21st century

21st century

Terrorism at home, War in Afghanistan and Iraq

In the 2001 General Election, the Labour Party won a second successive victory though voter turnout dropped to the lowest level for more than 80 years.^[39] Later that year, the September 11th attacks in the United States led to American President George W. Bush launching the War on Terror, beginning with the invasion of Afghanistan aided by British troops in October 2001. Thereafter, with the US focus shifting to Iraq, Tony Blair decided to support the United States in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, despite huge anti-war marches held in London and Glasgow. Forty-six thousand British troops, one-third of the total strength of the British Army's land forces, were deployed to assist with the invasion of Iraq and thereafter British armed forces were responsible for security in southern Iraq in the run-up to the Iraqi elections of January 2005.
The Labour Party won the 2005 general election and a third consecutive term in office despite support dropping to just 35% of those who voted.^[40] However the effects of the War on Terror following 9/11 increased the threat of international terrorists plotting attacks against the UK. On 7 July 2005, a series of four bomb explosions struck London's public transport system during the morning rush-hour. All four incidents were suicide bombings, and killed a total of 52 commuters in addition to the four bombers. Later in 2007, Muslim extremists drove a Jeep Cherokee, loaded with propane canisters, into the glass doors of Glasgow International Airport setting it ablaze. The intention was to drive the Jeep into the airport and have the car explode inside the terminal, but the car was hindered by security bollards, causing no civilian deaths