Sir Tony Blair
Former Prime Minister
Sir Tony Blair
Former Prime Minister
Tony Blair is a British politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Leading the Labour Party, he modernized it under the "New Labour" movement, shifting it toward the political center and embracing market-friendly policies while maintaining traditional social justice values. Under his leadership, the UK experienced economic growth, investment in public services, and constitutional reforms, including the establishment of the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly. His tenure also saw significant international engagement, notably in Kosovo and Sierra Leone, where the UK intervened militarily on humanitarian grounds.
Election '97 - Live Interviews with Tony Blair, John Major and Paddy Ashdown
- Wednesday, 23 April 1997
In April 1997, ITN's Michael Brunson conducted live interviews with the three main party leaders just a week before the general election. On 23 April, Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown claimed there was little difference between the Conservatives and New Labour, asserting that only a vote for the Lib Dems would guarantee greater investment in health and education. The following day, Labour leader Tony Blair presented his vision of a better Britain while criticizing the Conservatives' 17-year tenure and their pension policies. In the final interview on 25 April, Prime Minister and Conservative leader John Major accused Blair of deliberately trying to "frighten" voters by making false claims about Tory policies.
