited the Labour leadership at a time when the party was ascendant over the Conservatives in the opinion polls, since the Conservative government 's reputation for monetary excellence record was left in tatters by the Black Wednesday economic disaster of September 1992. Blair 's election as leader saw Labour support surge higher still in spite of the continuing economic recovery and fall in unemployment that the Conservative government ( led by John Major ) had overseen since the end of the 1990 -- 92 recession. At the 1996 Labour Party conference, Blair stated that his three top priorities on coming to office were `` education, education, and education ''. Aided by the unpopularity of John Major 's Conservative government ( itself deeply divided over the European Union ), `` New Labour '' won a landslide victory at the 1997 general election, ending eighteen years of Conservative Party rule, with the heaviest Conservative defeat since 1906. According to diaries released by Paddy Ashdown, during Smith 's leadership of the Labour Party, there were discussions with Ashdown about forming a coalition government if the next general election resulted in a hung parliament. Ashdown also claimed that Blair was a supporter of proportional representation ( PR ). In addition to Ashdown, Liberal Democrat MPs Menzies Campbell and Alan Beith were earmarked for places in the cabinet if a Labour - Lib Dem coalition was formed. Blair was forced to back down on these proposals because John Prescott and Gordon Brown opposed the Proportional Representation system, and many members of the Shadow Cabinet were worried about concessions being made towards the Lib Dems. However, after Blair became leader, these talks continued -- despite virtually every opinion poll since late - 1992 having shown Labour with enough support to form a majority. However, the scale of the Labour victory meant that there was ultimately never any need for a coalition to be formed. Prime Minister Main article : Premiership of Tony Blair Further information : Blair ministry Blair with US President Bill Clinton, November 1999 Blair became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on 2 May 1997, serving concurrently as First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Labour Party. Aged 43, Blair became the youngest person to become Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool became Prime Minister aged 42 in 1812. With victories in 1997, 2001, and 2005, Blair was the Labour Party 's longest - serving Prime Minister, and the first and only person to date to lead the party to three consecutive general election victories. Northern Ireland Blair addressing a crowd in Armagh in 1998 His contribution towards assisting the Northern Ireland peace process by helping to negotiate the Good Friday Agreement ( after 30 years of conflict ) was widely recognised. Following the Omagh bombing on 15 August 1998, by members of the Real IRA opposed to the peace process, which killed 29 people and wounded hundreds, Blair visited the County Tyrone town and met with victims at Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast. Military intervention and the war on Terror In his first six years in office, Blair ordered British troops into combat five times, more than any other prime minister in British history. This included Iraq in both 1998 and 2003, Kosovo ( 1999 ), Sierra Leone ( 2000 ) and Afghanistan ( 2001 ). The Kosovo War, which Blair had advocated on moral grounds, was initially a failure when it relied solely on air strikes ; the threat of a ground offensive convinced Serbia 's Slobodan Milošević to withdraw. Blair had been a major advocate for a ground offensive, which Bill Clinton was reluctant to do, and ordered that 50,000 soldiers -- most of the available British Army -- should be made ready for action. The following year, the limited Operation Palliser in Sierra Leone swiftly swung the tide against the rebel forces ; before deployment, the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone had been on the verge of collapse. Palliser had been intended as an evacuation mission but Brigadier David Richards was able to convince Blair to allow him to expand the role ; at the time, Richards ' action was not known and Blair was assumed to be behind it. Blair ordered Operation Barras, a highly successful SAS / Parachute Regiment strike to rescue hostages from a Sierra Leone rebel group. Historian Andrew Marr has argued that the success of ground attacks, real and threatened, over air strikes alone was influential on how Blair planned the Iraq War, and that the success of the first three wars Blair fought `` played to his sense of himself as a moral war leader ''. When asked in 2010 if the success of Palliser may have `` embolden ( ed ) British politicians '' to think of military action as a policy option, General Sir David Richards admitted there `` might be something in that ''. Tony Blair and George W. Bush shake hands after their press conference in the East Room of the White House on 12 November 2004. From the start of the War on Terror in 2001, Blair strongly supported the foreign policy of George W. Bush, participating in the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan and 2003 invasion of Iraq. The invasion of Iraq was particularly controversial, as it attracted widespread public opposition and 139 of Blair 's own MPs opposed it. As a result, he faced criticism over the policy itself and the circumstances of the decision. Alastair Campbell described Blair 's statement that the intelligence on WMDs was `` beyond doubt '' as his `` assessment of the assessment that was given to him. '' In 2009, Blair stated that he would have supported removing Saddam Hussein from power even in the face of proof that he had no such weapons. Playwright Harold Pinter and former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad accused Blair of war crimes. Testifying before the Iraq Inquiry on 29 January 2010, Blair said Saddam was a `` monster and I believe he threatened not just the region but the world. '' Blair said that British and American attitude towards Saddam Hussein had `` changed dramatically '' after the 11 September attacks. Blair denied that he would have supported the invasion of Iraq even if he had thought Saddam had no weapons of mass destruction. He said he believed the world was safer as a result of the invasion. He said there was `` no real difference between wanting regime change and wanting Iraq to disarm : regime change was US policy because Iraq was in breach of its UN obligations. '' In an October 2015 CNN interview with Fareed Zakaria, Blair apologised for his `` mistakes '' over Iraq War and admitted there were `` elements of truth '' to the view that the invasion helped promote the rise of ISIS. The Chilcot Inquiry report of 2016 gave a damning assessment of Blair 's role in the Iraq War, though the former prime minister again refused to apologise for his decision to back the US - led invasion. Relationship with Parliament One of his first acts as Prime Minister, was to replace the then twice - weekly 15 - minute sessions of Prime Minister 's Questions held on Tuesdays and Thursdays with a single 30 - minute session on Wednesdays. In addition to PMQs, Blair held monthly press conferences at which he fielded questions from journalists and -- from 2002 -- broke precedent by agreeing to give evidence twice yearly before the most senior Commons select committee, the Liaison Committee. Blair was sometimes perceived as paying insufficient attention both to the views of his own Cabinet colleagues and to those of the House of Commons. His style was sometimes criticised as not that of a prime minister and head of government, which he was, but of a president and head of state -- which he was not. Blair was accused of excessive reliance on spin. He is the first UK prime minister to have been formally questioned by police, though not under caution, while still in office. Events before resignation For a chronological guide to this subject, see Timeline for the Labour Party ( UK ) leadership elections, 2007. As the casualties of the Iraq War mounted, Blair was accused of misleading Parliament, and his popularity dropped dramatically. Labour 's overall majority at the 2005 general election was reduced to from 167 to 66 seats. As a combined result of the Blair -- Brown pact, Iraq war and low approval ratings, pressure built up within the Labour Party for Blair to resign. Over the summer of 2006 many MPs, including usually supportive MPs, criticised Blair for his failure to call for a ceasefire in the 2006 Israel -- Lebanon conflict. On 7 September 2006, Blair publicly stated he would step down as party leader by the time of the Trades Union Congress ( TUC ) conference held 10 -- 13 September 2007, having promised to serve a full term during the previous general election campaign. On 10 May 2007, during a speech at the Trimdon Labour Club, Blair announced his intention to resign as both Labour Party leader and Prime Minister. At a special party conference in Manchester on 24 June 2007, he formally handed over the leadership of the Labour Party to Gordon Brown, who had been Chancellor of the Exchequer under Blair 's three ministries. Blair tendered his resignation on 27 June 2007 and Brown assumed office during the same afternoon. Blair resigned from his Sedgefield seat in the House of Commons in the traditional form of accepting the Stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds, to which he was appointed by Gordon Brown in one of the latter 's last acts as Chancellor of the Exchequer. The resulting Sedgefield by - election was won by Labour 's candidate, Phil Wilson. Blair decided not to issue a list of Resignation Honours, making him the first Prime Minister of the modern era not to do so. Policies Further information : Blairism Social reforms In 2001, Blair said, `` We are a left of centre party, pursuing economic prosperity and social justice as partners and not as opposites ''. Blair rarely applies such labels to himself, but he promised before the 1997 election that New Labour would govern `` from the radical centre '', and according to one lifelong Labour Party member, has always described himself as a social democrat. However, at least one left - wing commentator has said that Blair is to the right of centre. A YouGov opinion poll in 2005 found that a small majority of British voters, including many New Labour supporters, place Blair on the right of the political spectrum. The Financial Times on the other hand has argued that Blair is not conservative, but instead a populist. Critics and admirers tend to agree that Blair 's electoral success was based on his ability to occupy the centre ground and appeal to voters across the political spectrum, to the extent that he has been fundamentally at odds with traditional Labour Party values. Some left - wing critics, such as Mike Marqusee in 2001, argued that Blair oversaw the final stage of a long term shift of the Labour Party to the right. There is some evidence that Blair 's long term dominance of the centre forced his Conservative opponents to shift a long distance to the left to challenge his hegemony there. Leading Conservatives of the post-New Labour era hold Blair in high regard : George Osborne describes him as `` the master '', Michael Gove thought he had an `` entitlement to conservative respect '' in February 2003, while David Cameron reportedly maintained Blair as an informal adviser. Blair increased police powers by adding to the number of arrestable offences, compulsory DNA recording and the use of dispersal orders. Under Blair 's government the amount of new legislation increased which attracted criticism. He also introduced tough anti-terrorism and identity card legislation. Economic policies During his time as prime minister, Blair raised taxes ; introduced a National Minimum Wage and some new employment rights ( while keeping Margaret Thatcher 's trade union reforms ) ; introduced significant constitutional reforms ; promoted new rights for gay people in the Civil Partnership Act 2004 ; and signed treaties integrating Britain more closely with the EU. He introduced substantial market - based reforms in the education and health sectors ; introduced student tuition fees and sought to reduce certain categories of welfare payments. He did not reverse the privatisation of the railways enacted by his predecessor John Major and instead strengthened regulation ( by creating the Office of Rail Regulation ) and limited fare rises to inflation + 1 %. NHS Spending 1948 / 49 - 2014 / 15 Blair and Brown raised spending on the