Tony Blair
Overview
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a former British Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

 politician who served as the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...

 of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sedgefield
Sedgefield (UK Parliament constituency)
Sedgefield is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...

 from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He resigned from all of these positions in June 2007.

Blair was elected Leader of the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

 in the leadership election of July 1994
Labour Party (UK) leadership election, 1994
A leadership election was held on 21 July 1994 for the Labour Party in the United Kingdom, after the sudden death of incumbent leader John Smith. The 1994 election would ultimately decide not only Labour's new leader, but also the next Prime Minister...

, following the sudden death of his predecessor, John Smith.
Unanswered Questions
Quotations

I shall not rest until, once again, the destinies of our people and our party are joined together again in victory at the next general election Labour in its rightful place in government again.

Philip Webster, "Blair sets sights on Downing Street", The Times, 22 July 1994.

The art of leadership is saying no, not yes. It is very easy to say yes.

Mail on Sunday, 2 October 1994.

Any parent wants the best for their children. I am not going to make a choice for my child on the basis of what is the politically correct thing to do.

"Mr Blair opts out", Guardian, 2 December 1994. Statement on 1 December 1994, defending his decision to send his eldest son Euan to the London Oratory School which had opted out of local education authority control under a policy which the Labour Party opposed.

We have no plans to increase tax at all.

Philip Bassett, "Blair pledges he will not raise tax", The Times, 21 September 1995, p. 1.

I didn't come into politics to change the Labour Party. I came into politics to change the country.

Michael White, "Blair wants 'to make UK young again'", Guardian, 4 October 1995.

I want to see a publicly-owned railway, publicly accountable.

Paul Routledge, "Why the unions aren't rocking Blair's boat", Independent on Sunday, 8 October 1995.

I can't stand politicians who wear God on their sleeves.

Sunday Telegraph, 7 April 1996.

Ask me my three main priorities for government, and I tell you: education, education and education. We are 35th in the world league of education standards – 35th. At every level, radical improvement and reform.

"We are back as the people's party, says Blair", The Times, 2 October 1996.

 
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