• Tony Blair is an British politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and leader of the The Labour Party until 2007.

  On March 1, 2009, Tony Blair made his first trip to Gaza after being appointed as the Middle East peace envoy. Blair will meet with UN director of operations John Ging to discuss territory repairs.BBC: Blair makes first visit to Gaza (March 1, 2009)

• 1. Born: May 6, 1953 in Edinburgh, Scotland
  2. Political party: The Labour Party
  3. Previous position: Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
  4. Held office: 1997 - 2007
  5. Preceded by: John Major
  6. Succeeded by: Gordon Brown
  7. Is the Labour Party's longest-serving Prime Minister
  8. Only person to lead Labour Party to three consecutive general election victories
  9. Attended St. John's College and Oxford University
  10. Wife: Cherie Blair

• Key Dates

  1. June 9, 1983: Becomes a member of Parliament, representing Sedgefield
  2. July 21, 1994: Elected leader of the Labour Party
  3. 1997: Leads Labour Party to a landslide general election victory
  4. May 2, 1997: Becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
  5. June 24, 2007: Resigns as leader of the Labour Party
  6. June 27, 2007: Resigns as Prime Minister

• Pioneering New Labour

  Blair frequently used the term "New Labour" when describing his leadership of the Labour Party. He led it towards more moderate political stances which, although often criticized, led to landslide victories in general elections.

• Siding With America

  As Prime Minister, Blair notably sided with George W. Bush on issues regarding the Middle East, including support for the War on Terror and the Invasion of Iraq. On January 13, 2009, Bush presented Tony Blair with a Presidential Medal of FreedomTime: A Presidential Medal for Tony Blair

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