THE ULTIMATE
On this day, May 6th 1840, the 'Penny Black' postage stamp went into service. It was the first postal stamp service, for pre-paid mail. The self-adhesive stamp, carrying a portrait of Queen Victoria, would enable postage of a letter anywhere in the country for the cost of the stamp - simplifying the pricing of postage across Victorian Britain. May 6th, is also the birthday of former UK Prime MInister Tony Blair, born 1953. Tony Blair became the youngest Prime Minister sibnce 1812, as his rebranded Labour Party, New Labour, swept to a landslide victory in the General Election - ending eighteen years of Conservative government under Margaret Thatcher and John Major. His victory came after having moved the Labour Party to the right, into the cehtre ground of British Politics, removing Labour's constitutional commitment to nationalistion, 'Clause iV', and embracing the Middle Class and business, and Conservative spending plans for the first term. Blair won two more elections in 2001, and 2005, before resigning from office in 2007, to be replaced as Labour Party leader and Prime Minister, by his Chancellor, Gordon Brown. From 1997 to 2006 Blair didn't suffer a defeat in the House of Commons, with a range of significant achievements were racked up, Devolution of Scotland and Wales, creating the Scottish Parliament and the Welsh Assembly; a London Assembly and Mayor; reform of the House of Lords, by removing most of the Hereditary Peers giving it greater legitimacy, the Human Rights Act, bringing the European Convention on Human Rights into UK Law, and the Supreme Court, giving the judiciary greater independence; signing the EU's Social Chapter, guaranteeing Workers' Rights into law. the Minimum Wage, Sure Start and Children's Centres, as well as the greatest expense ever on Education. However, it was in the field of Foreign Policy that Blair became increasingly controversial and divided his party and the country. There were notable Human Rights successes with military interventions in Sierra Leone and Kosovo, and the UK came to the aid of a stricken USA by joining the invasion of Afghanistan to remove AlQaeda and the Taliban after the 9/11 terror strikes on New York's twin towers and the Pentagon on Washington D.C.. The protracted involvement in Afghanistan, and mounting military deaths for little gain drew criticism. Whilst, during this time Blair drew closer to the US Administration of G.W.Bush, and supported Bush's invasion of Iraq, with a claim to rid it of Saddam Hussein's Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) programme. The intelligence for which mislead Parliament, and Blair gained approval for the UK's involvement from the Commons with the support of Conservative MPs, with many in his own party rebelling, as his formerr Foreign Secretary, then Leader of the House Robin Cook resigned. Again the protracted nayure of this conflict and doubts about its premise led to increasing distruct of Blair amongst the Public. May 6th, is also the date of a great sporting occasion, as in 1954 Roger Bannister became the first athlete to break the four minute mile.
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