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|+ '''The Right Hon. Tony Blair'''
The Right Honourable '''Michael Howard''' (born ], ]) is the current ] in the ] of the ]. He became leader of the ] on ] ], having been the only candidate for the job after ] lost a vote of confidence on ] of that year.
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|'''Appointed PM:'''
|] ]
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|'''PM Predecessor:'''
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|'''Date of Birth:'''
|] ]
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|'''Place of Birth:'''
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|''']:'''
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] '''Anthony Charles Lynton "Tony" Blair''' (born ] ]) has served as ] since ], when he brought the ] into power after 18 consecutive years of ] government.


== Early life ==
After becoming the Leader of the Labour Party in 1994 following the death of ], Blair led the party towards the centre of British politics, using the term "]" as a slogan to describe a party more favourable to private industry. However, critics to the ] feel that in the process he has compromised its founders' principles, and that the government places insufficient emphasis on the ] of wealth. Since the ] his agenda has been dominated by foreign affairs, where he has supported the ] in the "]" and sent British forces to participate in the ] and its aftermath.


Howard was born in ], ], where his ]n ]ish shopkeeper father Bernard had moved in order to escape the Nazi persecution. When he was six, the family name of ''Hecht'' was anglicised to become ''Howard'' . He attended ] and was President of the ] in 1962. Howard was one of a cluster of bright Conservative students at ] around this time, many of whom went on to hold high government office under ] and ].
==Early and private life==
Blair was born in ], ]. His father Leo was a ] and later a law lecturer who was active in the ]. Leo Blair had ambitions to stand for Parliament in ] but was thwarted when he had a stroke when Blair was 11, an event which affected Blair deeply. He spent most of his childhood years in ], where between the age of 13 and 15 he worked during the school holidays as a ] repairer in the local ] store, "Jonathon Willikstop's". After attending the ], Blair was educated at ] in Edinburgh (sometimes called the "] of Scotland"), where he met ] whom he would later make ]. He read law at ]. During his college years he also played guitar and sang for a rock band called ]. He obtained a degree and went on to enroll as a pupil ] in the Chambers of ] where he met his future wife, ].


He was called to the Bar (]) in ] and specialised in employment law and planning issues. In the ] he fought the safe Labour seat of ] Edge Hill, which led to his support for ]. The late 1960s saw his promotion within the ] where he became Chairman in ] shortly after the ] in which he was again defeated at Edge Hill. At the Conservative Party conference of 1970, he made a speech commending the government for curbing ] power.
Blair married Booth on ], ]. They have three sons (], ], and ]) and one daughter (]). Leo holds the distinction of being the first child officially born to a sitting Prime Minister in 150 years, since Francis Albert Rollo Russell was born to ] on ], ]. While the Blairs have been keen to shield their children from the media spotlight, this has not always been possible. Leo became a focal point for a debate over the ] when Tony Blair refused to confirm whether his son had received the controversial treatment.


Howard was named as co-respondent in the high profile divorce case of former 1960s model ]. She and Howard subsequently married in ] (her fourth marriage); their son Nicholas was born in ] and daughter Larissa in ]. Unlike his Cambridge contemporaries, Howard found difficulty being selected for a winnable seat and so continued his career at the Bar where he became a ] in ]. In one case he appeared against a younger barrister, ], who was also taking up employment law. In June 1982, Howard was finally selected for ] and ] in succession to Sir Albert Costain, who was retiring. He won his seat in the ] without difficulty.
Euan Blair hit the headlines after police found him "drunk and incapable" in ], ] while out celebrating the end of his ] exams in July ], just days after his father had proposed on-the-spot fines for drunken and yobbish behaviour. Blair has twice lodged complaints about press stories concerning his children. However, the fact that the family have occasionally held photocalls together has led some to accuse him of exploitation, and such photographs have been used .


== Career in Government ==
Blair is an ] of the ] or ] tendency, while his wife is ] and his children are (according to Catholic doctrine) brought up in that faith. Blair has not sought to make a political issue of his faith, though biographers agree that his political beliefs have been profoundly influenced by it. One name often mentioned as a theological influence is the Scottish Christian philosopher ]. Some have suggested Tony Blair is the most devout Prime Minister since ].


Howard entered the Government early, becoming Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the ] in ] with responsibility for regulating the financial dealings of the City of London. This junior post became very important as he oversaw the ''Big Bang'' introduction of new technology in ]. After the ] he became Minister for Local Government where he became involved in two major political controversies. On behalf of the Government, he accepted the amendment which became ], and defended its inclusion.
==Begins political career==
]
Shortly after graduation in ], Blair joined the ]. During the early ], he was involved in the ] South Labour Party, where he aligned himself with the "soft left" who appeared to be taking control of the party. However, his attempt to secure selection as a candidate for Hackney Borough Council was unsuccessful. Through his father-in-law he contacted ], a Labour MP, to ask for help in how to start his Parliamentary career; Pendry gave him a tour of the House of Commons and advised him to run for selection in a ] due to be held in the safe ] seat of ] in ], where Pendry knew a senior member of the local party. Blair was chosen as the candidate; he won only 10% of the vote and lost his deposit, but impressed the then Labour Party leader ] and got his name noticed within the party.


