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'Today I announce my decision to stand down as leader of the Labour Party'. With these words, spoken on 10 May at Sedgefield, in the North of England, where his political career began, Tony Blair announced his intention to stand down as British Prime Minister as of 27 June. Blair's announcement was followed by the start of a campaign within the Labour Party to choose a new leader. The current Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, is expected to be elected as the new leader, with the decision being announced on 24 June.

Tony Blair came to power in 1997, putting an end to 18 years under Conservative governments. Charismatic and aware of the power of image in politics, Blair modernised the Labour Party and made it attractive to middle-class voters, the decisive voters in elections: winning three consecutive elections (1997, 2001 and 2005), something that had never been done before by any Labour politician.

During the Blair decade, Britain has experienced remarkable economic growth, although critics emphasise that the difference between rich and poor has increased. However, Blair has succeeded in strengthening the Northern Ireland peace process and returning self-government to Scotland and Wales.

On the negative side are the scandals of financial irregularities that have implicated the Labour Party, the erosion of civil liberties in the name of the ‘fight against terrorism’ (London was, of course, the subject of an attack on 7 July 2005 which left more than 50 people dead), and the invasion of Iraq that, more than anything else, has not failed to mark the Blair years.