Blair in Power, The battle of wills
With the decaying Conservatives out of power, Tony Blair entered Number 10 intending to implement his manifesto. However, other concerns would be his first of his concerns. The renewed Cold War and scepticism about his strand of “New Labour” ever more weighed on his mind. Gordon Brown, who had been removed as shadow chancellor due to the hostility between the two colleagues he considered a major threat to his leadership. John Prescott who was now Chancellor of the Exchequer suggested major policy “u-turns” to avoid the prospect of Brown emboldening the left and thus rallying around him. To some political pundits this internal struggle for power had a negative effect of the labour party as a whole. With the continuing crisis in Kosovo and Soviet support for the collapsing Yugoslav rump state his eyes focused for the time being, on international politics.

Though the unification of Germany had continued virtually without bloodshed, the Soviet coup d’etat in August 1989 and the violent crackdown in many bloc states, with the Polish solidarity movement violently repressed and much of its supporters imprisoned. A similar pattern occurred in the Baltic states with Soviet troops using excessive methods to stamp out all opposition. Vladimir Putin was now the Soviet leader and his repressive and uncompromising rule caused grave concern in western europe, particularly Germany.
However, tragic events had occurred in Paris in August 1997 Princess Diana, also as the “People’s Princess” was killed in a savage car accident while traveling underneath a motorway underpass. Blair responded charismatically and with grace, presenting the emotions of the British people.
This was reflected in the Kremlin’s support of the universally condemned use of brutality against Kosovo, there was also the prospect of growing fears about the revelations about the Soviet nuclear reorientation towards the North Sea, prompting the Prime Minister to place more emphasis on defence spending and anti-submarine capabilities. This had the unfortunate effect of a betrayal of his flagship policy, “Education education and education” resulting in many disenchanted left-leaning labour members. In a another humiliating one eighty, his chancellor implement a general tax increase. The low emotions were further complicated by the increase in terrorist activity in Northern Ireland with disillusioned IRA members flocking to join the ranks of the renewed RIRA - “Real Irish Republican Army” launching a string of ambushes and car bombing attacks, a major attack included the death of two police officers in Derry and four soldiers killed in Armagh in July 1998. And the tragic events in Omagh on August 15, 1998 with the deaths of twenty-nine innocent civilians. For the first time since becoming Prime Minister his approval in the polls fell below 60%.
A Contract with America, Bill Clinton and his scandals

A exquisite political operator Bill Clinton was found to have had sexual activities with his intern, Monica Lewinsky. This made headline news around the world as the scandal continued to haunt him and his presidency. Though generally popular recent issues with the breakup of Yugoslavia and renewed Soviet deployments of missile's to Poland had a serious effect on his popularity. Eventually impeachment hearings were held to discuss the possibility of removal from office, though unrealistic it had a detrimental effect on public relations and his perception of a lack of truthfulness.