NHS and other public services, increasing spending from 39.9 % of GDP to 48.1 % in 2010 − 11. They pledged in 2001 to bring NHS spending to the levels of other European countries, and doubled spending in real terms to over £ 100 billion in England alone. Environmental record Blair criticised other governments for not doing enough to solve global climate change. In a 1997 visit to the United States, he made a comment on `` great industrialised nations '' that fail to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Again in 2003, Blair went before the United States Congress and said that climate change `` can not be ignored '', insisting `` we need to go beyond even Kyoto. '' Blair and his party promised a 20 % reduction in carbon dioxide. The Labour Party also claimed that by 2010 10 % of the energy would come from renewable resources ; however, it only reached 7 % by that point. In 2000, Blair `` flagged up '' 100 million euros for green policies and urged environmentalists and businesses to work together. Foreign policy Jacques Chirac, George W. Bush, Tony Blair and Silvio Berlusconi during the G8 Summit in Évian, June 2003 Blair built his foreign policy on basic principles ( close ties with US and EU ) and added a new activist philosophy of `` interventionism ''. In 2001 Britain joined the US in the global war on terror. Blair forged friendships with several European leaders, including Silvio Berlusconi of Italy, Angela Merkel of Germany and later Nicolas Sarkozy of France. Blair meets with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, March 2005 Along with enjoying a close relationship with Bill Clinton, Blair formed a strong political alliance with George W. Bush, particularly in the area of foreign policy. For his part, Bush lauded Blair and the UK. In his post-9 / 11 speech, for example, he stated that `` America has no truer friend than Great Britain ''. The alliance between Bush and Blair seriously damaged Blair 's standing in the eyes of Britons angry at American influence. Blair argued it was in Britain 's interest to `` protect and strengthen the bond '' with the United States regardless of who is in the White House. However, a perception of one - sided compromising personal and political closeness led to discussion of the term `` Poodle - ism '' in the UK media, to describe the `` Special Relationship '' of the UK government and Prime Minister with the US White House and President. A revealing conversation between Bush and Blair, with the former addressing the latter as `` Yo ( or Yeah ), Blair '' was recorded when they did not know a microphone was live at the G8 summit in Saint Petersburg in 2006. Middle East policy Blair showed a deep feeling for Israel, born in part from his faith. Blair has been a longtime member of the pro-Israel lobby group Labour Friends of Israel. In 1994, Blair forged close ties with Michael Levy, a leader of the Jewish Leadership Council. Levy ran the Labour Leader 's Office Fund to finance Blair 's campaign before the 1997 election and raised £ 12 million towards Labour 's landslide victory, Levy was rewarded with a peerage, and in 2002, Blair appointed Lord Levy as his personal envoy to the Middle East. Levy praised Blair for his `` solid and committed support of the State of Israel ''. Tam Dalyell, while Father of the House of Commons, suggested in 2003 that Blair 's foreign policy decisions were unduly influenced by a `` cabal '' of Jewish advisers, including Levy, Peter Mandelson and Jack Straw ( the last two are not Jewish but have some Jewish ancestry ). Blair, on coming to office, had been `` cool towards the right - wing Netanyahu government ''. During his first visit to Israel, Blair thought the Israelis bugged him in his car. After the election in 1999 of Ehud Barak, with whom Blair forged a close relationship, he became much more sympathetic to Israel. From 2001, Blair built up a relationship with Barak 's successor, Ariel Sharon, and responded positively to Arafat, whom he had met thirteen times since becoming prime minister and regarded as essential to future negotiations. In 2004, 50 former diplomats, including ambassadors to Baghdad and Tel Aviv, stated they had `` watched with deepening concern '' at Britain following the US into war in Iraq in 2003. They criticised Blair 's support for the road map for peace which included the retaining of Israeli settlements on the West Bank. In 2006 Blair was criticised for his failure to immediately call for a ceasefire in the 2006 Lebanon War. The Observer newspaper claimed that at a cabinet meeting before Blair left for a summit with Bush on 28 July 2006, a significant number of ministers pressured Blair to publicly criticise Israel over the scale of deaths and destruction in Lebanon. Blair was criticised for his solid stance alongside US President George W. Bush on Middle East policy. Syria and Libya A Freedom of Information request by The Sunday Times in 2012 revealed that Blair 's government considered knighting Syria 's President Bashar al - Assad. The documents showed Blair was willing to appear alongside Assad at a joint press conference even though the Syrians would probably have settled for a farewell handshake for the cameras ; British officials sought to manipulate the media to portray Assad in a favourable light ; and Blair 's aides tried to help Assad 's `` photogenic '' wife boost her profile. The newspaper noted : The Arab leader was granted audiences with the Queen and the Prince of Wales, lunch with Blair at Downing Street, a platform in parliament and many other privileges... The red carpet treatment he and his entourage received is embarrassing given the bloodbath that has since taken place under his rule in Syria... The courtship has parallels with Blair 's friendly relations with Muammar Gaddafi. Blair had been on friendly terms with Colonel Gaddafi, the leader of Libya, when sanctions imposed on the country were lifted by the USA and the UK. Even after the Libyan Civil War in 2011, he said he had no regrets about his close relationship with the late Libyan leader. During Blair 's premiership, MI6 rendered Abdelhakim Belhadj to the Gaddafi regime in 2004, though Blair later claimed he had `` no recollection '' of the incident. Zimbabwe Blair had an antagonistic relationship with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and allegedly planned regime change against Mugabe in the early 2000s. Zimbabwe had embarked on a program of uncompensated land redistribution from the country 's white commercial farmers to the black population, a policy that disrupted agricultural production and threw Zimbabwe 's economy into chaos. General Charles Guthrie, the Chief of the Defence Staff, revealed in 2007 that he and Blair had discussed the invasion of Zimbabwe. Guthrie advised against military action : `` Hold hard, you 'll make it worse. '' In 2013, South African President Thabo Mbeki said that Blair had pressured South Africa to join in a `` regime change scheme, even to the point of using military force '' in Zimbabwe. Mbeki refused because he felt that `` Mugabe is part of the solution to this problem. '' However, a spokesman for Blair said that `` he never asked anyone to plan or take part in any such military intervention. '' Relationship with media Rupert Murdoch Blair was reported by The Guardian in 2006 to have been supported politically by Rupert Murdoch, the founder of the News Corporation organisation. In 2011, Blair became Godfather to one of Rupert Murdoch 's children with Wendi Deng, but he and Murdoch later ended their friendship, in 2014, after Murdoch suspected him of having an affair with Deng while they were still married, according to The Economist magazine. Contacts with UK media proprietors A Cabinet Office freedom of information response, released the day after Blair handed over power to Gordon Brown, documents Blair having various official phone calls and meetings with Rupert Murdoch of News Corporation and Richard Desmond of Northern and Shell Media. The response includes contacts `` clearly of an official nature '' in the specified period, but excludes contacts `` not clearly of an official nature. '' No details were given of the subjects discussed. In the period between September 2002 and April 2005, Blair and Murdoch are documented speaking 6 times ; three times in the 9 days before the Iraq War, including the eve of 20 March US and UK invasion, and on 29 January 25 April and 3 October 2004. Between January 2003 and February 2004, Blair had three meetings with Richard Desmond ; on 29 January and 3 September 2003 and 23 February 2004. The information was disclosed after a three and a half - year battle by the Liberal Democrats ' Lord Avebury. Lord Avebury 's initial October 2003 information request was dismissed by then leader of the Lords, Baroness Amos. A following complaint was rejected, with Downing Street claiming the information compromised free and frank discussions, while Cabinet Office claimed releasing the timing of the PM 's contacts with individuals is undesirable, as it might lead to the content of the discussions being disclosed. While awaiting a following appeal from Lord Avebury, the cabinet office announced that it would release the information. Lord Avebury said : `` The public can now scrutinise the timing of his ( Murdoch 's ) contacts with the former Prime Minister, to see whether they can be linked to events in the outside world. '' Blair appeared before the Leveson Inquiry on Monday 28 May 2012. During his appearance, a protester, later named as David Lawley - Wakelin, got into the court - room and claimed he was guilty of war crimes before being dragged out. Media portrayal Blair has been noted as a charismatic, articulate speaker with an informal style. Film and theatre director Richard Eyre opined that `` Blair had a very considerable skill as a performer ''. A few months after becoming Prime Minister Blair gave a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, on the morning of her death in August 1997, in which he famously described her as `` the People 's Princess ''. After taking office in 1997, Blair gave particular prominence to his press secretary, who became known as the Prime Minister 's Official Spokesman ( the two roles have since been separated ). Blair 's first PMOS was Alastair Campbell, who served in that role from May 1997 to 8 June 2001, after which he served as the Prime Minister 's Director of Communications and Strategy until his resignation on 29 August 2003 in the aftermath of the Hutton Inquiry. Blair had close relationships with the Clinton family. The strong partnership with Bill Clinton was made into the film `` The Special Relationship '' in 2010. Relationship with Labour Party Blair 's apparent refusal to set a date for his departure was criticised by the British press and Members of Parliament. It has been reported that a number of cabinet ministers believed that Blair 's timely departure from office would be required to be able to win a fourth election. Some ministers viewed Blair 's announcement of policy initiatives in September 2006 as an attempt to draw attention away from these issues. Gordon Brown See also : Blair -- Brown deal Gordon Brown ( pictured in 2002 ) was Chancellor under Blair, with whom he made a pact to succeed as prime minister. After the death of John Smith in 1994, Blair and his close colleague Gordon Brown ( they shared an office at the House of Commons ) were both seen as possible candidates for the party leadership. They agreed not to stand against each other, it is said, as part of a supposed Blair -- Brown pact. Brown, who considered himself the senior of the two, understood that Blair would give way to him : opinion polls soon indicated, however, that Blair appeared to enjoy greater support among voters. Their relationship in power became so turbulent that ( it was reported ) the deputy prime minister, John Prescott, often had to act as `` marriage guidance counsellor ''. During the 2010 election campaign Blair publicly endorsed Gordon Brown 's leadership, praising the way he had handled the financial crisis. Post-premiership ( since 2007 ) Diplomacy On 27 June 2007, Blair officially resigned as Prime Minister after ten years in office, and he was officially confirmed as Middle East envoy for the United Nations, European Union, United States, and Russia. Blair originally indicated that he would retain his parliamentary seat after his resignation as Prime Minister came into effect ; however, on being confirmed for the Middle East role he resigned from the Commons by taking up an office of profit. President George W. Bush had preliminary talks