Blair passes Labour milestone

Labour swept to power in 1997

Tony Blair's government has become Labour's longest serving continuous administration.

On Saturday it passed the previous record of six years and 92 days held when Clement Attlee was prime minister.

Mr Blair has gone on holiday to Barbados - he and his family are staying in Sir Cliff Richard's villa - and the milestone is not being officially marked by the party.

It comes as the prime minister learns he will be called to give evidence at the inquiry into the death of Iraq weapons expert Dr David Kelly.

Mr Blair is not yet the longest-serving Labour prime minister.

That honour belongs to Harold Wilson, whose seven years and 279 days came in two administrations, divided by Edward Heath's Tory government.

The prime minister mentioned the record at his monthly televised media briefing earlier in the week.

He described Labour's achievements since 1997 and added: "The overall record is one that bears comparison with any government, Labour or Conservative, in the past."

Atlee is an iconic Labour figure

Many Labour supporters revere Attlee's administration between 1945-51.

The 1946 National Insurance Act created the "cradle to grave" welfare state that included the National Health Service.

The Bank of England, mines, railways, gas, electric and waterways were all nationalised.

Mr Blair said his government's main achievements were granting the Bank of England independence, low interest rates, inflation and unemployment, a national minimum wage and record investment in public services.

Home Secretary David Blunkett told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the government had laid the foundations for radical achievements.

"The biggest challenge is to persuade people that we do have that next step ready."

He added: "The reason that this milestone is amazing is not because we've been in power for six years and three months, it's that the others didn't last as long."

But the current political landscape is dominated by the death of Dr Kelly.

Heart problems

Lord Hutton's inquiry opened on Friday and the judge confirmed witnesses would include Mr Blair, the Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon, BBC journalist Andrew Gilligan and Dr Kelly's widow.

No firm timetable has been set, but the inquiry is due to resume on 11 August, after Dr Kelly's funeral on Wednesday.

He also revealed Dr Kelly's body had been found with four electrocardiogram pads on his chest - one of the issues he wished to resolve.

Blair to face Hutton inquiry

Dr Kelly was at the centre of a row between the government and the BBC over claims about Iraq's weapons capability.

He died days after giving evidence to the Foreign Affairs Select Committee which was investigating the government's justification for war with Iraq.

He told them he did not think he was the main source for a BBC report alleging the government had "sexed-up" a dossier on weapons of mass destruction.

But after his death the BBC confirmed he was the source - although his name had already been widely circulated in the media before he died.