A milestone for Tony, and the Labour Party as a whole.
He has overtaken Clement Atlee's 6 years and 92 days, and has become the longest continuously serving Labour government leader. His weekly press conference indicates he wants himself seen as equally as innovative as Atlee was.. he wants history to look well upon him..
But Atlee took over from Churchill, immediately forming the first post-war administration..built housing for families emerging from the rubble of the war, formed the NHS, and introduced the welfare state. There are few who would deny the man changed the face of Britain entirely.
And in many ways Tony Blair has followed in some of Wilson's footsteps. His critics would say most particularly in his move away from traditional, core Labour values.
But Tony clearly hopes he has avoided the failings of the Wilson and, later, Callaghan governments.
Their reputation for economic incompetence hung over Labour probably from the moment Wilson devalued sterling and started talking about the "pound in your pocket and purse".
But, as he marks this point in Labour history, he knows he is facing challenges which could yet spell disaster...his government is being battered on all sides, not only on foreign policy - particularly the war on Iraq - but also on domestic issues such as foundation hospitals and student finance...
His own personal popularity is taking a major battering over spin and the issue of trust..
It seems increasingly clear that the prime minister believes if he is to achieve anything like the transformation of Britain wrought by Attlee, he will need a third full term.. .
These next few months will surely determine whether or not he will get the chance to do so.
Point of interest. The MoD's denying it really meant a dossier of Dr. Kelly's work to be among a batch slated for incineration today..
The papers were noticed, and removed by a guard, who turned them over to his superiors..