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Humbled Tony Blair wins Labour's record third term

"One of the conclusions of this is that [Blair] certainly does not have a mandate to launch another war along with [US President] George Bush."

Robin Cook, former minister in the Blair government

British Prime Minister Tony Blair won an historic third term yesterday and promised "radical" legislation on health, education and law and order, and said it was time to move on from divisions on Iraq that hurt his Labour Party in national elections.

"I know that Iraq has been a deeply divisive issue in this country. ... But I also know and believe that after this election people want to move on, they want to focus on the future -- in Iraq and here," Blair said outside his office after returning from Buckingham Palace, where Queen Elizabeth II confirmed his election.

His defeated opponent, Conservative Party leader Michael Howard, announced that he was stepping down -- marking the third straight election to result in the resignation of a Tory leader.

Labour weathered a backlash over the Iraq war, but with a reduced majority that could weaken his mandate and prompt him to step aside earlier than he plans.

Blair has already said he does not intend to lead his party into the next national election, probably four or five years away.

Labour needed at least 324 seats to form a majority in the 646-seat House of Commons. With 622 seats reporting, Labour had 353 seats; the main opposition Conservatives 196; Liberal Democrats 61; and independents and smaller parties 12. Labour's majority of 161 in the last parliament had been slashed by almost 100 seats.

Under the dour but experienced Howard, the Tories added more than 30 seats to their total of 160 in the last parliament, but failed to make an electoral breakthrough.

"I did not achieve what I set out to achieve," Howard told supporters in London, adding that he planned to resign "sooner rather than later."

"I want to avoid the uncertainty of prolonged debate about the leadership of the party," he said. "I want the next Conservative leader to have much more time than I had to prepare our party for government."

Blair promised "a radical program of legislation" that will focus on education, health, welfare reform, immigration and law and order -- all issues highlighted by the Conservatives during the campaign.

The government's third term legislative program will be announced by the queen at the state opening of parliament on May 17.

He said a priority of his third term would be to try to promote a renewed sense of respect among people.

"I want to make this a particular priority for this government -- how we bring back a proper sense of respect in our schools, in our communities, in our towns, in our villages," he said.

Blair has said this election is his last, and the slip in Labour's lead heightened speculation that he might step down mid-term. His Cabinet colleague and rival, Treasury chief Gordon Brown, played a prominent role in this election campaign which enhanced his status as Blair's likely successor.

Labour's strong economic record -- Britain's growth is high and unemployment low compared with much of the rest of the EU -- appears to have outweighed the resentment over Iraq. Labour is also credited with improving public services such as health and education through investment.

But Labour's slim margin of victory could have consequences for Britain's relationship with the US. The battering Blair took over Iraq during the campaign suggested that any future British leader will probably be wary of backing Washington militarily in the face of hostile domestic opinion.

"One of the conclusions of this is that he [Blair] certainly does not have a mandate to launch another war along with [US President] George Bush," said Robin Cook, who resigned from Blair's Cabinet in protest at the war.

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