Outside the Beltway

Tony Blair and Labour Win 3rd Term

James Joyner · Thursday, May 5, 2005 · 3 comments

Fox News reports that Tony Blair’s Labour has won a third term. Apparently, both Britain’s ITN and the AP have also made this projection from the exit polls but I can’t find an online link yet. A Labour win was expected, since the Conservative Party was also in favor of the controversial Iraq War and the Liberal Democrats remain mired in minor party status.

Update: Blair Projected Winner in British Election (AP 5:09 PM EDT)

Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Labour Party won a third term in office with a sharply reduced 66-seat majority in Parliament, according to exit poll projections broadcast as vote counting began in Britain’s national election Thursday.

Counting in 645 Parliamentary districts was continuing through the night, and the winner would not be officially confirmed at least until Friday morning. A third term would be a triumph for Blair, whose campaign for re-election was dominated by a furious debate about his credibility in the wake of the divisive Iraq war.

While my ideology leads me to root for the Tories, I’m happy to see Mr. Blair win this one. His courageous stand on the war was especially admirable given that he was wildly popular while the war was not. He was willing to risk his political career–and nearly lost it–on principle.