with Blair to ask him to take up the envoy role. White House sources stated that `` both Israel and the Palestinians had signed up to the proposal ''. On 27 May 2015, Blair wrote to the Secretary - General of the United Nations, Ban Ki - moon to confirm his resignation as Middle East envoy. In May 2008, Blair announced a new plan for peace and for Palestinian rights, based heavily on the ideas of the Peace Valley plan. Private sector In January 2008, it was confirmed that Blair would be joining investment bank JPMorgan Chase in a `` senior advisory capacity '' and that he would advise Zurich Financial Services on climate change. His salary for this work is unknown, although it has been claimed it may be in excess of £ 500,000 per year. Blair also gives lectures, earning up to US $250,000 for a 90 - minute speech, and in 2008 he was said to be the highest paid speaker in the world. Yale University announced on 7 March 2008 that Blair will teach a course on issues of faith and globalisation at the Yale Schools of Management and Divinity as a Howland distinguished fellow during the 2008 -- 09 academic year. In July 2009, this accomplishment was followed by the launching of the Faith and Globalisation Initiative with Yale University in the US, Durham University in the UK, and the National University of Singapore in Asia, to deliver a postgraduate programme in partnership with the Foundation. Blair 's links with, and receipt of an undisclosed sum from, UI Energy Corporation, have also been subject to media comment in the UK. In July 2010 it was reported that his personal security guards claimed £ 250,000 a year in expenses from the tax payer, Foreign Secretary William Hague said ; `` we have to make sure that ( Blair 's security ) is as cost - effective as possible, that it does n't cost any more to the taxpayer than is absolutely necessary ''. Tony Blair Associates Former rebel leader Hashim Thaçi and Tony Blair with Declaration of Independence of Kosovo Blair established Tony Blair Associates to `` allow him to provide, in partnership with others, strategic advice on a commercial and pro bono basis, on political and economic trends and governmental reform ''. The profits from the firm go towards supporting Blair 's `` work on faith, Africa and climate change ''. Blair has been subject to criticism for potential conflicts of interest between his diplomatic role as a Middle East envoy, and his work with Tony Blair Associates, and a number of prominent critics have even called for him to be sacked. Blair has used his Quartet Tony Blair Associates works with the Khazakstan government, advising the regime on judicial, economic and political reforms, but has been subject to criticism after accusations of `` whitewashing '' the image and human rights record of the regime. Blair responded to such criticism by saying his choice to advise the country is an example of how he can `` nudge controversial figures on a progressive path of reform '', and has stated that he receives no personal profit from this advisory role. The Kazakhstan foreign minister said that the country was `` honoured and privileged '' to be receiving advice from Blair. A letter obtained by The Daily Telegraph in August 2014 revealed Blair had given damage - limitation advice to Nazarbayev after the December 2011 Zhanaozen massacre. Blair was reported to have accepted a business advisory role with President Abdel Fattah el - Sisi of Egypt, a situation deemed incompatible with his role as Middle East envoy. Blair described the report as `` nonsense ''. Charity On 14 November 2007, Blair launched the Tony Blair Sports Foundation, which aims to `` increase childhood participation in sports activities, especially in the North East of England, where a larger proportion of children are socially excluded, and to promote overall health and prevent childhood obesity. '' On 30 May 2008, Blair launched the Tony Blair Faith Foundation as a vehicle for encouraging different faiths to join together in promoting respect and understanding, as well as working to tackle poverty. Reflecting Blair 's own faith but not dedicated to any particular religion, the Foundation aims to `` show how faith is a powerful force for good in the modern world ''. `` The Foundation will use its profile and resources to encourage people of faith to work together more closely to tackle global poverty and conflict, '' says its mission statement. In February 2009, he applied to set up a charity called the Tony Blair Africa Governance Initiative : the application was approved in November 2009. In October 2012 Blair 's foundation hit controversy when it emerged they were taking on unpaid interns. Non-profits In December 2016 Blair created the Tony Blair Institute to promote global outlooks by governments and organisations. Memoirs Main article : A Journey In March 2010, it was reported that Blair 's memoirs, titled The Journey, would be published in September 2010. In July 2010 it was announced the memoirs would be retitled A Journey. The memoirs were seen by many as controversial and a further attempt to profit from his office and from acts related to overseas wars that were widely seen as wrong, leading to anger and suspicion prior to launch. On 16 August 2010 it was announced that Blair would give the £ 4.6 million advance and all royalties from his memoirs to the Royal British Legion -- the charity 's largest ever single donation. Media analysis of the sudden announcement was wide - ranging, describing it as an act of `` desperation '' to obtain a better launch reception of a humiliating `` publishing flop '' that had languished in the ratings, `` blood money '' for the lives lost in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, an act with a `` hidden motive '' or an expression of `` guilt '', a `` genius move '' to address the problem that `` Tony Blair ha ( d ) one of the most toxic brands around '' from a PR perspective, and a `` cynical stunt to wipe the slate '', but also as an attempt to make amends. Friends had said that the act was partly motivated by the wish to `` repair his reputation ''. The book was published on 1 September and within hours of its launch had become the fastest - selling autobiography of all time. On 3 September Blair gave his first live interview since publication on The Late Late Show in Ireland, with protesters lying in wait there for him. On 4 September Blair was confronted by 200 anti-war and hardline Irish nationalist demonstrators before the first book signing of his memoirs at Eason 's bookstore on O'Connell Street in Dublin, with angry activists chanting `` war criminal '' and that he had `` blood on his hands '', and clashing with Irish Police ( Garda Síochána ) as they tried to break through a security cordon outside the Eason 's store. Blair was pelted with eggs and shoes, and encountered an attempted citizen 's arrest for war crimes. Accusations of war crimes Since the Iraq War, Blair has been the subject of war crimes accusations. Critics of his actions, including Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harold Pinter and Arundhati Roy have called for his trial at the International Criminal Court. In November 2011, a mock war - crimes tribunal created by the Kuala Lumpur War Crimes Commission reached a unanimous conclusion that Blair and George W. Bush are guilty of crimes against peace, crimes against humanity, and genocide as a result of their roles in the 2003 Iraq War. The mock trial, which lasted four days, consisting of five judges of judicial and academic backgrounds, a court - appointed defence team in lieu of the defendants or representatives, and a prosecution team including international law professor Francis Boyle. In September 2012, Desmond Tutu suggested that Blair should follow the path of former African leaders who had been brought before the International Criminal Court in The Hague. The human rights lawyer Geoffrey Bindman, interviewed on BBC radio, concurred with Tutu 's suggestion that there should be a war crimes trial. In a statement made in response to Tutu 's comments, Blair defended his actions. He was supported by Lord Falconer, who stated that the war had been authorised by United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441. In July 2017, former Iraqi general Abdulwaheed al - Rabbat launched a case, in the High Court in London, calling for Tony Blair, former foreign secretary Jack Straw and former attorney general Lord Goldsmith to be prosecuted for `` the crime of aggression ''. No such crime exists in England and Wales and the case was therefore dismissed. Response to the Iraq Inquiry Further information : Findings of the Iraq Inquiry The Chilcot report after the conclusion of the Iraq Inquiry was issued on 6 July 2016 and it criticised Blair for joining the US in the war in Iraq in 2003. Afterwards, Blair issued a statement and held a two - hour press conference to apologise and to justify the decisions he had made in 2003 `` in good faith '' and denying allegations that the war had led to a significant increase in terrorism. He acknowledged that the report made `` real and material criticisms of preparation, planning, process and of the relationship with the United States '' but cited sections of the report that he said `` should lay to rest allegations of bad faith, lies or deceit ''. He stated : `` whether people agree or disagree with my decision to take military action against Saddam Hussein ; I took it in good faith and in what I believed to be the best interests of the country... I will take full responsibility for any mistakes without exception or excuse. I will at the same time say why, nonetheless, I believe that it was better to remove Saddam Hussein and why I do not believe this is the cause of the terrorism we see today whether in the Middle East or elsewhere in the world ''. Personal life Family Blair with wife, Cherie Booth, touring the Amber Room during a visit to Russia, 2003. Blair married Cherie Booth, a Roman Catholic, who would later become a Queen 's Counsel, on 29 March 1980. They have four children : Euan, Nicholas, Kathryn, and Leo. Leo, delivered by the Royal Surgeon / Gynaecologist Marcus Setchell, 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 11 July 1849. Blair was criticised when it was discovered that one child had received private tuition from staff at Westminster School. All four children have Irish passports, by virtue of Blair 's mother, Hazel Elizabeth Rosaleen Corscaden ( 1923 -- 1975 ). The family 's primary residence is in Connaught Square ; the Blairs own eight residences in total. His first grandchild ( a girl ) was born in October 2016. Wealth Blair 's financial assets are structured in a complicated manner, and as such estimates of their extent vary widely. These include figures of up to £ 100 million ; Blair has stated he is worth less than a `` fifth of that ''. A 2015 assertion, by Francis Beckett, David Hencke and Nick Kochan, concluded that Blair had acquired $90 million and a property portfolio worth $37.5 million in the eight years since he had left office. Religious faith In an interview with Michael Parkinson broadcast on ITV1 on 4 March 2006, Blair referred to the role of his Christian faith in his decision to go to war in Iraq, stating that he had prayed about the issue, and saying that God would judge him for his decision : `` I think if you have faith about these things, you realise that judgement is made by other people... and if you believe in God, it 's made by God as well. '' According to Alastair Campbell 's diary, Blair often read the Bible before taking any important decisions. He states that Blair had a `` wobble '' and considered changing his mind on the eve of the bombing of Iraq in 1998. A longer exploration of his faith can be found in an interview with Third Way Magazine. There he says that `` I was brought up as ( a Christian ), but I was not in any real sense a practising one until I went to Oxford. There was an Australian priest at the same college as me who got me interested again. In a sense, it was a rediscovery of religion as something living, that was about the world around me rather than some sort of special one - to - one relationship with a remote Being on high. Suddenly I began to see its social relevance. I began to make sense of the world ''. At one point Alastair Campbell intervened in an interview, preventing the Prime Minister from answering a question about his Christianity, explaining, `` We do n't do God. '' Campbell later explained that he had intervened only to end the interview because the journalist had been taking an excessive time, and that the comment