He then guided through the House of Commons the Local Government Finance Act 1988 which brought in Mrs Thatcher's new system of local taxation, officially known as the Community Charge but almost universally nicknamed the ]. Howard personally supported the tax and was respected by Mrs Thatcher for minimising the rebellion against it within the Conservative Party. After a brief period as Minister for Water and Planning in ], Howard was promoted to the ] as ] in January ] when ] resigned "to spend more time with his family". Howard therefore had responsibility for legislation abolishing the ]. He campaigned vigorously for Mrs Thatcher in the leadership contest. He retained the same cabinet post under ] and made many attacks on trade union power as part of the ] campaign.
In ], Blair found that the newly-created seat of ], near where he had grown up in ], had no Labour candidate. Several sitting ]s displaced by boundary changes were interested, but Blair managed to win the nomination. The seat was safely Labour despite the party's collapse in the ]; Blair was helped on the campaign trail by ] actress ], the girlfriend of his father-in-law ].


His work in the campaign led to his appointment as ] in the reshuffle after the election. He undertook some diplomacy to encourage the ] to participate in the ] in ], but was soon after appointed as ] in a ] reshuffle initiated by the sacking of ]. His tenure as Home Secretary was especially notable for his tough approach to crime, which he summed up in the soundbite "Prison works". Howard repeatedly clashed with many judges and prison reformers as he sought to clamp down on crime through a series of tough measures, though there were some high-profile prison escapes during his tenure. He was regarded by many as the toughest Home Secretary since ].
==In opposition==


== First attempt to become Tory leader ==
Once in Parliament, Blair's ascent was rapid. He was given his first shadow post in ] as assistant Treasury spokesman. He demanded an inquiry into the ]'s decision to rescue the collapsed Johnson Matthey Bank in October ] and embarrassed the government by finding an EEC report critical of British economic policy which had been countersigned by a member of the Conservative government. Blair was firmly aligned with the reforming tendencies in the party, headed by leader ] and was promoted after the ] to the Trade and Industry team as spokesman on the City of London. He laid down a marker for the future by running for the Shadow Cabinet in ], obtaining 71 votes. This was considered a good showing for a newcomer.
], ]).]]
The stock market crash of October ] raised the prominence of Blair who inveighed against the 'morally dubious' City whiz-kids for being incompetent. He signalled his modernising by protesting against the third-class service for small investors at the Stock Exchange. He entered the ] as Shadow Secretary of State for Energy in ], and the next year became Shadow Employment Secretary. In this post he realised that the Labour Party's support for the emerging European 'Social Charter' policies on employment law meant dropping the party's traditional support for ] arrangements whereby employers required all their employees to be members of the same trade union. He announced this change in December ], outraging the left-wing of the Labour Party but making it more difficult for the Conservatives to attack.


After the 1997 resignation of ], he and ] announced they would be running on the same ticket, with Howard as leader and Hague as Shadow ]. However, the day after they agreed this, Hague decided to run his own campaign. Howard also stood but his campaign was marred by a high profile controversy surrounding his record as Home Secretary.
As a young and telegenic Shadow Cabinet member, Blair was given prominence by the party's Director of Communications ]. However his first major platform speech at the Labour Party conference was a disastrous embarrassment in October ] when he spoke too fast and lost his place in his notes. He worked to produce a more moderate and electable party in the run-up to the ], in which he had responsibility for developing the minimum wage policy which was expected to be strongly attacked by the Conservatives. During the election campaign Blair had a notable confrontation with the owner of a children's nursery who was adamant that the policy would cost jobs.


=== "Something of the night about him" claims Widdecombe ===
When Kinnock resigned after defeat by ] in the ], Blair became Shadow Home Secretary under ]. Blair defined his policy (in a phrase that had actually been coined by his close friend and ally ]) as "Tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime". This had been an area in which the Labour Party had been weak and Blair moved to strengthen its image. He accepted that the prison population might have to rise, and bemoaned the loss of a sense of community which he was prepared to blame (at least partly) on '1960s liberalism'. However, Blair spoke in support of equalisation of the age of consent for gay sex and opposed capital punishment.
]
Smith died suddenly in ] of a ]. Both Blair and Gordon Brown had been considered as possible leadership contenders and had always agreed that they would not fight each other. Brown had previously been thought the most senior and understood this to mean that Blair would give way to him; however, it soon became apparent that Blair now had greater support. A MORI opinion poll published in the ] on ] found that among the general public, Blair had the support of 32%, John Prescott, 19%, Margaret Beckett 14%, Gordon Brown 9%, and Robin Cook 5%. At the ] restaurant in ] on ], Brown agreed to give way. There is no conclusive evidence of the terms of any wider "Granita Pact" but supporters of Brown maintain that Blair undertook to resign from the Prime Ministership after a set period in favour of Brown. The Labour Party Electoral College elected Tony Blair as Party Leader on ] ]. The other candidates were ] and ].


