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Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/07/international/europe/07BRIT.html
Tories Choose Longtime Lawmaker as New Leader
(New York Times) Britain's opposition Conservatives united on Thursday to name a longtime lawmaker, Michael Howard, as their new leader. Howard, 62, was a member of the Conservative governments of former Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major. Born in Wales and educated at Cambridge, he is the son of Romanian-born immigrants. He is the first Jew to lead the Tories since Benjamin Disraeli (who was of Jewish stock but was baptized in the Church of England) in the 19th century. He is known as a combative and feisty politician who was the equal of [Prime Minister Tony] Blair in parliamentary debate when he was home secretary and Mr. Blair was his opponent, or shadow, as it is known in British politics.