The Labour Party of British Prime Minister Tony Blair won a third consecutive parliamentary election on Thursday. The victory is vindication for Mr. Blair, although he has been wounded by the results: His parliamentary majority is much reduced. The key question is how much time the prime minister has before he becomes a lame duck. Despite pressing agenda items, attention has already focused on the search for his successor.
It is the first time the Labour Party has won three consecutive elections since 1900. The only other contemporary British politician of any party to match Mr. Blair's success was Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher during the 1980s.
Still, only 35 to 36 percent vote nationwide went to Labour, the lowest winning share for a party in British parliamentary history. Near-final results gave Labour a 66-seat majority in the 646-seat House of Commons, much reduced from the 167-seat margin Labour enjoyed in the previous House.