], his former junior minister in the Home Office, made a statement to Parliament about the dismissal of then Director of the Prison Service, Derek Lewis and famously remarked of Howard that "there is something of the night about him", a bitter and widely quoted comment that fatally damaged his 1997 bid for the Conservative Party leadership. The comment was taken as a "bitchy" reference to his dour demeanour, which she was implying was sinister and almost ]-like, as well as linking in to his Romanian ancestry, and was interpreted by some as having anti-semitic tones, given Howard's Jewish faith.
===Leader of the Labour Party===


=== Infamous interview on Newsnight ===
Shortly after his election as Leader, Blair announced at the conclusion of his 1994 conference speech that he intended to propose a new statement of aims and values for the Labour Party to replace the charter originally drawn up in 1918. This involved the deletion of ] which had committed the party to 'the common ownership of the means of production' (widely interpreted as wholesale ]). A special conference of the party approved the change in March ].


A further embarrassment came when a television interviewer, ], the same question (14 times in all) during an edition of the '']'' programme. Asking whether Howard had intervened when Derek Lewis sacked a prison governor, Paxman asked: "Did you threaten to overrule him?" Howard did not give a direct answer, instead repeatedly saying that he "did not overrule him", and ignoring the "threaten" part of the question. The BBC subsequently revealed that the prolonged period where the question was repeated was in fact a "filler" to extend the interview, as technical reasons meant the next segment of that night's ''Newsnight'' was not ready for broadcast. While some praised the interview for journalistic toughness, others, including some in the BBC, criticised it as a theatrical stunt. The interview remains one of the most famous in broadcasting history. In the longer term its precise impact on Howard's reputation remains disputed. Some suggest that it highlighted his arrogant refusal to answer the question; others suggest it highlighted his toughness and refusal to be bullied into doing something he did not want to do, even by one of Britain's toughest interviewers. , Mr Howard was surprised remarking "Come on, Jeremy, are you really going back over that again?". Before answering, "As it happened, I didn?t. Are you satisfied now?"
While in opposition, Blair also revised party policy in a manner which enhanced the image of Labour as competent and modern. He used the term "]" to distinguish the party under his leadership from what had gone before. Although the transformation aroused much criticism (its alleged superficiality drawing fire both from political opponents and traditionalists within the "rank and file" of his own party), it was nevertheless successful in changing public perception. At the ] Labour party conference, Blair stated that his three top priorities on coming to office were "education, education, education".


When the first round of polling occurred in the leadership election, Howard came a disappointing fifth out of five candidates with the support of only twenty-three MPs. He withdrew from the race and endorsed William Hague, who was eventually elected leader. Howard served as Shadow Foreign Secretary for the next two years but in ] he retired from the ] though remaining an MP.
Aided by disaffection with the Conservative government (who were dogged by allegations of corruption, and long running divisions over ]), "New Labour" achieved a landslide victory over ] in the ].


== Elected Leader in 2003 ==
==First term 1997–2001==
] ], a fellow leader of the "]" in politics.]]
Immediately after taking office, ] Gordon Brown gave the ] the power to set the base rate of interest autonomously. The traditional tendency of governments to manipulate interest rates around the time of General Elections for political gain is thought to have been deleterious to the UK economy and helped reinforce a cyclical pattern of ], for which Blair frequently criticises previous governments. Brown's decision was popular with ], which the Labour Party had been courting since the early ]. Together with the government's avowed determination to remain within projected Conservative spending limits, it helped to reassure sceptics of the Labour Party's new-found fiscal "prudence". Brown, who had his own following within the Labour Party, was a powerful and independent Chancellor who was given exceptional freedom to act by Blair, although later reports by Downing Street insiders have said that Blair grew to regret this as he was cut out of important fiscal decisions.


After the ] Howard was recalled to frontline politics when the Conservatives' new leader ] appointed him as Shadow Chancellor. Howard proved highly successful in this job and after Duncan Smith was removed from the leadership by the parliamentary party, Howard was elected unopposed as leader of the party in ]. Many commentators feel that he is more successful as Conservative Leader than Iain Duncan Smith was, although others suspect his close association with the former government of ] could limit his popularity.
Blair has encouraged reforms to Parliamentary procedures. One of Blair's first acts as Prime Minister was to replace the two weekly 15 minute sessions of ], held on a Tuesday and Thursday, with a single 30 minute session on a Wednesday. This reform was said to be more efficient, but critics point out that it is easier to prepare for one long set of questions that two shorter interrogations. There has been a perception that Blair has avoided attending debate and voting in Parliament, although his vote is seldom needed given Labour's large majorities in the House of Commons.


