Third Blair ministry

Third Blair ministry
Cabinet of the United Kingdom
2005–2007
Blair in 2005
Date formed	6 May 2005 (2005-05-06)
Date dissolved	27 June 2007 (2007-06-27)
People and organisations
Monarch	Elizabeth II
Prime Minister	Tony Blair
Prime Minister's history	Premiership of Tony Blair
Deputy Prime Minister	John Prescott
Member party	Labour Party
Status in legislature	Majority 356 / 647 (55%)
Opposition cabinet	Howard Shadow Cabinet Cameron Shadow Cabinet
Opposition party	Conservative Party
Opposition leader	Michael Howard (2005) David Cameron (2005–2007)
History
Election	2005 general election
Legislature terms	54th UK Parliament
Budgets	2006 budget 2007 budget
Predecessor	Second Blair ministry
Successor	Brown ministry

This article is part of a series about Tony Blair
Electoral history MP for Sedgefield Beaconsfield by-election Leader of the Opposition Leadership election Brown Deal Shadow Cabinet Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Premiership Policies New Labour, New Life for Britain Ambitions for Britain Britain Forward, Not Back Blairism New Labour Third Way Appointments "Tony's Cronies" "Blair Babes" First ministry and term (May 1997 – June 2001) Ministry 1997 election Chancellorship of Gordon Brown 1997 budget 1998 budget 1999 budget 2000 budget 2001 budget Good Friday Agreement peace process Handover of Hong Kong People's princess Kosovo War Military intervention in Sierra Leone Second ministry and term (June 2001 – May 2005) Ministry 2001 re-election 9/11 War on terror War in Afghanistan 2003 invasion of Iraq Iraq and weapons of mass destruction Saddam–al-Qaeda conspiracy theory Bush memo Downing Street memo February Dossier September Dossier Ultimatum to Iraq Iraq War 2002 budget 2003 budget 2004 budget 2005 budget Third ministry and term (May 2005 – June 2007) Ministry 2005 re-election Cabinet reshuffle 2006 budget 2007 budget Cash for Honours London bombings Respect agenda Leadership succession Post–Prime Minister 2007 Sedgefield by-election Quartet on the Middle East A Journey (autobiography) Associates Faith Foundation Iraq Inquiry Sports Foundation Institute for Global Change
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The third Blair ministry lasted from May 2005 to June 2007. The election on 5 May 2005 saw Labour win a historic third successive term in power, though their majority now stood at 66 seats – compared to 167 four years earlier – and they failed to gain any new seats. Blair had already declared that the new term in parliament would be his last.

The War in Afghanistan and the Iraq War continued during his last ministry, and the 7/7 bombings also took place. Blair's government responded by introducing a range of anti-terror legislation including the passing of the contentious Identity Cards Act 2006 legislation (repealed).^[1][2] Blair announced in 2006 that he would resign as prime minister and Labour leader within a year. He resigned on 27 June 2007 and was succeeded by Gordon Brown, who had been his chancellor of the Exchequer since 1997.

• November 2005 – David Blunkett resigns his post as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. He is replaced by John Hutton, leaving the post of Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster vacant for six months.
• May 2006 – Following a poor showing in the local council elections, Blair reshuffles his cabinet. Charles Clarke, Geoff Hoon and Ian McCartney leave the Cabinet. Jack Straw becomes Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal. Margaret Beckett is promoted to Foreign Secretary, John Reid to Home Secretary, David Miliband to Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and Des Browne to Secretary of State for Defence. Ruth Kelly takes a new post of Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, which replaces the post held by David Miliband and takes a number of responsibilities previously held by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister; Kelly will also serve as Minister for Women and Equality. Alan Johnson becomes Secretary of State for Education and Skills. Alistair Darling becomes Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. Hilary Armstrong becomes Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Minister for the Cabinet Office and Minister for Social Exclusion. Douglas Alexander enters the Cabinet as Secretary of State for Transport and Secretary of State for Scotland. Hazel Blears enters the Cabinet as Minister Without Portfolio and Party Chair, Stephen Timms as Chief Secretary to the Treasury and Jacqui Smith as Parliamentary Secretary to the Treasury and Chief Whip.
• May 2007 – The Home Office loses responsibility for criminal justice, prisons & probation and legal affairs which merges into the Department for Constitutional Affairs with Falconer becoming Secretary of State for Justice.
• June 2007 – On 27 June, Tony Blair officially tenders his resignation as Prime Minister to The Queen, with Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State, John Prescott leaving office at the same time.

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Members of the Cabinet are in bold face.

General

• Ministers in the Labour Governments: 1997–2010 – Parliamentary Information List, House of Commons Library, 3 July 2012
• D. Butler and G. Butler (ed.), Twentieth Century British Political Facts 1900–2000^{[publisher missing][ISBN missing]}

• "Ministerial Departures since 1997 – Parliamentary Information List" (PDF). House of Commons Library. 24 February 2009.