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Almost exactly 20 years after the 7/7 London bombings, the man in charge of the Metropolitan Police at the time of the suicide attacks has died.
The force said former Metropolitan Police commissioner Lord Ian Blair passed away on 9 July following an illness.
An alumnus and Honorary Student (fellow) of Christ Church College at the University of Oxford, Lord Blair joined the Met in 1974 where he started his policing career on the beat in Soho and as a Detective Chief Inspector later played a key role in identifying victims of the Kings Cross Station fire in 1987.
He went on to serve in high-profile leadership roles across the country including Assistant Chief Constable of Thames Valley Police and Chief Constable of Surrey Police, and returned to the Met as Deputy Commissioner in 2000. He was appointed Commissioner in 2005.
Lord Blair was given a life peerage in 2010 and made an enormous contribution to modern policing. This included overhauling the approach to rape investigations, the implementation of the neighbourhood policing model and the introduction of community support officers.
Lord Blair resigned from the Metropolitan Police in 2008, saying his decision to leave was forced upon him after losing the support of then mayor of London, Boris Johnson.
Remembering Lord Blair, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said: “Lord Ian’s passing is a huge loss to the police family. He dedicated his life to policing and will be remembered as one of the most influential police leaders of recent decades.
“He oversaw some of the most challenging moments in our history – not least the response to the horrific terror attacks on 7 July 2005 which we commemorated earlier this week.
“Lord Ian will also be remembered for the vast contribution he made to improving our overall approach to policing and the service we provide to victims. What is now seen as best practice in rape cases is in large part a result of his empathy and foresight. He was passionate about the British Policing model based around communities and introduced neighbourhood policing and PCSOs as Commissioner.
“Even after leaving the Met, he continued to be friend of policing and police officers, contributing thoughtfully from his position in the House of Lords.
“My thoughts and the thoughts of everyone at the Met are with Lord Ian’s family and friends during this difficult time, and particularly his wife, Felicity and their children Amelia and Josh.”
Paying tribute on X (formerly Twitter), London Mayor Sadiq Khan wrote: ‘Lord Ian Blair dedicated over 30 years to public service as a police officer – rising through the ranks from a graduate recruit to becoming Commissioner of the Met.
‘My thoughts are with his loved ones.’
Sir Tony Blair, who served as prime minister for the majority of the former Met commissioner’s tenure, said: “Ian Blair was an outstanding police officer and leader of the Met who took the service through very difficult and challenging times.
“I worked with him particularly at the time of 7/7 and the aftermath where tough decisions were being taken virtually every day and where Ian was a pillar of strength trying to do his best amidst all the turbulence. My deep condolences to his family.”
Sir Craig Mackey, deputy Met commissioner from 2012 to 2018, said: “It’s a huge loss for policing, his family and friends. He was a very influential police leader who I’m sure will be sadly missed.”
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