had just been a throwaway line. Cherie Blair 's friend and `` spiritual guru '' Carole Caplin is credited with introducing her and her husband to various New Age symbols and beliefs, including `` magic pendants '' known as `` BioElectric Shields ''. The most controversial of the Blairs ' New Age practices occurred when on holiday in Mexico. The couple, wearing only bathing costumes, took part in a rebirthing procedure, which involved smearing mud and fruit over each other 's bodies while sitting in a steam bath. Later on, Blair questioned the Pope 's attitude towards homosexuality, arguing that religious leaders must start `` rethinking '' the issue. Blair was reprimanded by Cardinal Basil Hume in 1996 for receiving Holy Communion at Mass, while still an Anglican, in contravention of canon law. On 22 December 2007, it was disclosed that Blair had joined the Roman Catholic Church. The move was described as `` a private matter ''. He had informed Pope Benedict XVI on 23 June 2007 that he wanted to become a Catholic. The Pope and his advisors criticised some of Blair 's political actions, but followed up with a reportedly unprecedented red - carpet welcome, which included the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster, Cormac Murphy - O'Connor, who would be responsible for Blair 's Catholic instruction. In 2010, The Tablet named him as one of Britain 's most influential Roman Catholics. Extramarital affair allegations In 2014, Vanity Fair and The Economist published allegations that Blair had had an extramarital affair with Wendi Deng, who was then married to Rupert Murdoch. Blair categorically denied the allegations. Portrayals and cameo appearances Main article : Cultural depictions of Tony Blair Appearances Blair made an animated cameo appearance as himself in The Simpsons episode, `` The Regina Monologues '' ( 2003 ). He has also appeared as himself at the end of the first episode of The Amazing Mrs Pritchard, a British television series about an unknown housewife becoming Prime Minister. On 14 March 2007, Blair appeared as a celebrity judge on Masterchef Goes Large after contestants had to prepare a three - course meal in the Downing Street kitchens for Blair and Bertie Ahern. On 16 March 2007, Blair featured in a comedy sketch with Catherine Tate, who appeared in the guise of her character Lauren Cooper from The Catherine Tate Show. The sketch was made for the BBC Red Nose Day fundraising programme of 2007. During the sketch, Blair used Lauren 's catchphrase `` Am I bovvered ? '' Portrayals This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living people that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately. Find sources : `` Tony Blair '' -- news newspapers books scholar JSTOR ( January 2016 ) Michael Sheen has portrayed Blair three times, in the films The Deal ( 2003 ), The Queen ( 2006 ), and The Special Relationship ( 2009 ). Robert Lindsay portrayed Blair in the TV programme A Very Social Secretary ( 2005 ), and reprised the role in The Trial of Tony Blair ( 2007 ). He was also portrayed by James Larkin in The Government Inspector ( 2005 ), and by Ioan Gruffudd in W. ( 2008 ). In the 2006 Channel 4 comedy drama documentary, Tony Blair : Rock Star, he was portrayed by Christian Brassington. Blair in fiction and satire When Blair resigned as Prime Minister, Robert Harris, a former Fleet Street political editor, dropped his other work to write The Ghost. The CIA - influenced British prime minister in the book is said to be a thinly disguised version of Blair. The novel was filmed as The Ghost Writer with Pierce Brosnan portraying the Blair character, Adam Lang. Stephen Mangan portrays Blair in The Hunt for Tony Blair ( 2011 ), a one - off The Comic Strip Presents... satire presented in the style of a 1950s film noir. In the film, he is wrongly implicated in the deaths of Robin Cook and John Smith and on the run from Inspector Hutton. In 2007, the scenario of a possible war crimes trial for the former British prime minister was satirised by the British broadcaster Channel 4, in a `` mockumentary '', The Trial of Tony Blair, with concluded with the fictional Blair being dispatched to the Hague. Titles and honours Styles since the 1983 election Mr Anthony Charles Lynton Blair MP ( 1983 -- 1994 ) The Rt Hon Anthony Charles Lynton Blair MP ( 1994 -- 2007 ) The Rt Hon Anthony Charles Lynton Blair ( 2007 -- ) Appointments Privy Councillor ( 1994 ) Honours Blair is presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by then US President George W. Bush. Blair in Kosovo meeting children named after him. Congressional Gold Medal ( 2003 ) Honorary Doctor of Law ( LL. D. ) from Queen 's University Belfast ( 2008 ) Presidential Medal of Freedom ( 2009 ) Dan David Prize ( 2009 ) Liberty Medal ( 2010 ) In May 2007, before his resignation, it was speculated that Blair would be offered a knighthood in the Order of the Thistle, owing to his Scottish connections ( rather than the Order of the Garter, which is usually offered to former Prime Ministers ). Blair reportedly indicated that he did not want the traditional knighthood or peerage bestowed on former prime ministers. On 22 May 2008, Blair received an honorary law doctorate from Queen 's University Belfast, alongside former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, for distinction in public service and roles in the Northern Ireland peace process. On 13 January 2009, Blair was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush. Bush stated that Blair was given the award `` in recognition of exemplary achievement and to convey the utmost esteem of the American people '' and cited Blair 's support for the War on Terror and his role in achieving peace in Northern Ireland as two reasons for justifying his being presented with the award. On 16 February 2009, Blair was awarded the Dan David Prize by Tel Aviv University for `` exceptional leadership and steadfast determination in helping to engineer agreements and forge lasting solutions to areas in conflict ''. He was awarded the prize in May 2009. On 13 September 2010, Blair was awarded the Liberty Medal at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was presented by former President Bill Clinton, and is awarded annually to men and women of courage and conviction who strive to secure the blessings of liberty to people around the globe. On 8 July 2010, Blair was awarded the Order of Freedom by the President of Kosovo, Fatmir Limaj. As Blair is credited as being instrumental in ending the conflict in Kosovo, some boys born in that country following the war have been given the name Toni or Tonibler. Works Blair, Tony ( 2010 ). A Journey. Random House ; ISBN 0 - 09 - 192555 - X OCLC Number 657172683 ( London, UK ) Blair, Tony ( 2002 ). The Courage of Our Convictions. Fabian Society ; ISBN 0 - 7163 - 0603 - 4 ( London, UK ) Blair, Tony ( 2000 ). Superpower : Not Superstate ? ( Federal Trust European Essays ). Federal Trust for Education & Research ; ISBN 1 - 903403 - 25 - 1 ( London, UK ) Blair, Tony ( 1998 ). The Third Way : New Politics for the New Century. Fabian Society ; ISBN 0 - 7163 - 0588 - 7 ( London, UK ) Blair, Tony ( 1998 ). Leading the Way : New Vision for Local Government. Institute for Public Policy Research ; ISBN 1 - 86030 - 075 - 8 ( London, UK ) Blair, Tony ( 1997 ). New Britain : My Vision of a Young Country. Basic Books, ISBN 0 - 8133 - 3338 - 5 ( New York ) Blair, Tony ( 1995 ). Let Us Face the Future. Fabian Society, ISBN 0 - 7163 - 0571 - 2 ( London, UK ) Blair, Tony ( 1994 ). What Price a Safe Society ?. Fabian Society, ISBN 0 - 7163 - 0562 - 3 ( London, UK ) Blair, Tony ( 1994 ). Socialism. Fabian Society, ISBN 0 - 7163 - 0565 - 8 ( London, UK ) See also Blatcherism Bush -- Blair 2003 Iraq memo Cash for Honours Cultural depictions of Tony Blair Parliamentary motion to impeach Tony Blair ( November 2004 ) Halsbury 's Laws of England ( 2004 ), reference to impeachment in volume on Constitutional Law and Human Rights, paragraph 416 Notes Jump up ^ Freeden, Michael ( 2004 ). Liberal Languages : Ideological Imaginations and Twentieth - Century Progressive Thought. Princeton University Press. p. 198. Jump up ^ Faucher - King, Florence ; Le Galès, Patrick ; Elliott, Gregory ( 2010 ). The New Labour experiment : change and reform under Blair and Brown. Stanford, California, USA : Stanford University Press. p. 18. ^ Jump up to : Wheatcroft, Geoffrey ( June 1996 ). `` The Paradoxical Case of Tony Blair ''. The Atlantic Monthly. Vol. 277 no. 6. pp. 22 -- 40. Retrieved 10 April 2014. ( Blair ) has appointed a shadow team of more than a hundred parliamentary spokesmen -- a ridiculous number considering that there are only 271 Labour MPs in all. Jump up ^ Labour : The Wilderness Years ( produced by Leonie Jameson ), BBC 2, 3 -- 18 December 1995. Jump up ^ Blair is Mr 93 %. Stephen Castle / Paul Routledge. The Independent ( national newspaper ). Published : 28 September 1997. Retrieved 6 May 2014. Jump up ^ Tony Blair 's Style of Government : An Interim Assessment -- Page 1. Political Issues in Britain Today. Editor : Bill Jones. Publisher : Manchester University Press. ( 5th edition ). Published : 1999. Retrieved 6 May 2014. Jump up ^ It 's the way they tell ' em Total Politics. Simon Hoggart. Retrieved 6 May 2014. Jump up ^ Coleman, Clive ( 7 July 2016 ). `` Could Tony Blair face legal action over Iraq War ? ''. BBC. ^ Jump up to : `` Brown is UK 's new prime minister ''. BBC News. 27 June 2007. Retrieved 27 June 2007. ^ Jump up to : `` Blair becomes Middle East envoy ''. BBC News. 27 June 2007. Retrieved 27 June 2007. ^ Jump up to : `` Tony Blair quits Middle East envoy role ''. BBC News. 27 May 2015. Retrieved 3 April 2016. Jump up ^ `` Blair launches faith foundation ''. BBC News. 30 May 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Blair 's birthplace is bulldozed in Edinburgh ''. Edinburgh Evening News. Johnston Press plc. 9 August 2006. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2006. Jump up ^ BLAIR,. ukwhoswho.com. Who 's Who. 2015 ( online Oxford University Press ed. ). A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc. ( subscription required ) Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair profile ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. Jump up ^ Blair : ' Why adoption is close to my heart ', 21 December 2000, The Guardian Jump up ^ `` Local Map ''. Ballyshannon Town Council. Retrieved 22 November 2007. Lipsett 's Grocery Shop : This is the birthplace of Hazel ( Corscadden ) Blair, mother of British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Her mother 's maiden name was Lipsett and Hazel was born over the shop. Jump up ^ Watt, Nicholas ; Bowcott, Owen ( 14 March 2007 ). `` We had no file on him but it was clear he was up for the business ''. The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 22 November 2007. In the second part of our series on the peace process, Sinn Féin chief negotiator Martin McGuinness recalls his first encounter with the PM and explains how he saved the Good Friday deal ^ Jump up to : `` Leo Blair obituary '' The Guardian, 17 November 2012 Jump up ^ Ahmed, Kamal ( 27 April 2003 ). `` Tony 's big adventure ''. The Guardian. The Observer. UK. Retrieved 18 November 2006. Jump up ^ `` Alumni Roll Call ''. Durham Chorister School website. Archived from the original on 21 October 2007. Retrieved 22 November 2007. ^ Jump up to : Ed Black 's diary ( 23 July 2004 ). `` Tony Blair 's revolting schooldays ''. The Scotsman. Edinburgh. Retrieved 22 November 2007. Jump up ^ `` leo Blair '' The Telegraph 16 Nov 2012 Jump up ^ Powell, Victoria ( 6 January 2006 ). `` Tony Blair absolutely modelled himself on Mick Jagger ''. The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 22 November 2007. TV producer Victoria Powell explains how she recreated the PM 's adventures in 1970s rock Jump up ^ Michaelmas Term 1974. Complete Alphabetical List of the Resident Members of the University of Oxford. Oxford University Press. 