Tony Blair became the Labour Party Prime Minister of the United Kingdom after Labour’s landslide victory in 1997.
Blair led the Labour Party in the general election held on May 1, 1997. Labour won 418 of the 659 House of Commons seats, giving it a majority of 179. The result ended 18 years of Conservative-led government and made Blair the country’s youngest prime minister since 1812.
The victory was closely associated with the modernizing “New Labour” project. Under Blair, Labour moved toward the political center, presenting itself as economically responsible while emphasizing public services and constitutional reform. The campaign’s upbeat message, “Things Can Only Get Better,” became closely linked with the election.
The election was a historic defeat for John Major’s Conservatives, who were reduced to 165 seats. Blair remained prime minister after Labour victories in 2001 and 2005, serving until 2007. Gordon Brown then succeeded him as Labour leader and prime minister.