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Britain's Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie, left, celebrate Labour's election victory at a party at the National Portrait Gallery in central London, Friday May 6, 2005. (AP Photo/ Kirsty Wigglesworth, Pool)
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INDEPTH: UNITED KINGDOM
The 2005 British election
CBC News Online | May 6, 2005
British voters gave Tony Blair a bit of a bloody nose. But they still made him the first leader of the Labour Party to win three majority governments in a row. It was what the polls predicted all along.
 Conservative party leader Michael Howard congratulates the newly elected Conservative candidate for Putney, Justine Greening, before addressing the media following the election defeat for the Conservative party, Friday May 6, 2005. (AP Photos/Jane Mingay)
But Blair's controversial decision to commit British soldiers to the Iraq war loomed heavily on the minds of many voters.
In the riding of Bethnal Green – traditionally a Labour stronghold – anti-war critic George Galloway narrowly beat the Labour incumbent, Oona King, who supported the war. Galloway was expelled from Labour after urging British soldiers not to fight in Iraq.
"All the people you killed, all the lies you told, have come back to haunt you," he said in his victory speech. "And the best thing the Labour Party could do is sack you."
In Blair's own constituency of Sedgefield, Reg Keys ran as an independent. He lost his son in Iraq and ran as a one issue candidate: that Iraq was an illegal war. He captured 10 per cent of the vote in the riding and that gave him the right to share the stage with Blair – and capture the attention of the world media.
"Fighting this campaign has not been an easy task for me," Keys said. "But I had to do it for my son. And I hope in my heart that the prime minister will one day be able to say sorry, that one day he will say sorry to the families and the bereaved."
Blair made history on two fronts: becoming the first Labour leader to win three consecutive elections – and winning a majority government with the smallest share of popular vote. Labour grabbed just over 35 per cent of the vote.
 British voters went to the polls on May 5, 2005
Uncertain future
That future could mean a less-cozy relationship with Washington.
"One of the conclusions of this is that he certainly does not have a mandate to launch another war along with George Bush," said Robin Cook, who resigned from Blair's Cabinet in 2003 in opposition to the war. Cook was the leader of the government in the House of Commons.
Conservative Leader Michael Howard led his party to a much improved performance over the previous two elections, gaining a significant number of seats. Still, he fell short of his goal and said he would step down.
"I've said that if people don't deliver they go. And for me delivering meant winning the election. I didn't do that."
Blair had said that this would be his last campaign, that he wouldn't be around to fight the next election. With a reduced majority, many believe he will step down within two years.
But as he met reporters outside Number 10 Downing Street the day after the election, he didn't sound like a someone who would soon resign. He promised a government that would introduce "radical" legislation on health, education and law and order.
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2005 British Election
Labour - 356 seats
Conservatives - 197 seats
Lib Dems - 62 seats
Other - 30 seats
645 of 646 seats declared
Turnout - 61.3%
Only 645 parliamentary seats were declared, not 646, because of the death of one of the candidates.
2001 British election
Labour - 413 seats
Conservatives - 166 seats
Lib Dems - 52 seats
Other - 28 seats
Turnout - 59.4%
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