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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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Tony Blair
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(b. 1953) Labour politician, MP for Sedgefield since 1983, leader of the party from 1994 and prime minister from 1997. In 1992 he came second to Gordon *Brown in the list of those elected to the shadow cabinet, and after the sudden death of John *Smith they seemed the two likeliest candidates to succeed him. Brown stood down, and Blair scored a convincing win over the other contenders – Margaret Beckett and John Prescott.
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He immediately set about restoring to his party a moral zeal, emphasizing two themes recently out of fashion under a Conservative government – a rejection of dogma, and a return to social values instead of the self-interest encouraged by Margaret ('no such thing as society') *Thatcher.
The *Labour party under Blair won a sweeping electoral victory in 1997, coming into government with an overall majority of 178 seats.
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