In February 2004, Howard called on Tony Blair to resign over the Iraq war, because he had failed to ask "basic questions" regarding WMD claims and misleading the Parliament. In July the Tory leader stated that he would not have voted for the motion that authorised the Iraq war had he known the quality of intelligence information which the WMD claims were based on. At the same time, he said he still believed in the Iraq invasion was right because "the prize of a stable Iraq was worth striving for". His criticism of Blair did not earn Howard sympathies in Washington, where President Bush refused to meet him; ] is reported to have told Howard: "You can forget about meeting the president full stop. Don't bother coming."
Further reforms include the prominence given to the Prime Minister's Press Secretary, who became known as the ]. This role was filled by ] from May 1997 to ] ]. Campbell had been an important cog in the New Labour election machine for the 1997 general election, working with ] to co-ordinate Labour's campaign. In the early years of his first term, Blair relied for his political advice on a close circle of his own staff, amongst whom Campbell was seen as particularly influential: he was given the authority to direct ], who previously had taken instructions only from ]s. Unlike his predecessors, Campbell was a political appointment and had not come through the ]. Campbell was replaced by ] and ] when he moved to become the Prime Minister's Director of Communications and Strategy immediately after Blair's election success on ] ]. Campbell ultimately resigned on ] ].


Michael Howard was named Parliamentarian of the Year for 2003 by '']'' and Zurich UK. This was in recognition of his performance at the despatch box in his previous role as Shadow ].
A significant achievement of Blair's first term was the negotiation of the ], commonly called the Good Friday Agreement, in which the British and Irish Governments and most Northern Irish political parties established an "exclusively peaceful and democratic" framework for power-sharing in Northern Ireland. Negotiations for this accord had begun under the previous Prime Minister, ]. The agreement was finally signed on ] ], and on ] ] Blair became the first Prime Minister of the United Kingdom to address the ]'s parliament. Though the agreement has yet to be implemented in full, the ceasefires and political structures it brought into being have increased the chances of a sustained peace.


==See also==
Blair's first term saw an extensive programme of constitutional reform. A ] was introduced in 1998; a ] and a ] were both set up; and most hereditary ] were removed from the ] in 1999; the ] was established in 2000; and the ] was passed later that year, with its provisions coming into effect over the next decade. This latter proposal disappointed campaigners whose hopes had been raised by a ] of ] which promised a more robust Act. No further progress has been made in reforming the House of Lords since 1999: the debate remains open whether the reformed chamber should be fully elected, fully appointed, or part elected and part appointed.
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]


==External links==
In ], Blair presided over British involvement in the ]. The Labour Party in opposition had criticised the Conservative government for weakness over ], and Blair was one of those urging a strong line by ] against ]. He persuaded the US ] administration to support the use of ground troops should aerial bombardment fail to win the war, although in the event they were not needed. His speech setting out the Blair ''Doctrine of the International Community'' was made one month into the war, in Chicago on ], ].
* official site

* official profile of the Party Leader
In the ], Blair defined the election as being about improvements to public service. This specifically included the ]. The Conservatives largely ignored the issue of public services in favour of opposing British membership of ], which proved to do little to win over ]s: the Labour Party preserved its majority, and Blair became the first Labour Prime Minister to win a full second term. However the election was notable for a sudden and large fall in voter turnout. The leader of the ], ], resigned, becoming the first Conservative Party leader never to have served as Prime Minister; his successor ] became the second, and currently last, holder of this distinction (though ] never became Prime Minister, he only led the Conservative MPs, and thus technically was never the leader of the Conservative Party).
*

*
==Second term 2001–''present''==
* directory category

* directory project
] to ], the Prime Minister's countryside retreat.]]
* directory category
Following the ] attack on the ], Blair was very quick to align the UK with the US, engaging in a round of shuttle diplomacy to help form and maintain the allied coalition prior to their ] (in which British troops participated). He maintains this role to this day, showing a willingness to visit countries on diplomatic missions that other world leaders might consider too dangerous to visit.

===Iraq war===
Blair was a strong supporter of ] ]'s controversial plan to invade ] and overthrow dictator ]. Blair soon became the face of international support for the war, often clashing with ] ], who became the face of international opposition. Regarded by many as a more persuasive orator than Bush, Blair gave many speeches arguing for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in the days leading up to war.

Blair made a case for war against Saddam based on Iraqi possession of ] and breach of UN resolutions, but was wary of making a direct appeal for ]. 46,000 British troops, one third of the total strength of the UK armed forces, were deployed to assist with the ]. When after the war it was established that Iraq possessed no weapons of mass destruction, Blair's pre-war statements became a major domestic controversy. Many members of the Labour Party, not only those who were opposed to the Iraq war, were among those critical; among opponents of the war, accusations that Blair had deliberately exaggerated the threat were made. However, successive inquiries (including those by the Foreign Affairs ] of the ], ] and ]) have found that Blair honestly stated what he believed to be true at the time.

] ], on the day ] became Interim Prime Minister of Iraq.]]
Blair and Bush were unsuccessfully nominated in ] for the ] by ], a maverick ] politician. Several anti-war pressure groups want to try Blair for war crimes in Iraq at the ] (Bush cannot be tried because the USA is not a signatory to the treaty). The Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, stated that the invasion was "illegal" in September 2004.

