Tony Blair

(born 1953)

Tony Blair, prime minister of the United Kingdom since 1997, was reelected in 2005 for a third term of office. Born in Edinburgh and educated at Fettes College and St. John's College, Oxford, Blair began his career as a barrister specializing in trade union and employment law. He was elected as a Labour member of Parliament for Sedgefield in 1983. On the death of John Smith in 1994, he was elected leader of the Labour Party and made his mark by setting in place a number of reforms to streamline and modernize the party.

Blair was photographed during a visit to the The Guardian newspaper offices in 2001. Eamonn McCabe established his reputation as a sports photographer (he was Sports Photographer of the Year four times between 1978 and 1984) before moving into general editorial portraiture for The Observer and The Guardian.

By Eamonn McCabe (born 1948)
R-type color print, September 10, 2001
National Portrait Gallery, London
© Eamonn McCabe