Tony Blair Announces He Will Step Down

Tony Blair, the Prime Minister of Britain, will step down on June 27, 2007, he announced May 10, 2007. He has held the position for ten years. He was elected the leader of the Labour Party May 1, 1997. In British parliamentary tradition, the leader of the largest party in the House of Commons serves as prime minister. It is thought that his long time partner and rival Gordon Brown will be the next Prime Minister following elections of the Labour Party.

Tony Blair enjoyed a sixty-six percent approval rate earlier in his career as Britain Prime Minister. He is credited for fostering peace in Northern Ireland, presiding over an unprecedented period of prosperity and following the US to war in Iraq. It is this last one that has been key in his growing unpopularity with the British People.

During his speech to party workers and supporters at Trimdon Labour Club in his Sedgefield constituency in northern England he said, ''Hand on heart, I did what I thought was right. I may have been wrong, but that's your call. But believe one thing if nothing else. I did what I thought was right for our country.''

His resignation comes as no surprise as he said three years ago that this term would be his last in the office as Prime Minister. Though he enjoyed high approval ratings in the beginning of his term as Prime Minister and did much for Britain his popularity has taken hits over the involvement in the Iraq War. Tony Blair has brought much to the table and will be remembered for all that he did. But he will also be remembered for bringing Britain into the bloody conflict with Iraq.

When elected to office he was the youngest to serve as Prime Minister of the 20th century and the first to serve in this office that had been born after World War II. He is credited for bringing the Labour party out of their old style social democrat ways to the new Labour party that it is today. London now rivals New York City as the world's financial center in large part due to the changes in the banking system that took place during his time as Prime Minister. He also worked with Irish Prime Minister to negotiate peace in Northern Ireland, which lead to the forming of a new regional government of Protestants and Catholics.

Tony Blair will be remembered for many things that he did and help institute during his time as Britain's Prime Minister. He is stepping down of his own accord rather than losing an election. Hopefully he will be remembered for all the good that he did, and helped to bring about.