The United Kingdom armed forces remain in southern Iraq to stabilise the country in preparation for impending elections. In October 2004 the UK government agreed to a request from US forces to send a battalion of the ] regiment to the American sector to free up US troops for an assault on ]. After the US election, Blair has tried to use his personal closeness to President Bush to bring pressure on the US administration on ] and ]. He has supported the Israeli government's plan to withdraw from the ].

===Domestic politics===
After fighting the 2001 election on the theme of improving public services, Blair's government raised taxes to increase spending on education and health in ]. Blair insisted that the increased funding must be matched by internal reforms. The government introduced a scheme to allow local NHS hospitals financial freedom, although the eventual shape of the proposals allowed somewhat less freedom than Blair would have liked after an internal struggle. Despite a manifesto pledge in 2001 not to introduce additional "top-up" tuition fees in ], Blair announced that such a scheme would eventually be brought in.

On ] ] Blair became the longest continuously serving Labour Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, surpassing ]'s 1964–1970 term. However, because of the crisis over the suicide of Dr ], a government scientist who had spoken to a BBC journalist precipitating a major fight between the BBC and the government, there were no celebrations. Blair set up an inquiry under the senior ] ].

The ] vote on the ] bringing in top-up fees was held on ], ] and saw the government scrape a majority of 5 due to a Labour rebellion. A first House of Commons defeat had been possible but averted when a small number of Gordon Brown's backbench allies switched sides at the last minute. The next day the ] reported on the ]. The Inquiry was widely expected to criticise Blair and his government. In the event, Hutton absolved Blair and his government of deliberately inserting false intelligence into its ], but criticised the ] editorial process which had allowed unfounded allegations to be broadcast. The report did not satisfy opponents of Blair and of the Iraq war.
]
Although the Hutton Inquiry had vindicated Blair, evidence to the inquiry raised questions over the use of intelligence in the run up to the war in Iraq. Hutton was the subject of ] for strictly interpreting his remit; after a similar decision by President Bush, Blair initiated another inquiry (the ]) into the accuracy and presentation of pre-war intelligence. Opponents of the war, especially the ], refused to participate as it did not meet their demands for a public inquiry into whether the war was justified.

In April ], Blair announced that a ] would be held on the ratification of the ]. This represents a significant change in British politics, where only one nationwide referendum has been held (this was the ] on whether Britain should remain in the EEC). It was a dramatic U-turn for Blair, who had previously dismissed calls for a referendum unless the constitution fundamentally altered Britain's relationship with the EU; ] eagerly seized on the "EU-turn", reminding Blair of his 2003 conference oration that "I can only go one way. I haven't got a reverse gear". The ] is expected to be held in early ].

During his second term Blair has increasingly become the target for protests. On ] ], he was hit by two ] filled with purple ] in the ], thrown by ]. His speech to the 2004 Labour Party conference was interrupted both by a protester against the Iraq war and then by a group who opposed the government's decision to allow the House of Commons to ban ].

On ] ], Tony Blair delivered a speech on the environment and the 'urgent issue' of ]. In unusually direct language he concluded that ''If what the science tells us about climate change is correct, then unabated it will result in catastrophic consequences for our world... The science, almost certainly, is correct.'' The action he proposed to take appeared to be based on business and investment rather than any tax or legislative attempts to reduce ] emissions: ''...it is possible to combine reducing emissions with economic growth... investment in science and technology and in the businesses associated with it... The G8 next year, and the EU presidency provide a great opportunity to push this debate to a new and better level that, after the discord over Kyoto, offers the prospect of agreement and action.'' . If he does press the issue at the G8, this would be expected to lead to conflict with the United States, which has opposed the ].

===Attempted impeachment===
On ] ], ] MP ] announced that he would attempt to ] Blair . Price argued that Blair has "caused injury to the state" and "breached his constitutional duties" by lying to Parliament. Price had the support of all Plaid Cymru and ] MPs, and claimed that a number of Labour backbenchers have expressed support, though only one (]) has revealed his support to the public. The ] is supported by the right-wing '']'' magazine and its editor, Conservative MP ], and has its own web site, .
The impeachment charge is summarised into four specific charges laid against Blair, all relating to the Iraq war:
* misleading Parliament and the country;
* incompetence and negligence;
* undermining the constitution; and
* entering into a secret agreement with the ].

Impeachment is an archaic method of bringing to trial those who cannot or should not be tried by a lesser court than Parliament. An impeachment process could be initiated by a single MP, but must be approved by a vote of the House of Commons, in which the Government has a large majority. If this resolution passes, Blair would be brought to trial before the House of Lords; if found guilty, he would be removed from office. However, the procedure cannot begin until the Speaker of the House of Commons allows debate on the impeachment motion. The impeachment campaign has drafted a motion for a Select Committee to investigate the charges and bring in an impeachment resolution, and this motion is currently open for MPs to sign. The Speaker will decide whether to order a debate after assessing the number of signatures. No impeachment has been attempted for one hundred and fifty years, and no impeachment resolution has been passed since ]; the last two impeachment trials resulted in acquittals.

