Highs and lows of Blair's rule over Britain

1997 May 2 - Election victory sweeps Tony Blair's Labour Party into power with massive majority of 179 after 18 years in opposition.

May 6 - Finance Minister Gordon Brown gives Britain's central bank, the Bank of England, the power to set interest rates. Economists credit the move as the single most important factor in securing eight years of solid growth that followed.

1998, April 10 - Mr Blair seals Northern Ireland Good Friday deal to bring an end to 30 years of violence in British province.

November - Acts of Parliament bring about Scottish and Welsh devolution, paving way for Scottish, Welsh elections.

1999 March - Mr Blair sends troops to join Nato bombing campaign on Yugoslavia in a bid to halt suppression of ethnic Albanians.

June 13 - A collapse in Labour's core vote in elections for the European Parliament hands Mr Blair his first electoral defeat.

2000 September - Mr Blair criticised for his handling fuel tax crisis.

2001 June 8 - Mr Blair wins second term, majority down to 167.

September - Mr Blair pledges support to US after September 11.

2002 September 24 - Britain publishes dossier on Iraq that says Saddam could launch weapons of mass destruction in 45 minutes. Dossier is criticised for overplaying certainty of intelligence.

October - Northern Ireland returns to direct rule from London after the suspension of the local assembly following allegations of Irish Republican Army spying.

2003 February 15 - Half a million march in London to oppose war.

March 18 - Mr Blair wins parliamentary vote over Iraq war but 139 party members defy him. Foreign Minister Robin Cook resigns.

June 9 - Finance Minister Mr Brown rules out British adoption of the euro, dashing Mr Blair hopes of placing Britain "at the heart of the European Union".

July 17 - British weapons expert David Kelly commits suicide after being identified as the source of a BBC story alleging the government had "sexed-up" intelligence on Iraq's banned weapons.

October 19 - Mr Blair given electric shocks to regulate heart palpitations in the first health scare of his premiership.

2004 January 28 - Inquiry by judge Lord Hutton into Dr Kelly's death exonerates Mr Blair's government of deliberately distorting intelligence to justify war. Weeks of public testimony raise questions about how Mr Blair's acolytes acted in run-up to war.

September 30 - Mr Blair says would serve third term as Prime Minister if Labour win another general election, but that he would not fight a fourth general election as Labour leader.

October 1 - Mr Blair in hospital to correct heart palpitations.

2005 May 1 - Leaked documents say Mr Bush and Mr Blair were determined to topple Saddam Hussein at least nine months before war.

May 5 - Mr Blair wins third term, majority only 66.

July 6 - London declared host of the 2012 Olympic Games.

July 7 - Four suicide bombers blow themselves up on London's transport system killing 52 people and wounding about 700.

July - Leaders of the Group of Eight agree increase of $25 billion in annual aid for Africa at a summit hosted by Mr Blair.

2006 March - Scotland Yard launches a probe into allegations political parties awarded state honours in return for loans.

September - Mr Blair says he will stand down within a year.

December - Mr Blair interviewed by police as witness in corruption probe cash-for-honours row.

2007 May 8 - Northern Ireland parties launch power-sharing government securing Mr Blair a legacy of peace in the province.