Anthony Blair: biography, interesting facts, political activity

The end of the twentieth century was the time of an unprecedented increase in US influence in world politics, a period of permanent local conflicts throughout the world. The role of the former great European powers was declining, and just at that time the years of the reign of Anthony Blair fell. He became the youngest leader of the Labor Party, the youngest prime minister of Great Britain. Having managed to win three terms in a row in a row, Anthony Blair, whose brief biography will be described below, has become one of the country's longest-running leaders. For his political vitality, he was nicknamed "Teflon Tony."

School and student years. Anthony Blair, biography

1953 marked the birth of one of the most popular and at the same time despised British politicians. The birthplace of the future leader of the country was the Scottish Edinburgh. Tony Blair's parents were real respectable British. Father Leo Charles Linton Blair was a lawyer, also engaged in politics and even put forward his candidacy for parliament. However, he was suddenly struck by an apoplectic blow, and his son had to realize political ambitions.

Tony Blair received a privileged education, first in a private school of singers at the Durham Cathedral, then at the prestigious Fettes College in Edinburgh. Interestingly, one of his children's classmates was Rowan Atkinson, whom most viewers know as Mr. Bean.

Tony Blair was not the most exemplary student, he defiantly ignored the school uniform, tore up lessons. Being a fan of Mick Jagger, he loved rock music, played in an amateur group.

The son of a respectable conservative and lawyer, of course, could not continue his father's business. The next stage in the formation of Blair was Oxford University. But before that he went to London and tried his luck as a rock musician.

Receiving a law degree at St. John's College of Oxford, Anthony Blair performed alongside the rock band Ugly Rumors. Unlearning far from brilliant, in 1975 he still received a second degree diploma and became a lawyer.

The beginning of political career

After completing his studies at Oxford, Anthony Blair began his labor activity not quite standard. Interesting facts, though not completely confirmed, suggest that he did not work long in one of the bars in Paris. Then, after all, the rebel devoted himself to a legal career. In 1975, he taught law, in 1976 he joined the bar and got a job at the office of Dani Irving, a close friend of John Smith, who was the leader of the Labor Party in those years.

This acquaintance and predetermined the political sympathies of Blair, who joined the ranks of the party of British socialists. The young lawyer began to actively participate in the Labor's activities, soon put forward his candidacy for parliament. His first attempt in 1982 ended in failure. However, Anthony Blair did not lose heart and a year later ran again, this time from the newly created Sedgefield district.

Despite the conservative father and the corresponding upbringing, the politician in his young years professed a pronounced leftist views. During the election campaign, he preached nuclear disarmament, Britain's withdrawal from the European economic space.

Nevertheless, being in the parliament, Anthony Blair tempered his ardor and joined the bloc of right-wing Laborites. He led an active political activity, held positions in the shadow offices, led his column in The Times.

The leader and executioner of British socialism

In 1989, Anthony Blair, whose policy began to win the sympathy of an increasing number of voters, becomes a member of the national executive committee of the Labor Party. He increasingly draws closer to leader John Smith and soon receives the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs in the shadow cabinet.

One of the most important questions Anthony Blair considered changing the course of the party to a less radical one. He agitated for the weakening of ties with trade unions, the removal of the most odious leftist slogans from the party program.

In 1994, John Smith was overtaken by an unexpected death. Despite the fact that the likely successor was considered Gordon Brown, however, he withdrew from the struggle for leadership. Anthony Blair was elected the head of the Labor Party by the majority of votes.

Becoming the head of the party, he began to implement his ideas about reform within the organization. He created a rigid centralized structure, ending the existence of factions and disagreements inside. At the same time, he tried to make the party's ideas more attractive to the bulk of voters, increasingly deviating from leftist ideas.

A striking example of this was the exclusion of the odious left-wing point of the program of the British socialists, who proclaimed collective ownership of the means of production and distribution.

First election as prime minister

Having ended the "shameful remnants of Marxism" in his party, Anthony Blair became one of the most popular politicians in the country, skilfully maneuvering between conservative adherents and supporters of liberal ideas. Elections in 1997 Labor won with an overwhelming advantage. The 73rd Prime Minister of Great Britain became the youngest leader in the history of the country.

Becoming the head of state, the politician began to implement pre-election promises. He continued the policy of the previous government to cut costs. Sharply changing his views over the years in politics, Anthony Blair began to advocate closer rapprochement with the European Union.

He also kept the promise given to supporters of the autonomy of Scotland and Wales, and held referendums in these parts of the UK on greater decentralization and strengthening the influence of local parliaments.

