Former Metropolitan Police commissioner Lord Blair, who led the force during the July 7 bombings, has died at the age of 72. Ian Blair ran the Met from 2005 to 2008 and later became a crossbench peer in the House of Lords.
His death was confirmed by Christ Church Oxford, where he served as an honorary student. The university extended condolences to his family in a statement released on Friday.
Controversial police career
Lord Blair's tenure as commissioner was marked by significant controversy, particularly following the fatal shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes at Stockwell Tube station in July 2005. Police mistakenly identified the Brazilian electrician as a suicide bomber and shot him dead.
Despite the public outcry over the Menezes case, Blair retained his position with support from the Home Secretary, Police Authority and senior officers. He weathered multiple crises during his time leading Britain's largest police force.
Johnson's intervention ends tenure
His career was ultimately cut short when Conservative mayor Boris Johnson took control of the Police Authority. Johnson privately told Blair he had no confidence in his leadership, prompting the commissioner to resign.
Before joining the Met, Lord Blair served as chief constable of Surrey Police for two years. He became deputy commissioner of the Metropolitan Police in 2000 before taking the top job five years later.
Blair was knighted in 1999 and took his seat in the House of Lords as Lord Blair of Boughton in 2010. Christ Church Oxford described him as both an alumnus and honorary student of the college.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
