10 Years of Tony Blair

21 July, 1994

Tony Blair beats John Prescott and Margaret Beckett to become leader of the Labour Party with 57 of the vote.

1 May, 1997

Labour wins the general election by a landslide ending 18 years of Conservative rule under Thatcher and Major.
The Conservatives took just 165 seats their worst performance since 1906. Scotland and Wales were left devoid of Tory representation and Labour had a formidable 419 seats including the speaker the largest the party had ever taken. Tony Blair promised he would deliver "unity and purpose for the future". John Major resigned as Conservative leader saying "When the curtain falls it's time to get off the stage and that is what I propose to do."

2 May, 1997

Tony Blair becomes the youngest prime minister since 1812. He has a huge Commons majority of 179.

31 August, 1997

Tony Blair reflects the mood of much of the nation on the death of Diana Princess of Wales dubbing her the peoples princess.

16 December, 1998

Blair and US President Bill Clinton launch air strikes on Iraq after UN reports Saddam is not complying with weapons inspections.

24 March, 1999

Nato air strikes against Serb forces in Kosovo begin.
Tony Blair said Britain fully supported the use of millitary action by Nato the first time the alliance had ever attacked a sovereign European country. He said the action was necessary "to prevent Slobodan Milosevic from continuing to perpetrate his vile oppression against the Kosovo Albanian people". The bombing ended 11 weeks later on 10 June the day after Belgrade agreed to a full military withdrawal from Kosovo.

9 August, 1999

Charles Kennedy is elected leader of the Liberal Democrats replacing Paddy Ashdown.

19 November, 1999

The Blairs confirm they are expecting their fourth child.

20 May, 2000

Leo Blair arrives the first child born to a sitting PM for more than 150 years.
Leo is the Blairs' fourth child and was named after Mr Blair's father. Tony and Cherie's other children are Euan Kathryn and Nicky.

29 June, 2000

Blair announces that police will be able to charge onthespot fines for public drunkenness.

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