===Health problems===
On ], ] it emerged that Blair had received treatment for an irregular heartbeat. Having felt ill the previous day, he went to hospital and was diagnosed with supraventricular ]. He was given a small electric shock to correct the heartbeat and returned home that night. He took the following day (]) a little more gently than usual and returned to a full schedule on ]. Downing Street aides later suggested that the palpitations had been brought on by Blair drinking lots of strong coffee at an ] summit and then working out vigorously in the gym. However, former Armed Forces minister ], a doctor, said that the treatment was more serious than ] had admitted: "Anaesthetising somebody and giving their heart electric shocks is not something you just do in the routine run of medical practice", he claimed.
]
Family problems in the spring of 2004 fueled speculation that Blair was on the brink of stepping down. ], a close friend of the Blair family, admitted that Blair was "under colossal strain", that "considerations of his family became very pressing" and that Blair had thought "things over very carefully." This led to a surge in speculation that Blair would resign. Several cabinet ministers urged Blair to continue.

Blair underwent a ] to correct his irregular heartbeat on ], ], having announced the procedure the day before in a series of interviews in which he also declared that he would seek a third term but not a fourth. The planned procedure was carried out at ]'s ] hospital. At the same time it was disclosed that the Blairs had purchased a house at No.29 ], ], for a reported £3.5 million. Some have speculated that part of No.29 is to be converted into offices for a future '''Blair Foundation'''. The purchase also fuelled speculation that Blair was preparing for life after government.

==Satirical caricature==
As is usually the fate with British Prime Ministers, he has become the central focal point of ] in the magazine '']''. A regular feature is the ], in which recent political events and Blair's penchant for ] and his zealous enthusiasms are pilloried. In this series, the parish incumbent (Rev. A.R.P. Blair MA (Oxon)) combines a relentless trendiness with a tendency to moralise and to exclude all those who criticise him.

Blair has avoided traditional pigeonholes of British political leaders. He has been labelled as insincere ("King of Spin", "Phoney Tony") and accused of "cronyism" due to his perceived penchant for promoting his friends to top jobs; the fact that "Tony" rhymes with "crony" has helped make this into easy slogans. Since 2001, he has been called "]'s poodle" or the ] of the ] due to his co-operation with the USA — an alliance somewhat upsetting to many supporters of his party, which traditionally allies with the ].

His name is commonly deliberately mis-spelled as '''Tony Bliar''' (or simply "B. Liar") by people who don't like what he has done, what they think he has done, his policies (particularly his stance on Iraq, something opposed by many people who otherwise would support him), or who simply dislike him personally. This originates from the belief that he deliberately lied to parliament over the threat Iraq posed. He has also been parodied in the comic ] in the series B.L.A.I.R 1 where he acts as a sort of futuristic crime fighter controlled by an ] known as "Doctor Spin".

== Tony Blair's First Cabinet, May 1997–June 2001 ==
*Tony Blair — ], ], and ]
*] — ] and ]
*] — ] and ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ] and ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ] and ]
*] — ]
*] — ] and ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ] (])

===Changes===
*] ] — ] becomes Leader of the House of Commons. ] becomes Leader of the House of Lords and Minister for Women. ] becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury. ] becomes ], which is now a cabinet position. ] becomes Cabinet Office Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. ] becomes Agriculture Minister. ] becomes Social Security Secretary. ] enters the cabinet as Trade & Industry Secretary. ] becomes Welsh Secretary. ] becomes Transport Minister, which is no longer a cabinet position (although Dr Reid will continue attending cabinet meetings). ], ], ], ], and ] leave the cabinet. The President of the Board of Trade is no longer a title used by the Trade Secretary. There is no longer a Minister without Portfolio.
*] ] — ] becomes Trade & Industry Seretary. ] becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury. ] leaves the cabinet.
*] ] — ] becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury. ] becomes Defence Secretary. ] becomes Health Secretary. ] returns to the cabinet as Northern Ireland Secretary. ] becomes Cabinet Office Minister and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. ] becomes Scottish Secretary. ] becomes Welsh Secretary. ], ], ], and ] leave the cabinet.
*] ] — Peter Mandelson resigns as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and is succeeded by John Reid. Helen Liddell enters the cabinet and succeeds John Reid as Secretary of State for Scotland.

== Tony Blair's Second Cabinet, June 2001–present ==
*Tony Blair — ], ], and ]:
*] — ]
*] — ] and ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ] and ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]
*] — ]

===Changes===
*] ] — ] resigns and the Department of Transport, Local Government & the Regions is broken up. ] becomes ]. ]'s ] assumes the Local Government & the Regions portfolio. ] becomes Work & Pensions Secretary. ] becomes Chief Secretary to the Treasury.
*] ] — ] resigns. ] becomes Education Secretary; ] becomes Minister without Portfolio. ] becomes Northern Ireland Secretary. ] becomes Welsh Secretary.
*] ] — ] resigns. ] becomes Leader of the House of Commons. ] becomes Minister without Portfolio.
*] ] — ] resigns and is succeed by ] as International Development Secretary.
*] ] — In a reshuffle ] becomes Health Secretary. ] assumes the new position of ], also becoming Lord Chancellor. ] becomes Scottish Secretary remaining also Transport Secretary. ] becomes Leader of the House of Commons, remaining also Welsh Secretary. ], ], and ] leave the Cabinet.
*] ] — ] becomes Leader of the House of Lords, following the death of ]. ] becomes International Development Secretary.
*] ] — ] resigns as ] and is succeeded by ]. ] returns to government with a seat in the Cabinet as ] mainly at the head of policy co-ordination; he replaces ], who was not in the Cabinet.
*] ] — ] resigns as ] and is succeeded by ]. ] succeeds Clarke as ].

