Ian Blair, Baron Blair of Boughton, held the highest-ranking position in London’s Metropolitan Police Service, widely considered to be the most senior in the United Kingdom. As Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis between 2005 and 2008, he oversaw the country’s largest and oldest police service during a time of developing security threats and social and technological change.

Prior to this, Blair had enjoyed a long and decorated career in the police service, including time with Thames Valley Police and Surrey Police services as well as in London. He received the Queen’s Police Medal, awarded for gallantry or distinguished service, and became Deputy Commissioner of the Met in 2000. It was in this role that he was presented with a knighthood to become Sir Ian Blair, before being appointed as the Met’s Commissioner.

During his time in the public eye, he has been behind vocal calls for more diversity in the service and has spoken out about a number of contemporary issues, including cuts to funding, the danger of far-right extremism, and the role of the media. Since leaving the service, Blair has continued to be a pillar of public life. He was offered a life peerage in 2010, and now sits in the House of Lords as a crossbencher, Lord Blair of Boughton. He lists his focus as crime, civil justice, law and rights, and has sat on several committees, including that for the Draft Domestic Abuse Bill. He is Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Woolf Institute for the Study of Relationships Between Jews, Christians and Muslims, and has associations with many other charitable organisations.