Blair's Win Historic But Humbling

First UK Prime Minister To Win Third Term, But Party Loses Seats

(CBS/AP)  Blair's government only narrowly defeated revolts in the last parliament, including the crucial vote to go to war in Iraq, and legislation introducing tuition fees for university students, more private funding for state-run hospitals and tough anti-terrorism laws.

"If his majority falls below 60 then you are in an area where an organized minority would have a strong bargaining power," said Geoff Andrews, political analyst at the Open University.

Even with a reduced majority, it is a historic victory for Labour, which has never before won three straight terms. The party's strong economic record — Britain's growth is high and unemployment low compared with much of the rest of the European Union — appears to have outweighed the resentment over Iraq. Labour is also credited with improving public services such as health and education through investment.

"I promise that we will listen and we will learn so that we can serve our country and our communities even better in the years to come," said Brown.

Commentators suggested power would begin to seep away from Blair to Brown, whose strong stewardship of the British economy has made him a more popular and trustworthy figure.

"On these results I would have thought, not Gordon Brown himself but the Brown supporters will be wondering how quickly they can move Tony Blair out of Downing Street," said former Conservative minister Michael Portillo.

"The key factor in the campaign was that this time Tony Blair was not an electoral asset. He was becoming a liability."