Tony Blair was born in Edinburgh in 1953. He became MP for Sedgefield in 1983, leader of the Labour Party in 1994, and was prime minister of the United Kingdom from May 1997 to June 2007. Since leaving office Blair has spent most of his time working on three areas: supporting governments to deliver effectively for their people, working for peace in the Middle East, and countering extremism. In 2016, he established the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change which aims to help political leaders build open, inclusive and prosperous societies in an increasingly interconnected world. In particular, the foundation works with governments across Africa to help them implement their vision for development, including driving progress in infrastructure, power generation, economic reform and delivering sustainable jobs. The foundation also works with the next generation of leaders to help prepare them for a world of relentless change and diversity. He is married to Cherie Booth QC, and they have four children.
A brilliant, unusual book . . . What this book captures about Blair is not just his mastery of the political arts, but his infectious optimism about politics itself. The book is informed, intelligent and interesting — but it is more than that. It is the most practically useful guide to politics I have ever read . . . It’s the lifetime learnings of a once leader for current and future leaders. -- George Osborne * Financial Times * The book is engaging, insightful, provocative and derisive of “place-holder” leaders who lack the grit to be “a change-maker” -- Andrew Rawnsley * Observer * A fascinating treatise on leadership . . . The best bits of the book – and they are genuinely very good – are the passages offering advice on how to cope with the personal burdens of leadership, from dealing with the pressures of social media, to developing a hinterland, avoiding hubris, and knowing when to leave the stage . . . There is much to learn from On Leadership, and I am glad Blair has written it. It will fascinate anyone interested in the art of governing, even in the abstract – and represents a good investment of time for anyone in or aspiring to political leadership. -- Nicola Sturgeon * Guardian * ‘Tantalising, fascinating and insightful . . . worth reading if you want to understand why some governments and political movements succeed and others fail.’ -- Isabel Hardman * i news * ‘[Blair’s] institute has given him a perspective no other leading British politician can rival . . . The result is a profoundly non-insular analysis . . . full of practical advice . . . Useful and timely . . . [Blair] is a deeply thoughtful, highly experienced and self-critical man who deserves to be taken seriously by anyone interested in how democratic power is effectively wielded.’ -- Andrew Marr * The New Statesman *