Ian Blair
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| Sir Ian Blair | |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 March 1953 |
Sir Ian Warwick Blair, QPM (born 19 March 1953) is Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis (head of the Metropolitan Police Service). As such he is in practice, if not formally, the most senior police officer in the United Kingdom. He is not related to Tony Blair, the British Prime Minister.
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[edit] Education and early career
After attending Wrekin College, Shropshire and Harvard High School, Los Angeles Ian Blair read English Language and English Literature at Christ Church, Oxford. He was awarded a second-class degree.
He commenced his police career in 1974 as a constable in the Soho area of London. He served in both uniform and CID in central London before leaving the Met in 1991 to be staff officer in HM Inspectorate of Constabulary.
In 1994, he moved to Thames Valley Police as Assistant Chief Constable, becoming Deputy Chief Constable there in 1997. He was awarded the Queen's Police Medal in 1999 and received a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 2003 for services to the Police.
Formerly Deputy Commissioner, and before that Chief Constable of Surrey Police, he took up his current post on 1 February 2005, taking over from Sir John Stevens (now Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington).
[edit] Jean Charles de Menezes
Blair's public profile rose considerably when he issued statements during the London bombings on July 7 and 21, 2005.
Sir Ian was the Metropolitan Police Commissioner at the time of the death of the Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes. Demands have been made for his resignation especially by Alessandro Pereira, a cousin of Menezes. He is currently under investigation by the Independent Police Complaints Commission over accusations that he made false public statements after the shooting, and that he attempted to delay the original inquiry into the shooting.
Following the discovery that de Menezes was not in fact a suspected suicide bomber, Blair apparently considered resigning but quickly came to the decision to remain in office, "because the big job is to defend this country against terrorism and that's what I'm here to do". He may however come under further pressure when the IPPC report is published, and he has admitted that decision would depend "on the level of condemnation"[1].
Blair, or the Metropolitan Police, may face action for libel from one of his Deputy Assistant Commissioners, Brian Paddick. Paddick told the IPCC that a member of Sir Ian's private office team believed the wrong man had been targeted just six hours after the shooting. When this allegation became public following an unauthorised disclosure Scotland Yard issued a statement claiming that the officer alleged to have believed this (Paddick) "has categorically denied this in his interview with, and statement to, the IPCC investigators". The statement continued that they "were satisfied that whatever the reasons for this suggestion being made, it is simply not true". Paddick's interpretation of this statement was that it accused him of lying[2].
On 28 March 2006, Paddick accepted a statement from the Metropolitan Police that it "did not intend to imply" a senior officer had misled the probe into the shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes. In a statement the Metropolitan Police said "any misunderstanding is regretted" and that Paddick had accepted its "clarification" and considered the matter closed[3].
In June 2006, a leaked copy of the Independent Police Complaints Commission report sparked further criticism and calls to quit[4].
[edit] Further controversies
[edit] November 2005, Detention without charge
Blair became involved in allegations of the police being "politicised" when he and other senior police officers were known to have lobbied MPs to support Government proposals to hold terrorist suspects for 90 days[5].
[edit] January 2006, Racism in the media
Blair is keen to be politically correct and supports community outreach initiatives and campaigns for gay and ethnic minority officers. In January 2006 he attracted considerable controversy when he described the media as institutionally racist[6] (a charge that has also been levelled at the police) for its allegedly unbalanced coverage of crimes against white people as compared to that given to crimes against those from ethnic minorities. As an example had referred to the murder of two young girls in Soham in 2002. He said "almost nobody" understood why it became such a big story. However, he was forced to issue a hurried apology to the parents of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman for what were widely regarded as insensitive and shocking remarks[7].
[edit] March 2006, Secret telephone recordings
In March 2006, pressure was again put on Sir Ian to resign after it was revealed that in Autumn 2005 he had secretly taped several telephone conversations, most notably with the Attorney General, Lord Goldsmith[8]. Although Blair received widespread criticism the chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority, while describing his actions as "totally unacceptable", said it was not a resigning matter[9]. Much of the latest furore may be attributed to Blair's recent track record of courting controversy with his publicly expressed views. In his defence it has been pointed out that the recording was not illegal and it was said to be simply to enable an accurate record to be taken for him in the absence of a note taker[10].
[edit] March 2006, Police merger
Blair has stated that he would prefer to see a single police force for Greater London, (an opinion shared by Ken Livingstone), with the functions of both the City of London Police and the British Transport Police absorbed by the Metropolitan Police[11]. Already, the duties and functions of one police force (the Royal Parks Constabulary) have been taken by the Met. However, both the City of London Police[12] and BTP[13] have expressed their strong objections to this proposal, while the Home Office has stated that reorganisation of policing in London is not on their agenda. The publication of reviews into the operation of the British Transport Police[14], and the national review of fraud by the Attorney General[15], combined with the ending of the police merger proposals for England and Wales, appear to rule out any possibility of police mergers in London for the foreseeable future.
[edit] May 2006, Brian Haw
Blair received further criticism when 78 police officers were involved in an operation to confiscate placards displayed by protestor Brian Haw. After he initially told the Metropolitan Police Authority that the operation had cost £7,200, it later emerged that it had in fact cost £27,000[16].
[edit] June 2006, London terror raid
After the failure of the raid in Forest Gate, in June 2006 several sources once again called on Ian Blair to resign. Prime Minister Tony Blair confirmed his support for the Commissioner[17].
[edit] References
- ^ "Police head 'considered quitting'", BBC, 22 September 2005
- ^ "Menezes claim sparks libel talks", BBC, 17 March 2006
- ^ "Met Police 'regret' Menezes claim", BBC, 28 March 2006
- ^ "Met police chief under pressure", BBC, 12 June 2006
- ^ "'Political police' prompts questions", BBC, 11 November 2005
- ^ "Met chief accuses media of racism", BBC, 26 January 2006
- ^ "Blair apologises to Soham parents", BBC, 27 January 2006
- ^ "Met chief in phone recording row", BBC, 13 March 2006
- ^ "Met chief taping 'unacceptable'", BBC, 13 March 2006
- ^ "Media humbug over phone recording", The Guardian, 14 March 2006
- ^ "Met Chief outlines merger talks of London police", Association of London Government, 20 October 2005
- ^ "For City of London, police merger is a crime", International Herald Tribune, 20 March 2006
- ^ Future of the British Transport Police HoC Transport Committee. 16 May 2006
- ^ Review of the British Transport Police DfT 20 July 2006
- ^ National Fraud Review Final Report LSLO, 24 July 2006
- ^ "Farce as peace campaigner has another day in court", The Guardian, 31 May 2006
- ^ "Met chief defended amid raid row", BBC, 12 June 2006
[edit] External links
| Police Appointments | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Sir John Stevens |
Deputy Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis 2000–2005 |
Succeeded by: Paul Stephenson |
| Preceded by: Sir John Stevens |
Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis 2005 – present |
Incumbent |