1974. p. 10. Jump up ^ Huntley, John ( 1990 ). Mark Ellen talks about Tony Blair in Ugly Rumours. Film 90788 ( YouTube video ). YouTube. Retrieved 24 January 2016. Jump up ^ Chris Wiegand ( 27 November 2015 ). `` Tony Blair recalls ' dire ' standup attempts and his role as ' Captain Kink ' ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 25 September 2016. Jump up ^ Merrick, Rob ( 10 August 2017 ). `` Tony Blair reveals he was a student ' Trot ' inspired to enter politics by the life of Bolshevik leader Leon Trotsky ''. Independent. UK. Retrieved 13 August 2017. `` I suddenly thought the world 's full of these extraordinary causes and injustices and here 's this this guy Trotsky who was so inspired by all of this that he went out to create a Russian revolution and change the world. It was like a light going on. '' Jump up ^ Asthana, Anushka ( 10 August 2017 ). `` Blair reveals he ' toyed with Marxism ' after reading book on Trotsky ''. The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 13 August 2017. Jump up ^ John Rentoul, Tony Blair, Warner Books, 1996, p. 101. Jump up ^ `` Labour 's Old Romantic : A Film Portrait of Michael Foot '', BBC Two, Friday 5 March 2010. Portion available here ( 1 ). ^ Jump up to : Blair, Tony ( July 1982 ). `` The full text of Tony Blair 's letter to Michael Foot written in July 1982 ''. The Daily Telegraph. London, UK. Retrieved 18 November 2006. ^ Jump up to : David Marquand ( 30 December 2010 ). Britain Since 1918 : The Strange Career Of British Democracy. Orion. p. 197. ISBN 978 - 0 - 297 - 85636 - 8. Jump up ^ John Rentoul, `` Tony Blair '', Warner Books, 1996, p. 109. Jump up ^ John Rentoul, Tony Blair, Warner Books, 1996, p. 115. Jump up ^ `` Labour 's Election Who 's Who '', Labour Party, 1983, Appendix p. 2. Jump up ^ `` Blair 's agent suspended over foul - mouthed threat ''. The Guardian. Press Association. 10 October 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2016. Jump up ^ Coleman, Vernon ( 2006 ). The Truth They Wo n't Tell You ( And Do n't Want You To Know ) About The EU. Retrieved 4 February 2016. Jump up ^ `` 1975 : Labour votes to leave the EEC ''. BBC News. Retrieved 4 February 2016. Jump up ^ Johnston, Philip ( 26 April 2004 ). `` Home front ''. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 February 2016. Jump up ^ Anthony Seldon ( 4 September 2008 ). Blair Unbound. Simon and Schuster. p. 454. ISBN 978 - 1 - 84739 - 499 - 6. Jump up ^ Seddon, Mark ( 2004 ). `` America 's Friend : Reflections on Tony Blair ''. Logos 3.4. Retrieved 18 November 2006. Jump up ^ `` BBC Archive ''. BBC Programme Catalogue. Retrieved 20 April 2010. Jump up ^ Carvel, John ( 9 July 1987 ). `` A fresh team of ' Yaks ' will take on Labour 's burden ''. The Guardian. p. 2. Jump up ^ John Rentoul, Tony Blair : Prime Minister ( 2001 ) pp 206 -- 18 Jump up ^ Rentoul, Tony Blair ( 2001 ) pp 249 -- 66. ^ Jump up to : `` Timeline : The Blair Years ''. BBC News. 10 May 2007. Retrieved 2 May 2013. ^ Jump up to : Leigh, Rayment. `` PRIVY COUNSELLORS 1969 -- present ''. Retrieved 2 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Birth of a Socialist Party ''. The Manchester Guardian. 27 February 1918. Retrieved 23 January 2016. ^ Jump up to : Frum, David ( 2000 ). How We Got Here : The ' 70s. New York, New York : Basic Books. p. 326. ISBN 0 - 465 - 04195 - 7. Jump up ^ Peter Barberis ; John McHugh ; Mike Tyldesley ( 2000 ). Encyclopedia of British and Irish Political Organizations : Parties, Groups and Movements of the 20th Century. A&C Black. p. 268. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8264 - 5814 - 8. Jump up ^ `` About Labour ''. The Labour Party. 2006. Archived from the original on 16 November 2006. Retrieved 18 November 2006. Jump up ^ Blair, Tony ( 1995 ). `` 2 : Labour Past, Present and Future ''. Let Us Face the Future. Fabian Society. p. 2. Retrieved 3 January 2016 -- via LSE Digital Library. Jump up ^ Gani, Aisha ( 9 August 2015 ). `` Clause IV : a brief history ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 23 January 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` 1997 : Labour landslide ends Tory rule ''. BBC News. 15 April 2005. Jump up ^ `` Education, education, education '', BBC News, 14 May 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2010. Jump up ^ See Maastricht Rebels Jump up ^ Early, Chas ( 2 May 2015 ). `` May 2, 1997 : Labour win general election by a landslide to end 18 years of Conservative rule ''. BT news. Retrieved 24 January 2016. The Labour Party won its greatest - ever number of seats in a landslide general election victory on this day in 1997, ending 18 years of Conservative rule... In their worst election defeat since 1906 the Conservatives retained just 165 MPs, with their smallest share of the vote since 1832 under the Duke of Wellington. Jump up ^ `` Blair wanted coalition says Ashdown ''. BBC News. 23 October 2000. Retrieved 24 January 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Blair mooted Lib Dem coalition deal -- Ashdown ''. The Guardian. 23 October 2000. Retrieved 24 January 2016. Jump up ^ All Guardian / ICM poll results ( Google Docs ). Via this article. Jump up ^ `` Biography : The Prime Minister Tony Charles Lynton Blair ''. Prime Minister 's Office. Archived from the original on 4 June 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2006. Jump up ^ `` Blair Labour 's longest - serving PM '', BBC News, 6 February 2005. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair : ' Labour can win at any point that it wants to get back to winning ways ' ''... made possible only by his unique feat of winning three back - to - back terms for his party Jump up ^ BBC News Archive, `` 1998 : Northern Ireland peace deal reached '' Jump up ^ Philip Stephens, `` Blair 's remarkable record '', Financial Times, 10 May 2007 Jump up ^ Telegraph.co.uk : Omagh, Northern Ireland 's worst atrocity 24 December 2007 Jump up ^ `` Blair : The Inside Story '', BBC, 22 February 2007. Jump up ^ Andrew Marr, A History of Modern Britain ( 2008 printing ), p. 550 Jump up ^ Gberie, Lansana ( 2005 ). A Dirty War in West Africa : the RUF and the Destruction of Sierra Leone, p. 176. Indiana UP. ^ Jump up to : Little, Allan ( 15 May 2010 ). `` The brigadier who saved Sierra Leone ''. BBC News. Retrieved 20 March 2011. Jump up ^ `` After 16 long days, free in 20 minutes ''. The Guardian. 11 September 2000. Retrieved 29 October 2014. Jump up ^ Andrew Marr, A History of Modern Britain ( 2008 printing ) ; p. 551 Jump up ^ `` The rise and fall of New Labour ''. BBC News. 3 August 2010. Jump up ^ Quoted by satirist Armando Ianucci and called his ' favourite sentence of the Inquiry so far ' ), Radio 5 Live. Retrieved 23 January 2016. Jump up ^ Butt, Riazat ; Norton - Taylor, Richard ( 12 December 2009 ). `` Tony Blair admits : I would have invaded Iraq anyway ''. The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved 20 April 2010. Jump up ^ `` Malaysian former PM Mahathir accuses Tony Blair as war criminal ''. Xinhua News Agency. 1 August 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2010. Jump up ^ Fickling, David ( 7 December 2005 ). `` Pinter demands war crimes trial for Blair ''. The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved 20 April 2010. Jump up ^ `` Iraq inquiry hears defiant Blair say : I 'd do it again ''. BBC News. 29 January 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2010. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair defends UK involvement in Iraq war ''. BBC News. 29 January 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2010. Jump up ^ Mulholland, Helene ; Sparrow, Andrew ( 29 January 2010 ). `` Tony Blair at Iraq inquiry -- the key points ''. The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 29 January 2010. Jump up ^ Richard Osley, `` Tony Blair apologises for ' mistakes ' over Iraq War and admits ' elements of truth ' to view that invasion helped rise of ISIS '', The Independent, 25 October 2015. Retrieved 28 October 2015. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair unrepentant as Chilcot gives crushing Iraq war verdict ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 7 July 2016. Jump up ^ Tempest, Matthew ( 7 September 2004 ). `` Tony Blair 's press conference ''. The Guardian. London, UK : Guardian Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 21 November 2006. Jump up ^ `` Blair agrees to face grilling by select committee critics '', The Daily Telegraph, 27 April 2002. Retrieved 8 March 2010. Jump up ^ Ian Kershaw, `` How will history judge Blair ? '', BBC News, 10 May 2007. Jump up ^ Morrison, James ( 2015 ). Essential Public Affairs for Journalists ( 4th ed. ). Oxford : Oxford University Press. p. 85. ISBN 978 - 0 - 198 - 70875 - 9. Jump up ^ Timothy Garton Ash, `` President Blair : Americans love our leader but may cause his downfall '', The Guardian, 24 July 2003. Jump up ^ Andrew Marr, `` How Blair put the media in a spin '' BBC News, 10 May 2007 Jump up ^ `` Blair questioned in honours probe '', BBC News, 14 December 2006 Jump up ^ `` Blair a casualty of UK support for Iraq war '', The Washington Times, 8 November 2003. Jump up ^ `` Diplomat 's suppressed document lays bare the lies behind Iraq war '', The Independent, 15 December 2006. Jump up ^ `` Blair Risked Much in Support of U.S. - UK Friendship '', NPR, 9 May 2007. Jump up ^ `` Talk of war dents Blair 's popularity '', The Daily Telegraph, 17 February 2003. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair to Resign in a Year '', ABC News, 7 September 2006. Jump up ^ The End of the Tony Show, Der Spiegel, 10 May 2007. Jump up ^ Mehdi Hasan, James Macintyre ( 2011 ). Ed : The Milibands and the making of a Labour leader. Biteback Publishing. ISBN 978 - 1 - 84954 - 102 - 2. MPs now agree that the Lebanon fiasco did more than any other single episode to lead to the eventual removal of Blair Jump up ^ `` I will quit within a year -- Blair ''. BBC News. 7 September 2006. Retrieved 18 November 2006. ^ Jump up to : Churcher, Joe ; Woodcock, Andrew ( 27 June 2007 ). `` Blair resigns as MP and heads for Mideast role ''. The Independent. UK. Archived from the original on 1 October 2007. Retrieved 27 June 2007. Jump up ^ Pierce, Andrew ( 7 October 2007 ). `` Tony Blair refuses to produce an honours list ''. The Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 7 October 2008. Jump up ^ Polly Toynbee, Michael White and Patrick Wintour `` We 're a left - of - centre party pursuing prosperity and social justice '', The Guardian, 11 September 2001. Jump up ^ `` The Death of Socialism '', hulver.com, 17 May 2007. Jump up ^ Neal Lawson, `` A decade of Blair has left the Labour party on its knees '', The Guardian, 19 April 2007 Jump up ^ YouGov UK Polling Report, Left vs Right, 23 September 2005 Jump up ^ `` Why Blair was no conservative '', Financial Times, 18 May 2007. Jump up ^ Mike Marquesee, `` Labour 's long march to the right '', International Socialism, Issue 91, Summer 2001 Jump up ^ Mark Rice - Oxley, `` Tony Blair 's decade of peace and war '', The Christian Science Monitor, 11 May 2007. Jump up ^ Pickard, Jim ( 3 February 2016 ). `` Conservatives : the party of business ? ''. Financial Times. Retrieved 8 February 2016. Jump up ^ Gove, Michael ( 25 February 2003 ). `` I ca n't fight my feelings any more : I love Tony ''. The Times. London. Retrieved 17 January 2017. ( subscription required ) Jump up ^ Oborne, Peter ( 22 May 2014 ). `` David Cameron 's friendship with Tony Blair is starting to do serious damage ''. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 February 2016. Jump up ^ Jon Silverman, Legal affairs analyst, `` Blair 's new look civil liberties '', BBC News, 14 May 2007. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair 's legacy : 20 % jump in amount of legislation introduced per year '' ( PDF ). 1 June 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2010. Jump up ^ Blair 's ' frenzied law making ' : a new offence for every day spent in office, 16 August 2006. Retrieved 12 March 2010. Jump up ^ `` Margaret Thatcher 's legacy ''. The Independent. 8 April 2013. Retrieved 2 May 2013. Jump up ^ Who we are, Office of Rail Regulation, 28 January 2014, retrieved 11 March 2014 Jump up ^ Explanatory Notes to the Act, opsi.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 February 2016. Jump up ^ `` Rail fares and franchises '' ( PDF ). Retrieved 8 February 2016. Jump up ^ `` Health spending ''. Jump up ^ http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11576801/Did-New-Labour-spend-too-much-in-government.html Jump up ^ https://www.ifs.org.uk/bns/bn92.pdf Jump up ^ https://www.ft.com/content/168e1278-2b24-11df-93d8-00144feabdc0?mhq5j=e2 Jump up ^ Tony Blair and Global Warming, Brookings.edu, 18 November 2003. Retrieved 16 April 2008. Jump up ^ Jeremy Lovell, Britain Set to Miss its Own Greenhouse Gas Target Britain Set to Miss its Own Greenhouse Gas Target Planet Ark, 29 March 2006 Jump up ^ `` Electricity generation ''. Jump up ^ Blair defends green record BBC News, 24 October 2000. Retrieved 17 April 2008. Jump up ^ Jack Holland, Selling the war on terror : foreign policy discourses after 9 / 11 ( 2012 ) Jump up ^ `` Blair attacked over right - wing EU links '' BBC News, 15 March 2002. Jump up ^ Ed Vulliamy, `` By their friends shall we know the Sultans of Bling : Blair 's relationships with Berlusconi, Bush and Murdoch have defined his premiership. Now Merkel is to join the trio '', The Guardian, 27 October 2005 Jump up ^ Martin Kettle, `` Why Ségo and Sarko have transfixed the British left '', The Guardian, 28 April 2007. Jump up ^ `` President Declares ' Freedom at War with Fear ' ''. archives.gov. 21 November 2001. Archived from the original on 25 February 2008. Jump up ^ Glover, Julian ; MacAskill, Ewen ( 25 July 2006 ). `` Stand up to US, voters tell Blair ''. The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 22 November 2007. Britain should take a much more robust and independent approach to the United States, according to a Guardian / ICM poll published today, which finds strong public opposition to Blair 's close working relationship with President Bush. Jump up ^ `` PM 's speech on US Elections ''. Prime Minister 's Office. 