G8 members

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

MR TONY BLAIR, PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED OF KINGDOM

Born in Scotland in May 1953 Tony Blair went to school at Durham and Edinburgh. He read Law at Oxford University and qualified as a barrister in London in 1976. He specialised in cases of unfair dismissal under Employment and Industrial Law until 1983. He married Cherie Booth in 1980 and they have four children. Tony Blair has been MP for Sedgefield since 1983. In Parliament he has held the following posts: Opposition spokesman on Treasury and Economic Affairs 1984-87.

Opposition spokesman on Trade and Industry 1987-88; Shadow Secretary of State for Energy 1988-89; Shadow Secretary of State for Employment 1989-92; Shadow Home Secretary; Leader of the Labour Party 1994- ; Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service 1997.

In 1997, at 44 years, Tony Blair was the youngest person to become Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool in 1812. He began a second term as Prime Minister after his party's victory in the 2001 General Election.

Source: Embassy of the United Kingdom in Paris