Tony Blair

Tony Blair was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom between May 1997 and June 2007, following re-election in 2001 and 2005. He now promotes interfaith initiatives through the Tony Blair Faith Foundation and is engaged on climate change and African governance issues. Elected Labour Party leader in 1994, Blair's "New Labour" campaign began modernizing and directing the party toward the political center. As prime minister Blair increased education and health spending, introduced new market-based reforms, and controversially supported US foreign policy throughout the Bush administration. Blair also helped to negotiate the Belfast Agreement in 1998. In December 2007, Blair converted from Anglicanism to Catholicism after speculation that he would join his wife and children, who were already Catholic. While he mostly keeps his faith a private matter, he has said that he prayed to God before deciding to join in the invasion of Iraq.