3 November 2004. Retrieved 29 May 2007. Jump up ^ Young, Hugo ( 14 November 2002 ). `` Blair has not been a poodle, but poodleism still beckons ''. The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved 20 April 2010. Jump up ^ `` Transcript : Bush and Blair 's unguarded chat ''. BBC News. 18 July 2006. Retrieved 20 April 2010... In common with many news organisations the BBC transcribed Bush 's greeting as `` Yo, Blair '', but this is a clear mishearing : see Great Political Myths Part 1, BBC Radio 4, 15 July 2007. Jump up ^ Anthony Seldon, Blair, ( London : Free Press, 2005 ), p. 506. Jump up ^ Assaf Uni, `` Finance scandal has local community worried '', Haaretz, 10 December 2007. Jump up ^ Ferguson, Euan ( 19 March 2006 ). `` There was once a jolly bagman ''. The Guardian. UK. Jump up ^ Wavell, Stuart ( 19 March 2006 ). `` Lord Cashpoint 's touch of money magic ''. The Sunday Times. UK. Retrieved 21 February 2007. Jump up ^ `` Dalyell 's ' Jewish cabal ' remarks denied ''. London, UK : BBC. 4 May 2003. Retrieved 13 January 2014. ^ Jump up to : Seldon, Blair, p. 506. Jump up ^ Watt, Nicholas ( 20 January 2011 ). `` Britain believes Israeli PM Netanyahu is an ' armour - plated bullshitter ' -- Alastair Campbell ''. The Guardian. London, UK. Jump up ^ Matthew Tempest Diplomats attack Blair 's Israel policy, The Guardian, 26 April 2004. Jump up ^ Cabinet in open revolt over Blair 's Israel policy, The Observer, 30 July 2006. Jump up ^ Peter Watt, `` The ' Complex ' Issue of ' Humanitarian ' Intervention ''. Archived from the original on 13 October 2007. Retrieved 13 September 2010. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ) Zmag.org, 6 August 2006. Jump up ^ Gadher, Dipesh ( 1 July 2012 ). `` Assad close to being knighted under Blair ''. The Sunday Times. Retrieved 5 July 2012. Jump up ^ `` Blair hails new Libyan relations ''. BBC News. 25 March 2004. Retrieved 5 July 2012. Jump up ^ Freeman, Colin ; Mendick, Robert ( 17 September 2011 ). `` Libya : Tony Blair and Col Gaddafi 's secret meetings ''. The Daily Telegraph. London, UK. Retrieved 5 July 2012. Jump up ^ Croft, Adrian ( 9 September 2011 ). `` UK 's Blair : No regrets about befriending Gaddafi ''. Reuters. Retrieved 5 July 2012. Jump up ^ Norton - Taylor, Richard ( 11 April 2012 ). `` Blair ' can not recall ' MI6 rendition of rebel Libyan to Gaddafi ''. The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved 5 July 2012. ^ Jump up to : Smith, David ( 27 November 2013 ). `` Tony Blair plotted military intervention in Zimbabwe, claims Thabo Mbeki ''. The Guardian. ^ Jump up to : `` Lord Guthrie : ' Tony 's General ' turns defence into an attack ''. The Independent. 11 November 2007. Jump up ^ Gaby Hinsliff, `` The PM, the mogul and the secret agenda '', The Observer, 23 July 2006 Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair ' godfather to Rupert Murdoch 's daughter ' ''. BBC News. 5 September 2011. Jump up ^ `` Life after power : The loneliness of Tony Blair '', The Economist. ^ Jump up to : Ella Alexander ( 19 December 2014 ). `` Tony Blair loses cool after Economist grills him on rumours alleging Wendi Deng affair ''. The Independent. ^ Jump up to : Mark Seal. `` Read Wendi Deng Murdoch 's Mash Note Allegedly About Tony Blair : `` He Has Such Good Body '' ``. Vanity Fair. ^ Jump up to : `` Blair and Murdoch spoke days before Iraq war ''. The Guardian. UK. 19 July 2007. Retrieved 26 December 2007. Jump up ^ Fletcher, Kim ( 10 July 2006 ). `` The meetings that matter between Murdoch and Blair ''. The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 26 December 2007. Jump up ^ `` When Murdoch met Blair -- information released ''. Bindmans. Retrieved 26 December 2007. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair to appear before Leveson Inquiry ''. BBC. 25 May 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012. Jump up ^ Walker, Peter ; Addley, Esther ; O'Carroll, Lisa ( 28 May 2012 ). `` Tony Blair accused of war crimes by protester at Leveson inquiry ''. The Guardian. London, UK. Jump up ^ Eyre, Richard ( 5 September 2010 ). `` The film and theatre director gives his verdict on Tony Blair 's memoir ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 2 May 2013. Jump up ^ Buerkle, Tom ( 1 September 1997 ). `` Charles Takes Diana 's Body Home From Paris -- World Mourns the ' People 's Princess ' ''. The New York Times. Retrieved 20 July 2010. Jump up ^ `` Tony coined the ' people 's princess ' ''. The Daily Telegraph. London, UK. 9 July 2007. Retrieved 20 July 2010. Jump up ^ `` About Alastair Campbell ''. Alastair Campbell.org. Retrieved 2 May 2013. Jump up ^ Blair and Clinton : The HBO Movie, The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 4 September 2015. ^ Jump up to : Elliott, Francis ( 4 September 2006 ). `` ' Deluded ' : Extraordinary attack on Blair by Cabinet ''. The Independent. UK. Retrieved 25 May 2010. Jump up ^ 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 %. Jump up ^ Rawnsley, Andrew ( 5 October 2003 ). `` A marriage on the rocks ''. The Observer. UK : Guardian Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 5 March 2007. Jump up ^ Tony Blair throws himself into election campaign with praise for Gordon Brown and harsh words for Tories ``, The Guardian, 30 March 2010. Jump up ^ `` US ' wants Blair ' for Mid-East job ''. BBC News. 21 June 2007. Jump up ^ Tempest, Matthew ; Tran, Mark ( 20 June 2007 ). `` US approves of Blair as possible Middle East envoy ''. The Guardian. London. Jump up ^ `` Israel may ease grip in Tony Blair deal to revive West Bank '', The Times, 14 May 2008. ^ Jump up to : `` Tony Blair joins investment bank ''. BBC News. 10 January 2008. Retrieved 10 January 2008. Jump up ^ Lectures see Tony Blair earnings jump over £ 12m, The Times, 29 October 2008. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair launches Faith and Globalisation programme at Durham University ''. Retrieved 13 July 2009. Jump up ^ Hughes, Solomon ; Leigh, David ( 17 March 2010 ). `` Tony Blair got cash for deal with South Korean oil firm ''. The Guardian. Jump up ^ Jones, Sam ( 4 July 2010 ). `` Tony Blair 's guards run up £ 250,000 a year in expenses ''. The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 27 January 2011. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair Inc : a nice little earner '', The Sunday Times, 22 February 2009 Jump up ^ Nicholas, Watt ( 30 June 2013 ). `` How Tony Blair paved way for first visit by serving British PM to Kazakhstan ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 7 September 2013. Jump up ^ Tony Blair 's Byzantine world of advisers and lucrative deals The Daily Telegraph, 24 September 2011 Jump up ^ On the desert trail of Tony Blair 's millions The Daily Telegraph, 24 September 2011 Jump up ^ `` The Wonderful World of Tony Blair ''. Channel 4. Retrieved 29 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` An appeal to the Quartet on the Middle East to sack Tony Blair ''. The Guardian. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014. Jump up ^ Kerbaj, Richard ; Ungoed - Thomas, Jon ; Fortson, Danny ( 23 September 2012 ). `` Blair in £ 16m deal with Kazakhs ''. The Sunday Times. Retrieved 24 September 2012. Jump up ^ Nicholas, Watts ( 30 June 2013 ). `` How Tony Blair paved way for first visit by serving British PM to Kazakhstan ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 7 September 2013. Jump up ^ Watt, Nicholas ( 30 June 2013 ). `` Kazakhstan praises Cameron and Blair for helping improving country 's image ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 1 July 2013. Jump up ^ Swinford, Steven ( 30 June 2013 ). `` Oil - rich Kazakhstan dictatorship boasts of British support ''. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 July 2013. Jump up ^ Mendick, Robert ( 24 August 2014 ). `` Tony Blair gives Kazakhstan 's autocratic president tips on how to defend a massacre ''. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 24 August 2014. Jump up ^ Milne, Seumas ( 2 July 2014 ). `` Tony Blair to advise Egypt president Sisi on economic reform ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 2 July 2014. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair denies he signed on as Egyptian president 's adviser ''. Haaretz. 3 July 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2014. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair Sports Foundation ''. Tony Blair Sports Foundation. Retrieved 20 April 2010. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair 's Faith Foundation speech ''. New Statesman. Jump up ^ Leigh, David ; Griffiths, Ian ( 1 December 2009 ). `` The mystery of Tony Blair 's finances ''. The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved 1 December 2009. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair comes under fire for hiring unpaid interns ''. The Daily Telegraph. 12 July 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2014. Jump up ^ `` ' Frank ' Blair memoirs out in September '', TheBookseller.com, 4 March 2010. Retrieved 4 March 2010. Archived 10 March 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Jump up ^ Robert Booth, `` Tony Blair 's memoirs title change strikes a less ' messianic ' tone '', The Guardian 12 July 2010. ^ Jump up to : Webster, Philip ; Jagger, Suzy ; Coates, Sam ; Low, Valentine ( 17 August 2010 ). `` Tony Blair tries to turn page with £ 5m donation from sale of memoirs to Royal British Legion ''. The Australian. ^ Jump up to : Prince, Rosa ; Gammell, Caroline ; Evans, Martin ( 16 August 2010 ). `` Questions over size of Tony Blair 's book royalty donation to Royal British Legion ''. The Daily Telegraph. London, UK. ^ Jump up to : `` Tony Blair 's Journey memoirs ' £ 5m fee provokes ' cashing in ' claims ''. Metro. 5 March 2010. Retrieved 8 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair donates book cash to injured soldier charity ''. BBC News. 16 August 2010. Retrieved 16 August 2010. ^ Jump up to : `` Tony Blair 's memoirs : The making of a best - seller ''. The Daily Telegraph. London, UK. 22 August 2010. Jump up ^ Grice, Andrew ( 2 September 2010 ). `` Blair 's memoirs : From No10 to No1 ''. The Independent. London : Independent Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 3 September 2010. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair interview greeted by Iraq war protesters and Jedward fans '', The Guardian, 4 September 2010. Jump up ^ Shoes and eggs thrown at Tony Blair as he attends book signing, The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 23 January 2016. ^ Jump up to : Helm, Toby ( 2 September 2012 ). `` Tony Blair should face trial over Iraq war, says Desmond Tutu ''. The Observer. Retrieved 3 September 2012. Jump up ^ `` Pinter demands war crimes trial for Blair ''. BBC News. 7 December 2005. Retrieved 3 September 2012. Jump up ^ `` Writer says Bush, Blair war criminals ''. The Age. 3 November 2004. Retrieved 3 September 2012. Jump up ^ Richard Falk, Kuala Lumpur tribunal : Bush and Blair guilty, Al Jazeera, 20 November 2011. ^ Jump up to : `` Desmond Tutu calls for Blair and Bush to be tried over Iraq ''. BBC News. 2 September 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012. Jump up ^ Bowcott, Owen ( 5 July 2017 ). `` Tony Blair should be prosecuted over Iraq war, high court hears ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 31 July 2017. Jump up ^ `` Iraq War : Bid to prosecute Tony Blair rejected by High Court ''. Jump up ^ Mason, Rowena ( 6 July 2016 ). `` Tony Blair : ' I express more sorrow, regret and apology than you can ever believe ' ''. The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved 7 July 2016. Jump up ^ Chilcot report : Tony Blair claims findings show he did not lie over Iraq War, The Independent ( 6 July 2016 ). Jump up ^ Statement from Tony Blair on Chilcot Report, Office of Tony Blair ( 6 July 2016 ). Jump up ^ `` Cherie celebrates her 30th Wedding Anniversary this spring ''. Cherie Blair. Retrieved 4 November 2010. Jump up ^ CNN.com Facts : Life and times of Tony Blair Jump up ^ `` Welcome distraction for Tony Blair ''. BBC News. 20 May 2000. Retrieved 13 July 2010. Jump up ^ Melanie Mcdonagh ( 13 September 2009 ). `` Names that mean trouble ''. Sunday Times. London. