Blair to call it a day

by Steve Fri May 11, 2007 12:04

1997 May 1: Labour election landslide.

May 6: Independence of Bank of England announced.

Aug 31: Blair tribute to Diana as the "people's princess" after her death in a Paris car crash.

Sept: Referendums on Scottish parliament and Welsh assembly.

Oct 13: Blair meets Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams at Stormont.

Oct 27: Gordon Brown says Britain will not join launch of euro.

Nov 16 : Blair apologises over £1 million donation to Labour from Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.

1998 Apr 10 : Good Friday agreement signed at Stormont.

Aug 15: Real IRA bomb in Omagh leaves 29 dead.

Dec 16: US and British forces launch air attacks on Iraq.

1999 Mar 24: Nato launches air strikes against targets in Yugoslavia over attacks on Kosovo Albanians.

Jun 10: Yugoslav generals sign peace deal with Nato, ending the Kosovo war.

Oct 11: Mandelson appointed Northern Ireland secretary.

Oct 26: Agreement to end right of most hereditary peers to sit in the Lords.

2000 Jan 1: Millennium Dome opening.

Mar 11: Blair first EU leader to meet acting President Putin.

May 4: Ken Livingstone defeats official Labour candidate to become mayor of London.

2001 Jan 24: Mandelson resigns from the cabinet for a second time.

Feb 20: Britain's first case of foot-and-mouth for 20 years.

Feb 23: Blair first EU leader to meet US president George Bush.

June 7: Labour re-elected in a second landslide.

Sept 11: Blair vows to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with US after Twin Towers and Pentagon attacks.

Sept 21: Afghan government rejects ultimatum to hand over Osama bin Laden.

Oct 4: Blair sets out evidence against al-Qaeda in Commons.

Oct 7: US and British air strikes against the Taliban begin.

Nov 13: Kabul falls.

2002 Jan 30: Bush names Iraq as part of the "axis of evil".

Sept 7: Blair meets Bush at Camp David, offers support on Iraq but urges need for UN mandate.

Sept 24: Blair publishes dossier on Iraq weapons of mass destruction.

Nov 8: UN Security Council passes resolution 1441 declaring Iraq in "material breach" of its obligations to disarm.

2003 Mar 17: Britain and US abandon attempts to secure a new UN mandate for military action. Robin Cook resigns from the cabinet.

Mar 18: MPs vote 412 to 149 in favour of military action.

Mar 20: US launches first air strikes on Baghdad.

May 29: BBC Radio 4 Today programme reports Downing Street "sexed up" Iraq dossier.

July: Government scientist Dr David Kelly tells MPs he is not source of the BBC story on the Iraq dossier. Days later his body found in beauty spot close to his home.

Dec 13: Saddam Hussein found by US forces hiding in a hole near his home town Tikrit.

2004 Jan 28: Hutton report on Kelly death clears Downing Street of "sexing up" the dossier.

Apr 20: Blair announces plan for poll on new EU constitution.

July 14: Butler report found Blair gave impression intelligence on weapons of mass destruction "fuller and firmer" than the case.

Sept 28: Blair tells Labour conference he was wrong about WMD, but will not apologise for removing Saddam.

Sept 30: Blair announces he will only serve one more term as PM.

Oct 6: Iraq Survey Group concludes Saddam did not have any WMD at time of the invasion.

Nov 18: Bill banning hunting with hounds passed.

Dec 15: Home secretary David Blunkett resigns after an inquiry finds his office was involved in fast-tracking visa application.

2005 May 6: Labour returned with a reduced majority.

Jun 6: Government shelves plans for poll on EU constitution after French and Dutch vote "no".

July 6: London wins bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

July 7: Four suicide bombers kill 52 in attacks on the London Underground and a London bus.

July 8: Blair announces G8 leaders have agreed an action plan for Africa.

July 28: IRA announces the end of its armed campaign.

Nov 2: Blunkett resigns from the cabinet for the second time.

Nov 9: MPs reject plans to hold terror suspects for 90 days without charge in Blair's first Commons defeat in power.

2006 Jan 26: Government announces 3,300-strong military force for Helmand in Afghanistan.

Mar 15: Blair relies on Tories to win vote on school reform.

Mar 21: Scotland Yard launches inquiry into alleged sale of honours by the Labour Party.

May 5: Charles Clarke sacked as home secretary over failure to deport hundreds of foreign criminals.

Jun 1: John Prescott stripped of his departmental duties and his Dorneywood grace-and-favour home after admitting to an affair.

July 12: Blair's chief fundraiser Lord Levy arrested by detectives investigating cash-for-honours affair.

Sept 7: Blair promises to stand down as PM within year.

Dec 4: Blair announces go-ahead for new generation Trident nuclear missile submarines.

Dec 14 : Blair questioned in cash-for-honours inquiry.

2007 Jan : Downing St aide Ruth Turner arrested in cash-for-honours inquiry. Blair questioned for a second time.

Mar 15: Government wins vote on Trident renewal with Tory support.

May 8: Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness take office as First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

by Keih Fri Oct 19, 2007 17:45

Any chance you'd call it a day too Sean?