Blair becomes Labour’s longest serving premier
Tony Blair today celebrates becoming Labour’s longest serving Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister has served 2,838 days at Downing Street, overtaking Harold Wilson’s two periods as premier in the 1960s and 1970s.
Mr Wilson won four elections – in 1964, 1966 and two in 1974 – serving for seven years and 279 days.
Should Labour win an historic third term of office, and Mr Blair remain in power until the end of 2008, he will surpass former Conservative premier Margaret Thatcher’s 11-and-a-half years in office.
Mr Blair has said he will serve a full third of office but not a fourth.
He has already surpassed Clement Attlee’s record of serving six years and 92 days as Labour’s longest – continually serving – premier.
In 1997, Mr Blair, then 43, became the youngest premier of the 20th century and the youngest since Lord Liverpool in 1812.
In 2001, the public school and Oxford-educated Labour leader became the first socialist premier to have won two successive full terms in power.
Sir Robert Walpole, regarded by historians as the first Prime Minister, served from 1721 to 1742, a total of two decades and 314 days, the longest on record. William Pitt, who became Prime Minister at the age of 24, led for 18 years and 343 days.
Lord Liverpool served for 14 years and 305 days between 1812 to 1827.