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Jump up ^ Rayner, Gordon ( 7 February 2014 ). `` Euan Blair 's mother, not his wife, is partner in marital home ''. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 14 February 2014. Jump up ^ Blair, Cherie ( 27 October 2016 ). `` Equality between men and women is still 170 years away ''. The Independent. Retrieved 28 October 2016. Last week Tony and I were delighted to welcome our first grandchild into the family. Jump up ^ Robert Mendick, `` Blair Inc : How Tony Blair makes his fortune '' Robert Mendick, The Daily Telegraph, 7 January 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2014. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair : I 'm worth less than £ 20 million, and I 'm not interested in making money '', The Daily Telegraph, 21 July 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2014. Jump up ^ New book reveals how MidEast helped Tony Blair earn $90 m, Arabian Business. Retrieved 19 January 2016. Jump up ^ `` Blair ' prayed to God ' over Iraq ''. BBC News. 3 March 2006. Retrieved 18 November 2006. Jump up ^ Alastair Campbell diaries : How Blair 's Bible reading prompted Iraq ' wobble ', The Guardian, 14 January 2011. Jump up ^ McCloughry, Roy ( 14 September 1993 ). `` Practising for Power : Tony Blair ''. Third Way Magazine : the modern world through Christian eyes. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 22 November 2007. Since 1993, Third Way has been talking in depth to men and women who help to shape our society or set the tone of our culture. We spoke to Tony Blair on 14 September 1993, before the spin doctors closed around him, when he was still shadow Home Secretary and had a full head of hair. Jump up ^ Brown, Colin ( 3 May 2003 ). `` Campbell interrupted Blair as he spoke of his faith : ' We do n't do God ' ''. The Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 28 February 2009. Jump up ^ `` The Catherine Deveney Interview : Alastair Campbell : Most people do n't know me ''. Scotland on Sunday. 9 November 2008. Jump up ^ `` Ev'rybody must get stones '', The Observer, 8 December 2002 Jump up ^ How Mumbo - Jumbo Conquered the World, Francis Wheen, Harper Perennial 2004 ; ISBN 0 - 00 - 714097 - 5 Jump up ^ `` Blair questions Papal gay policy ''. BBC News. 8 April 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2010. Jump up ^ Chancellor, Alexander ( 18 May 2007 ). `` Blair does n't need intermediaries to communicate with God. So why does he want to become a Catholic ? ''. The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved 22 November 2007. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair joins Catholic faith ''. BBC News. 22 December 2007. Retrieved 22 November 2007. Jump up ^ `` Blair Converts To Catholicism ''. Sky News. 22 December 2007. Archived from the original on 28 June 2009. Retrieved 22 November 2007. Jump up ^ Gledhill, Ruth ; Austin, Jeremy ; Webster, Philip ( 17 May 2007 ). `` Blair will be welcomed into Catholic fold via his ' baptism of desire ' ''. The Times. UK. Retrieved 22 November 2007. Jump up ^ `` 100 Top Catholics ''. The Tablet. 11 September 2010. Archived from the original on 13 March 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` The loneliness of Tony Blair ''. The Economist. 17 December 2014. Jump up ^ `` The Regina Monologues ''. TheSimpsons.com. Archived from the original on 20 March 2007. Retrieved 8 April 2007. Jump up ^ `` Masterchef Addict 's blog '', The Stage, 15 March 2007. Jump up ^ `` Catherine Tate hails Blair 's comic skills ''. The Telegraph. London, UK. 22 March 2007. Archived from the original on 11 January 2008. Retrieved 4 June 2007. Jump up ^ `` This one 's for you, Tony '', The Observer, 30 September 2007. Jump up ^ Plunkett, John ( 26 August 2011 ). `` Comic Strip returns with Tony Blair on the run in Channel 4 film noir comedy ''. The Guardian. London. Retrieved 5 September 2011. Jump up ^ `` The Trial of Tony Blair ''. Variety. 14 June 2007. Retrieved 3 September 2012. Jump up ^ Eidenmuller, Michael E. ( 18 July 2003 ). `` Tony Blair Addresses Congress Accepting the Congressional Gold Medal Award ''. American Rhetoric -- Online Speech Bank. Retrieved 20 April 2010. Jump up ^ `` Queen makes Blair an offer that he can refuse ''. The Daily Telegraph. UK. 13 May 2007. Archived from the original on 21 January 2008. Retrieved 22 November 2007. Jump up ^ Kite, Melissa ( 30 December 2007 ). `` Tony Blair spurns honours system ''. The Daily Telegraph. UK. Retrieved 1 September 2010. Jump up ^ `` Queen 's degrees for ex-premiers ''. BBC News. 22 May 2008. Retrieved 22 May 2008. Jump up ^ `` Blair to get US Medal of Freedom ''. BBC News. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 20 April 2010. Jump up ^ Adetunji, Jo ( 13 January 2009 ). `` Bush gives Blair highest US civilian honour ''. The Guardian. London, UK. Retrieved 20 April 2010. Jump up ^ `` President Bush awards Tony Blair Presidential Medal of Freedom '', The Times, 13 January 2009. Jump up ^ `` Blair wins Dan David Prize ''. JTA -- Jewish & Israel News. 17 February 2009. Archived from the original on 26 November 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2010. Jump up ^ `` Blair 's peace - broker prize surreal, say anti-war campaigners ''. Radio France Internationale. Retrieved 20 April 2010. ^ Jump up to : Tran, Mark ( 14 September 2010 ). `` Liberty medal awarded to Tony Blair ''. The Guardian. Retrieved 2 May 2013. Jump up ^ `` Tony Blair awarded Order of Freedom from Fatmir Limaj, President of Kosovo '', president-ksgov.net. Retrieved 17 February 2016. Jump up ^ `` Namesakes welcome Tony Blair during Kosovo visit ''. BBC News. 9 July 2010. Retrieved 4 January 2012. Further reading Abse, Leo ( 2001 ). Tony Blair : The Man Behind the Smile. Robson Books. ISBN 1 - 86105 - 364 - 9. Beckett, F. ; Hencke, D. ( 2004 ). The Blairs and Their Court. Aurum Press. ISBN 1 - 84513 - 024 - 3. Tony Blair : The Man Who Lost His Smile. Robson Books. 2003. ISBN 1 - 86105 - 698 - 2. Blair, Tony ( 1998 ). ( ed. ) Iain Dale, ed. The Blair Necessities : Tony Blair Book of Quotations. Robson Books. ISBN 1 - 86105 - 139 - 5. CS1 maint : Extra text : editors list ( link ) ( ed. ) Paul Richards, ed. ( 2004 ). Tony Blair : In His Own Words. Politico 's Publishing. ISBN 1 - 84275 - 089 - 5. CS1 maint : Extra text : editors list ( link ) Gould, Philip ( 1999 ). The Unfinished Revolution : How the Modernisers Saved the Labour Party. Abacus. ISBN 0 - 349 - 11177 - 4. Naughtie, James ( 2001 ). The Rivals : The Intimate Story of a Political Marriage. Fourth Estate. ISBN 1 - 84115 - 473 - 3. The Accidental American : Tony Blair and the Presidency. Macmillan. 2004. ISBN 1 - 4050 - 5001 - 2. Rawnsley, Andrew ( 2000 ). Servants of the People : The Inside Story of New Labour. Hamish Hamilton. ISBN 0 - 241 - 14029 - 3. Servants of the People : The Inside Story of New Labour ( 2nd ed. ). Penguin Books. 2001. ISBN 0 - 14 - 027850 - 8. Rentoul, John ( 2001 ). Tony Blair : Prime Minister. Little Brown. ISBN 0 - 316 - 85496 - 4. Riddell, Peter ( 2004 ). The Unfulfilled Prime Minister : Tony Blair and the End of Optimism. Politico 's Publishing. ISBN 1 - 84275 - 113 - 1. Seldon, Anthony ( 2004 ). Blair. Free Press. ISBN 0 - 7432 - 3211 - 9. Short, Clare ( 2004 ). An Honourable Deception ? New Labour, Iraq, and the Misuse of Power. Free Press. ISBN 0 - 7432 - 6392 - 8. Stephens, Philip ( 2004 ). Tony Blair : The Making of a World Leader. Viking Books. ISBN 0 - 670 - 03300 - 6. Wheatcroft, Geoffrey ( 2007 ). Yo, Blair !. Methuen. ISBN 978 - 1 - 84275 - 206 - 7. `` Prime Ministers Question Time ''. www.parliament.uk. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 27 June 2007. Retrieved 2 January 2015. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to : Tony Blair ( category ) Wikiquote has quotations related to : Tony Blair Wikisource has original works written by or about : Tony Blair The Office of Tony Blair -- Official website Tony Blair Faith Foundation `` Tony Blair collected news and commentary ''. The Guardian. `` Tony Blair collected news and commentary ''. The New York Times. The Blair Years -- Timeline at BBC News Tony Blair on IMDb Appearances on C - SPAN Portraits of Tony Blair at the National Portrait Gallery, London The Prime Minister Tony Charles Lynton Blair at the Wayback Machine ( archived June 7, 2007 ) at www.pm.gov.uk Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803 -- 2005 Voting record at Public Whip Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou Articles authored at Journalisted Parliament of the United Kingdom New title Constituency reestablished Member of Parliament for Sedgefield 1983 -- 2007 Succeeded by Phil Wilson Political offices Preceded by Bryan Gould Shadow Minister for Trade 1987 -- 1988 Succeeded by Robin Cook Preceded by John Prescott Shadow Secretary of State for Energy 1988 -- 1989 Succeeded by Frank Dobson Preceded by Michael Meacher Shadow Secretary of State for Employment 1989 -- 1992 Preceded by Roy Hattersley Shadow Home Secretary 1992 -- 1994 Succeeded by Jack Straw Preceded by Margaret Beckett Leader of the Opposition 1994 -- 1997 Succeeded by John Major Preceded by John Major Prime Minister of the United Kingdom 1997 -- 2007 Succeeded by Gordon Brown Minister for the Civil Service 1997 -- 2007 First Lord of the Treasury 1997 -- 2007 Preceded by Jean - Claude Juncker President of the European Council 2005 Succeeded by Wolfgang Schüssel Party political offices Preceded by John Smith Leader of the Labour Party 1994 -- 2007 Succeeded by Gordon Brown Diplomatic posts Preceded by Bill Clinton Chairperson of the Group of 8 1998 Succeeded by Gerhard Schröder Preceded by George W. Bush Chairperson of the Group of 8 2005 Succeeded by Vladimir Putin New office Special Envoy of the Quartet 2007 -- 2015 Office abolished Order of precedence in England and Wales Preceded by Stephen Dorrell Gentlemen Succeeded by Andrew Morritt Order of precedence in Scotland Preceded by Stephen Dorrell Gentlemen Succeeded by Andrew Morritt Order of precedence in Northern Ireland Preceded by Stephen Dorrell Gentlemen Succeeded by Andrew Morritt Tony Blair Prime Minister of the United Kingdom ( 1997 -- 2007 ) Leader of the Labour Party ( 1994 -- 2007 ) MP for Sedgefield ( 1983 -- 2007 ) Politics Premiership Blair ministry Blair -- Brown deal Electoral history Shadow Cabinet of Tony Blair 2006 cabinet reshuffle Ideology Blairism New Labour Third Way General elections 1997 2001 2005 Party election 1994 Shadow Cabinet elections 1992 1993 Post-premiership Quartet on the Middle East Africa Progress Panel Tony Blair Faith Foundation Commission for Africa Tony Blair Institute Books A Journey Family Cherie Blair ( wife ) William Blair ( brother ) Cultural depictions `` Tony Blair '' ( 1999 ) The Deal ( 2003 ) The Queen ( 2006 ) The Blair Years ( 2007 ) The Trial of Tony Blair ( 2007 ) The Special Relationship ( 2010 ) The Hunt for Tony Blair ( 2011 ) The Killing $ of Tony Blair ( 2016 ) Related topics Ugly Rumours Respect agenda Blatcherism Cool Britannia Blair Babes Tony 's Cronies Iraq Inquiry Book Category Tony Blair navigational boxes Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom Kingdom of Great Britain Orford ( Walpole ) Wilmington Pelham Newcastle Devonshire Newcastle Bute G. Grenville Rockingham Chatham ( Pitt the Elder ) Grafton North Rockingham Shelburne Portland Pitt the Younger United Kingdom Pitt the Younger Addington Pitt the Younger Ld. Grenville Portland Perceval Liverpool Canning Goderich Wellington Grey Melbourne Wellington Peel Melbourne Peel Russell Derby Aberdeen Palmerston Derby Palmerston Russell Derby Disraeli Gladstone Beaconsfield ( Disraeli ) Gladstone Salisbury Gladstone Salisbury Gladstone Rosebery Salisbury Balfour Campbell - Bannerman Asquith Lloyd George Law Baldwin MacDonald Baldwin MacDonald Baldwin Chamberlain Churchill Attlee Churchill Eden Macmillan Douglas - Home Wilson Heath Wilson Callaghan Thatcher Major Blair Brown Cameron May Book Category Commons Leaders of the Opposition of the United Kingdom House of Commons Fox Howick Ponsonby