Foreign policy under Tony Blair was the time of the loss of the last remnants of the independence and independence of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom automatically supports any US initiatives, becoming a loyal ally of the transatlantic power. For example, during the conflict in Kosovo in 1999, Tony Blair immediately authorized the dispatch of several thousand British soldiers to the former Yugoslavia.

New Labor

Having finally figured out all the remnants of socialism inside the party, the Prime Minister proclaimed the policy of "new Labor". According to him, she had to combine and reconcile elements of free market capitalism and the idea of social equality and justice.

The main ideologist and creator of this program was Blair's associate and finance minister Gordon Brown. In particular, great attention was paid to the problems of equality of men and women. Laborers have set themselves the task of equalizing wages, reducing the bias towards the male part of the population.

After the signing of the social charter of the European Union in the United Kingdom, a three-week paid vacation was provided for the workers, and soon a four-week vacation.

Did not leave Anthony Blair out of his attention and a universal education. Reforms provided for the reorientation of schools for the future professional education of schoolchildren, the stake on individual abilities of students.

Peacekeeping activities

The main pain point and threat to the integrity of the country for Britain has always been Northern Ireland. Anthony Blair began to actively act on this front.

In 1997, he met several times with Jerry Adams, who represented the political forces of the irreconcilable Irish Republican Army. The result of the negotiations was the signing in 1998 of the Belfast agreement. According to him, the National Assembly of Northern Ireland was created, which was to assume significant functions of the central government.

Using their traditional influence on the Irish, the US actively participated in these initiatives. In doing so, they further strengthened Britain's dependence on the White House.

The second term of "Teflon Tony"

The end of the nineties and the beginning of the 2000s was the time of prosperity for the entire Western world, including the UK. In the wake of the general welfare, the Labor Party won the 2001 elections without any problems, and Anthony Blair went to his second term at the head of state.

This period has become a serious test for an unsinkable politician. In 2001, Blair unconditionally supported the US military operation against the Taliban in Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks. In support of the ally, the naval forces and the land forces of the United Kingdom were given power.

A year later, Anthony Blair began to actively persuade the parliament to approve the military operation against Iraq. If the operation against explicit terrorists in Afghanistan was somehow supported by the population, the possible participation in the actual occupation of a sovereign state caused a serious split in the society. Anthony Blair began to lose the popularity of the British.

In response, Anthony Blair began to frighten the potential threat of the use of force by Iraq, were presented to the public court evidence of the existence of Saddam Hussein's numerous weapons of mass destruction.

Parliament managed to persuade, and 45 thousand British soldiers were sent to help the US military. A huge scandal erupted after the release of the revealing investigation of BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan, which claimed that intelligence reports about the existence of caches with WMD from Hussein were falsified.

After initiating the investigation, Anthony Blair obtained the acquittal of a special commission headed by Lord Butler. However, the politician's reputation was heavily soiled, he looked more and more in the eyes of the people of the uncomplaining puppet of the White House.

Recent years as prime minister

Elections in 2005 Labor won with great difficulty, having left at their traditional points - health, social policy, education. Very strongly, Tony Blair auknuvalsya bloody war in Iraq, leading to anarchy and civil confrontation in this Arab state.

Nevertheless, the Prime Minister was in the mood for fighting and was not going to surrender, stating that he would resign only after the end of his term.

Passions seethed, lost solidity and unity among the Laborites themselves. More and more supporters of the party declared their dissatisfaction with Blair and demanded the appointment of Gordon Brown. The oil was also poured into the fire by numerous anti-corruption revelations among the Labor leadership. It went so far that under the storm of the trial was himself Blair.

Unable to withstand the hard pressure, in 2007, "Teflon Tony" resigned, appointing Gordon Brown's successor.

Further activities

After leaving the post of prime minister, Blair did not finish with political activities. He was appointed special envoy of a group of big powers to resolve the situation in the Middle East.

In addition, he becomes an adviser to numerous corporations and financial groups. Among them, JPMorgan Chase, "Zurich Financial".

The former prime minister was noted and his consultations with Nursultan Nazarbayev on the issues of economic reforms in Kazakhstan.

Family policy

Tony Blair married in 1980 on a colleague and companion for Labor Party Sherry Booth. Out of love for his wife, he even changed his religion, and from an Anglican he turned into a Catholic. During the marriage, the couple brought up three children - Ewan, Nikki, Leo.

By the way, Blair became the first prime minister of Britain for 150 years, who became the father of the head of state.

"Teflon Tony" has become one of the most durable leaders of Britain. For ten years, many areas of life in the United Kingdom have been reformed. He evoked love and hatred with contempt in equal measure, but the fact remains that Blair became one of the last bright politicians in the European arena.