But in terms of how people live together, how we minimize the prospects of conflict and maximize the prospects of peace, the place of religion in our society today is essential.

From the start of the War on Terror in 2001 Blair strongly supported the foreign policy of US President George W. In the first years of the New Labour government Blair's government implemented a number of 1997 manifesto pledges introducing the minimum wage Human Rights Act and Freedom of Information Act and carrying out devolution establishing the Scottish Parliament the National Assembly for Wales and the Northern Ireland Assembly.