Tierney Peel Althorp Peel Russell Peel Russell Bentinck Granby Granby / Herries / Disraeli Disraeli Russell Disraeli Palmerston Disraeli Gladstone Disraeli Gladstone Hartington Northcote Gladstone Hicks Beach Gladstone Balfour Harcourt Campbell - Bannerman Balfour Chamberlain Balfour Law Vacant Carson Asquith Maclean Asquith MacDonald Baldwin MacDonald Baldwin Henderson Lansbury Attlee Lees - Smith Pethick - Lawrence Greenwood Attlee Churchill Attlee Morrison Gaitskell Brown Wilson Douglas - Home Heath Wilson Heath Thatcher Callaghan Foot Kinnock Smith Beckett Blair Major Hague Duncan Smith Howard Cameron Harman Miliband Harman Corbyn House of Lords Grenville Grey 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne Wellington 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne Wellington Melbourne Wellington Melbourne 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne Stanley 3rd Marquess of Lansdowne Derby ( Stanley ) Granville Derby Russell Granville Malmesbury Cairns Richmond Granville Beaconsfield 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Granville 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Granville Kimberley 3rd Marquess of Salisbury Rosebery Kimberley Spencer Ripon 5th Marquess of Lansdowne Crewe Curzon of Kedleston Haldane Parmoor 4th Marquess of Salisbury Hailsham Parmoor Ponsonby of Shulbrede Snell Addison 5th Marquess of Salisbury Addison Jowitt Alexander of Hillsborough Carrington Shackleton Carrington Peart Cledwyn of Penrhos Richard Cranborne Strathclyde Royall of Blaisdon Smith of Basildon Blair Cabinet Cabinet members Douglas Alexander Baroness Amos Hilary Armstrong Margaret Beckett Hilary Benn Tony Blair Hazel Blears David Blunkett Paul Boateng Gordon Brown Nick Brown Des Browne Stephen Byers David Clark Charles Clarke Robin Cook Jack Cunningham Alistair Darling Ron Davies Donald Dewar Frank Dobson Peter Hain Harriet Harman Patricia Hewitt Geoff Hoon John Hutton Lord Irvine Baroness Jay Alan Johnson Tessa Jowell Ruth Kelly Helen Liddell Lord Mandelson Ian McCartney Alun Michael Alan Milburn David Miliband Paul Murphy Estelle Morris Mo Mowlam John Reid Lord Richard Lord Robertson Clare Short Andrew Smith Chris Smith Gavin Strang Jack Straw Ann Taylor Stephen Timms Lord Williams Also attended meetings Lord Goldsmith John Morris Jacqui Smith Shadow Home Secretaries of the United Kingdom Younger Gordon Walker Brown Soskice Boyle Thorneycroft Hogg Callaghan Williams Jenkins Prior Joseph Gilmour Whitelaw Rees Hattersley Kaufman Hattersley Blair Straw Howard Mawhinney Fowler Widdecombe Letwin Davis Grieve Grayling Johnson Balls Cooper Burnham Abbott Brown ( Acting ) Abbott United Kingdom general election, 2005 Constituency results Marginal constituencies MPs elected Pre-election Parties Results breakdown Re-Elected Prime Minister : Tony Blair ( Labour ) Parties elected to the House of Commons and their leaders Tony Blair ( Labour ) Michael Howard ( Conservative ) Charles Kennedy ( Liberal Democrats ) Ian Paisley ( Democratic Unionist Party ) Alex Salmond ( Scottish National Party ) Gerry Adams ( Sinn Féin ) Ieuan Wyn Jones ( Plaid Cymru ) Mark Durkan ( Social Democratic and Labour Party ) Richard Taylor ( Health Concern ) George Galloway ( Respect ) Results by area England Northern Ireland Scotland Wales United Kingdom local elections, 2005 Labour Party Leadership Leaders Hardie Henderson Barnes MacDonald Henderson Adamson Clynes MacDonald Henderson Lansbury Attlee Gaitskell Wilson Callaghan Foot Kinnock Smith Blair Brown Miliband Corbyn Deputy Leaders Clynes Graham Attlee Greenwood Morrison Griffiths Bevan Brown Jenkins Short Foot Healey Hattersley Beckett Prescott Harman Watson General Secretaries MacDonald Henderson Middleton Phillips Williams Nicholas Hayward Mortimer Whitty Sawyer McDonagh Triesman Carter Watt Collins McNicol Treasurers Henderson MacDonald Henderson Lathan Greenwood Gaitskell Bevan Nicholas Davies Callaghan Atkinson Varley Booth McCluskie Burlison Prosser Elsby Dromey Holland Leaders in the Lords Haldane Cripps Ponsonby Snell Addison Jowitt Alexander Pakenham Shackleton Shepherd Peart Hughes Richard Jay Williams Amos Ashton Royall Smith PLP Chairs Hardie Henderson Barnes MacDonald Henderson Hodge * Wardle * Adamson Clynes MacDonald Henderson Lansbury Attlee Lees - Smith * Pethick - Lawrence * Greenwood * Gaitskell Wilson Houghton Mikardo Hughes Willey Dormand Orme Hoyle Soley Corston Clwyd Lloyd Watts Cryer * = wartime, in opposition Internal elections Leadership elections 1922 ( MacDonald ) 1931 ( Henderson ) 1932 ( Lansbury ) 1935 ( Attlee ) 1955 ( Gaitskell ) 1960 1961 1963 ( Wilson ) 1976 ( Callaghan ) 1980 ( Foot ) 1983 ( Kinnock ) 1988 1992 ( Smith ) 1994 ( Blair ) 2007 ( Brown ) 2010 ( Miliband ) 2015 ( Corbyn ) 2016 Deputy Leadership elections 1952 ( Morrison ) 1953 1956 ( Griffiths ) 1959 ( Bevan ) 1960 ( Brown ) 1961 1962 1970 ( Jenkins ) 1971 1972 ( Short ) 1976 ( Foot ) 1980 ( Healey ) 1981 1983 ( Hattersley ) 1988 1992 ( Beckett ) 1994 ( Prescott ) 2007 ( Harman ) 2015 ( Watson ) Shadow Cabinet elections 1979 ( Callaghan ) 1980 ( Foot ) 1981 ( Foot ) 1982 ( Foot ) 1983 ( Kinnock ) 1984 ( Kinnock ) 1985 ( Kinnock ) 1986 ( Kinnock ) 1987 ( Kinnock )... 1990 ( Kinnock ) 1991 ( Kinnock ) 1992 ( Smith ) 1993 ( Smith ) 1994 ( Blair ) 1995 ( Blair ) 1996 ( Blair ) 2010 ( Miliband ) Organisation Structure Constitution Clause IV Rule Book National Executive Committee Labour Party Conference National Policy Forum General Secretary Treasurer Constituency Labour Party Branch Labour Party Socialist societies Association of Labour Councillors Parliamentary Labour Party Labour Chief Whip European Parliamentary Labour Party London Labour Party Scottish Labour Party Welsh Labour Labour Party in Northern Ireland Affiliated trade unions Trade Union and Labour Party Liaison Organisation Electoral pact with independent Co-operative Party as Labour Co-operative Candidates Young Labour Labour International Related organisations Christians on the Left Compass Fabian Society Young Fabians Grassroots Alliance Jewish Labour Movement Labour Campaign for Electoral Reform Labour CND Labour Friends of Israel Labour Party Irish Society Labour Representation Committee ( 2004 ) Labour Students LGBT Labour LabourList Momentum National Union of Labour and Socialist Clubs Progress Socialist Appeal Socialist Health Association Socialist Educational Association Socialist Environment and Resources Association Socialist Campaign Group Socialist Youth Network Tribune History and related topics History of the Labour Party ( UK ) General election manifestos History of the socialist movement in the United Kingdom Lib -- Lab pact One more heave New Labour Tony 's Cronies Blue Labour One Nation Labour Alliances Party of European Socialists Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats Progressive Alliance Socialist International Northern Ireland Social Democratic and Labour Party Labour -- Federation of Labour Groups New Labour Key figures Tony Blair Peter Mandelson Alastair Campbell Gordon Brown Anthony Giddens Anthony Crosland Philip Gould David Sainsbury Political ethos Blairism Third Way Blatcherism Brownism General elections 1997 2001 2005 2010 ( Post-election events ) Government Premiership of Tony Blair Blair ministry Chancellorship of Gordon Brown Premiership of Gordon Brown Brown ministry Publications The Future of Socialism A Journey The Third Man : Life at the Heart of New Labour The Blair Years The Purple Book Related topics One more heave Labour Co-ordinating Committee Blair -- Brown deal New Labour, New Life For Britain New Labour, New Danger `` Things Can Only Get Better '' Progress Blair Babe Tony 's Cronies Book Category Labour Party leadership election, 1994 Outgoing Leader : Margaret Beckett ( acting ) Margaret Beckett Tony Blair John Prescott Recipients of the Charlemagne Prize 1950 -- 1975 1950 Richard von Coudenhove - Kalergi 1951 Hendrik Brugmans 1952 Alcide De Gasperi 1953 Jean Monnet 1954 Konrad Adenauer 1955 1956 Winston Churchill 1957 Paul - Henri Spaak 1958 Robert Schuman 1959 George Marshall 1960 Joseph Bech 1961 Walter Hallstein 1962 1963 Edward Heath 1964 Antonio Segni 1965 1966 Jens Otto Krag 1967 Joseph Luns 1968 1969 European Commission 1970 François Seydoux de Clausonne 1971 1972 Roy Jenkins 1973 Salvador de Madariaga 1976 -- 2000 1976 Leo Tindemans 1977 Walter Scheel 1978 Konstantinos Karamanlis 1979 Emilio Colombo 1980 1981 Simone Veil 1982 King Juan Carlos I 1984 1985 1986 People of Luxembourg 1987 Henry Kissinger 1988 François Mitterrand / Helmut Kohl 1989 Brother Roger 1990 Gyula Horn 1991 Václav Havel 1992 Jacques Delors 1993 Felipe González 1994 Gro Harlem Brundtland 1995 Franz Vranitzky 1996 Queen Beatrix 1997 Roman Herzog 1998 Bronisław Geremek 1999 Tony Blair 2000 Bill Clinton 2001 -- present 2001 György Konrád 2002 Euro 2003 Valéry Giscard d'Estaing 2004 Pat Cox / Pope John Paul II 2005 Carlo Azeglio Ciampi 2006 Jean - Claude Juncker 2007 Javier Solana 2008 Angela Merkel 2009 Andrea Riccardi 2010 Donald Tusk 2011 Jean - Claude Trichet 2012 Wolfgang Schäuble 2013 Dalia Grybauskaitė 2014 Herman Van Rompuy 2015 Martin Schulz 2016 Pope Francis 2017 Timothy Garton Ash Received extraordinary prize. Presidents of the European Council President - in - Office ( 1975 -- 2009 ) Liam Cosgrave Aldo Moro Gaston Thorn Joop den Uyl James Callaghan Leo Tindemans Anker Jørgensen Helmut Schmidt Valéry Giscard d'Estaing Jack Lynch Francesco Cossiga Charles Haughey Pierre Werner Dries van Agt Margaret Thatcher Wilfried Martens Anker Jørgensen Poul Schlüter Helmut Kohl Andreas Papandreou François Mitterrand Garret FitzGerald Bettino Craxi Jacques Santer Ruud Lubbers Wilfried Martens Felipe González François Mitterrand Giulio Andreotti Ruud Lubbers Aníbal Cavaco Silva John Major Poul Nyrup Rasmussen Jean - Luc Dehaene Jacques Chirac Felipe González Lamberto Dini Romano Prodi John Bruton Wim Kok Jean - Claude Juncker Tony Blair Viktor Klima Gerhard Schröder Paavo Lipponen António Guterres Jacques Chirac Göran Persson Guy Verhofstadt José María Aznar López Anders Fogh Rasmussen Costas Simitis Silvio Berlusconi Bertie Ahern Jan Peter Balkenende Jean - Claude Juncker Tony Blair Wolfgang Schüssel Matti Vanhanen Angela Merkel José Sócrates Janez Janša Nicolas Sarkozy Mirek Topolánek Jan Fischer Fredrik Reinfeldt Permanent President ( since 2009 ) Herman Van Rompuy Donald Tusk Quartet on the Middle East Negotiating parties Israel Palestinian Authority Diplomatic quartet European Union ( Mogherini ) Russia ( Lavrov ) United Nations ( Guterres ) United States ( Tillerson ) Special Envoy Tony Blair Associated organizations Elections Reform Support Group Africa Progress Panel Kofi Annan ( chair ) Michel Camdessus Peter Eigen Bob Geldof Graça Machel Linah Mohohlo Olusegun Obasanjo Robert Rubin Tidjane Thiam Commission for Africa Blair ( chairman ) Adeola Amoako Baker Benn Brown Camdessus Geldof Goodale Peiding Kalema Manuel Mkapa Mohohlo Thiam Tibaijuka Meles VIAF : 84213389 LCCN : no95058170 ISNI : 0000 0001 2282 4455 GND : 119305658 SELIBR : 222307 SUDOC : 03507518X BNF : cb125580786 ( data ) BIBSYS : 90953518 ULAN : 500260665 MusicBrainz : a4df2b55 - be07 - 425f - ae67 - 55fb94da955c NLA : 35407969 NDL : 00724689 IATH : w6c5798x Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tony_Blair&oldid=801300828 '' Categories : Tony Blair 1953 births Living people Alumni of St John 's College, Oxford Alumni of the Inns of Court School of Law British diplomats Commission for Africa members Congressional Gold Medal recipients Converts to Roman Catholicism from Anglicanism English autobiographers English Roman Catholics Fellows of St John 's College, Oxford Labour Party ( UK ) MPs for English constituencies Leaders of the Labour Party ( UK ) Leaders of the Opposition ( United Kingdom ) Members of Lincoln 's Inn Members of the Fabian Society Members of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom People educated at Fettes College People educated at the Chorister School, Durham People from Edinburgh People of the Year Awards winners Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients Presidents of the European Council Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom Sedgefield ( borough ) Trimdon UK MPs 1983 -- 87 UK MPs 1987 -- 92 UK MPs 1992 -- 97 UK MPs 1997 -- 2001 UK MPs 2001 -- 05 UK MPs 2005 -- 10 Yale University faculty Labour Party Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom Former Marxists Hidden categories : Pages containing links to subscription - 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Question: who was the british prime minister in 2003
Answer: Anthony Charles Lynton Blair