Sir Reginald Blair, 1st Baronet (8 November 1881 – 18 September 1962) was a British Conservative politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1912 to 1922, and again from 1935 to 1945.
Early Life
Blair was born in Glasgow in 1881. He was educated at Kelvinside Academy and Glasgow University. He married and had a son, Malcolm Reginald Blair, who died on 31 May 1940 at age 33 while on active service in World War II and is buried at Oostduinkerke War Cemetery.
Political Career
Blair was first elected to Parliament through a by-election in the Bow and Bromley constituency on 26 November 1912. The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Labour MP George Lansbury, who had taken the Chiltern Hundreds to highlight the issue of women's suffrage. Lansbury stood as an independent on a "Votes for Women" platform without Labour Party endorsement. Labour did not field a candidate, and Blair won the by-election with a majority of 751 votes.
During the first two years of World War I, Blair served with the British Expeditionary Force and was mentioned in dispatches. From 1916 to 1918, he served as a field cashier with the temporary rank of Major.
Blair held his seat in the 1918 general election but was defeated in 1922 by George Lansbury, who remained Bow and Bromley's MP until his death in 1940. Following his election defeat, Blair was knighted and became Chairman of the Racehorse Betting Control Board.
Later Career
In the 1935 general election, Blair was elected as MP for Hendon, succeeding Conservative Philip Cunliffe-Lister. On 19 June 1945, he was created a baronet, of Harrow Weald in the County of Middlesex. His Hendon seat was abolished for the 1945 general election, and he retired from Parliament.
Death
Sir Reginald Blair died in 1962 at the age of 80. The baronetcy became extinct upon his death.