==See also==
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== External links ==
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==References==
* Beckett, F. & Hencke, D. (2004). ''The Blairs and Their Court'', Aurum Press, ISBN 1845130243
* Blair, T. (2004). "Blair, The Right Hon. A. C. L." from ''Who's Who'', 156th ed., London: A & C Black.
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==Further reading==
* ] (2004). ''An Honourable Deception? New Labour, Iraq, and the Misuse of Power'' Free Press, ISBN 0743263928
* ] (2004). ''The Accidental American: Tony Blair and the Presidency'' Macmillan, ISBN 1405050012
* ] (2004). ''The Unfulfilled Prime Minister: Tony Blair and the End of Optimism'' Politico's Publishing, ISBN 1842751131
* Blair, Tony edited by ] (2004). ''Tony Blair: In His Own Words'', Politico's Publishing, ISBN 1842750895
* ] (2003). ''Tony Blair: The Man Who Lost His Smile'' Robson Books, ISBN 1861056982
* Naughtie, James (2001). ''The Rivals: The Intimate Story of a Political Marriage'' Fourth Estate ISBN 1841154733
* ] (2001). ''Tony Blair Prime Minister'' Little Brown, ISBN 0316854964
* Abse, Leo (2001). ''Tony Blair: The Man Behind the Smile'' Robson Books, ISBN 1861053649
* ] (2000). '' Servants of the People: The Inside Story of New Labour'' Hamish Hamilton ISBN 0241140293
* ] (1999). ''The Unfinished Revolution: How the Modernisers Saved the Labour Party'' Abacus, ISBN 0349111774
*Blair, Tony, edited by ] (1998). ''The Blair Necessities: Tony Blair Book of Quotations'' Robson Books, ISBN 1861051395

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

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Revision as of 04:04, 28 December 2004

For other uses, see Michael Howard (disambiguation).
File:Photo-michaelhoward-nov2003-1.jpg
Michael Howard

The Right Honourable Michael Howard (born July 7, 1941) is the current Leader of the Opposition in the Parliament of the United Kingdom. He became leader of the Conservative Party on November 6 2003, having been the only candidate for the job after Iain Duncan Smith lost a vote of confidence on October 29 of that year.

Early life

Howard was born in Llanelli, Wales, where his Romanian Jewish shopkeeper father Bernard had moved in order to escape the Nazi persecution. When he was six, the family name of Hecht was anglicised to become Howard . He attended Peterhouse, Cambridge and was President of the Cambridge Union Society in 1962. Howard was one of a cluster of bright Conservative students at Cambridge around this time, many of whom went on to hold high government office under Margaret Thatcher and John Major.

He was called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1964 and specialised in employment law and planning issues. In the 1966 election he fought the safe Labour seat of Liverpool Edge Hill, which led to his support for Liverpool F.C.. The late 1960s saw his promotion within the Bow Group where he became Chairman in 1970 shortly after the general election in which he was again defeated at Edge Hill. At the Conservative Party conference of 1970, he made a speech commending the government for curbing trade union power.

Howard was named as co-respondent in the high profile divorce case of former 1960s model Sandra Paul. She and Howard subsequently married in 1975 (her fourth marriage); their son Nicholas was born in 1976 and daughter Larissa in 1977. Unlike his Cambridge contemporaries, Howard found difficulty being selected for a winnable seat and so continued his career at the Bar where he became a Queen's Counsel in 1982. In one case he appeared against a younger barrister, Tony Blair, who was also taking up employment law. In June 1982, Howard was finally selected for Folkestone and Hythe in succession to Sir Albert Costain, who was retiring. He won his seat in the general election of 1983 without difficulty.

Career in Government

Howard entered the Government early, becoming Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Trade and Industry in 1985 with responsibility for regulating the financial dealings of the City of London. This junior post became very important as he oversaw the Big Bang introduction of new technology in 1986. After the 1987 election he became Minister for Local Government where he became involved in two major political controversies. On behalf of the Government, he accepted the amendment which became Section 28, and defended its inclusion.

He then guided through the House of Commons the Local Government Finance Act 1988 which brought in Mrs Thatcher's new system of local taxation, officially known as the Community Charge but almost universally nicknamed the poll tax. Howard personally supported the tax and was respected by Mrs Thatcher for minimising the rebellion against it within the Conservative Party. After a brief period as Minister for Water and Planning in 1989, Howard was promoted to the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Employment in January 1990 when Norman Fowler resigned "to spend more time with his family". Howard therefore had responsibility for legislation abolishing the closed shop. He campaigned vigorously for Mrs Thatcher in the leadership contest. He retained the same cabinet post under John Major and made many attacks on trade union power as part of the 1992 general election campaign.

