Following 18 years in opposition, in May 1997 the Labour Party won the British general election by a landslide. At 43, Tony Blair became the youngest Prime Minister since Lord Liverpool in 1812. Mr Blair has a long standing commitment to the environment and was re-elected with a further landslide majority in the 2001 general election. He is married to the barrister Cherie Booth QC and they have four children.

Read an excerpt from Tony Blair’s guest essay on climate change and leadership .