His work in the campaign led to his appointment as Secretary of State for the Environment in the reshuffle after the election. He undertook some diplomacy to encourage the United States to participate in the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, but was soon after appointed as Secretary of State for the Home Department in a 1993 reshuffle initiated by the sacking of Norman Lamont. His tenure as Home Secretary was especially notable for his tough approach to crime, which he summed up in the soundbite "Prison works". Howard repeatedly clashed with many judges and prison reformers as he sought to clamp down on crime through a series of tough measures, though there were some high-profile prison escapes during his tenure. He was regarded by many as the toughest Home Secretary since Sir William Joynson-Hicks.

First attempt to become Tory leader

After the 1997 resignation of John Major, he and William Hague announced they would be running on the same ticket, with Howard as leader and Hague as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer. However, the day after they agreed this, Hague decided to run his own campaign. Howard also stood but his campaign was marred by a high profile controversy surrounding his record as Home Secretary.

"Something of the night about him" claims Widdecombe

Ann Widdecombe, his former junior minister in the Home Office, made a statement to Parliament about the dismissal of then Director of the Prison Service, Derek Lewis and famously remarked of Howard that "there is something of the night about him", a bitter and widely quoted comment that fatally damaged his 1997 bid for the Conservative Party leadership. The comment was taken as a "bitchy" reference to his dour demeanour, which she was implying was sinister and almost Dracula-like, as well as linking in to his Romanian ancestry, and was interpreted by some as having anti-semitic tones, given Howard's Jewish faith.

Infamous interview on Newsnight

A further embarrassment came when a television interviewer, Jeremy Paxman, relentlessly asked him the same question (14 times in all) during an edition of the Newsnight programme. Asking whether Howard had intervened when Derek Lewis sacked a prison governor, Paxman asked: "Did you threaten to overrule him?" Howard did not give a direct answer, instead repeatedly saying that he "did not overrule him", and ignoring the "threaten" part of the question. The BBC subsequently revealed that the prolonged period where the question was repeated was in fact a "filler" to extend the interview, as technical reasons meant the next segment of that night's Newsnight was not ready for broadcast. While some praised the interview for journalistic toughness, others, including some in the BBC, criticised it as a theatrical stunt. The interview remains one of the most famous in broadcasting history. In the longer term its precise impact on Howard's reputation remains disputed. Some suggest that it highlighted his arrogant refusal to answer the question; others suggest it highlighted his toughness and refusal to be bullied into doing something he did not want to do, even by one of Britain's toughest interviewers. In a November 2004 interview Paxman returned to his question from 1997, Mr Howard was surprised remarking "Come on, Jeremy, are you really going back over that again?". Before answering, "As it happened, I didn?t. Are you satisfied now?"

When the first round of polling occurred in the leadership election, Howard came a disappointing fifth out of five candidates with the support of only twenty-three MPs. He withdrew from the race and endorsed William Hague, who was eventually elected leader. Howard served as Shadow Foreign Secretary for the next two years but in 1999 he retired from the Shadow Cabinet though remaining an MP.

Elected Leader in 2003

After the 2001 General Election Howard was recalled to frontline politics when the Conservatives' new leader Iain Duncan Smith appointed him as Shadow Chancellor. Howard proved highly successful in this job and after Duncan Smith was removed from the leadership by the parliamentary party, Howard was elected unopposed as leader of the party in 2003. Many commentators feel that he is more successful as Conservative Leader than Iain Duncan Smith was, although others suspect his close association with the former government of Margaret Thatcher could limit his popularity.

In February 2004, Howard called on Tony Blair to resign over the Iraq war, because he had failed to ask "basic questions" regarding WMD claims and misleading the Parliament. In July the Tory leader stated that he would not have voted for the motion that authorised the Iraq war had he known the quality of intelligence information which the WMD claims were based on. At the same time, he said he still believed in the Iraq invasion was right because "the prize of a stable Iraq was worth striving for". His criticism of Blair did not earn Howard sympathies in Washington, where President Bush refused to meet him; Karl Rove is reported to have told Howard: "You can forget about meeting the president full stop. Don't bother coming."

Michael Howard was named Parliamentarian of the Year for 2003 by The Spectator and Zurich UK. This was in recognition of his performance at the despatch box in his previous role as Shadow Chancellor.

See also

External links

Preceded byNorman Fowler Secretary of State for Employment
1990–1992 		Succeeded byGillian Shephard
Preceded byMichael Heseltine Secretary of State for the Environment
1992–1993 		Succeeded byJohn Gummer
Preceded byKenneth Clarke Home Secretary
1993–1997 		Succeeded byJack Straw
Preceded byIain Duncan Smith Leader of the British Conservative Party
2003– 		Succeeded byCurrent Incumbent
Categories: