The Spycatcher Affair & MI5: The Scandal that Shook Britain with Tim Tate

Creation

The creation of the book Spycatcher began in 1984 when Peter Wright approached Paul Greengrass, a producer and director with World in Action, to help him write it. Wright had previously given an on-camera interview to World in Action, critiquing the penetration of MI5 by Soviet intelligence 1. The book, published in 1987, was a candid autobiography of Wright, a former MI5 officer, and it quickly became popular in Scotland, Australia, and beyond 2.

The British establishment hadn't just been penetrated by Soviet intelligence, but it was, in Wright's phrase, rotten to the core.

--- Tim Tate

The publication of Spycatcher changed public perception of intelligence and espionage in the UK forever.

   

Revelations

Peter Wright, a senior MI5 officer, dedicated his career to uncovering Soviet moles within the British establishment. His book, Spycatcher, revealed that the British establishment had been deeply penetrated by Soviet intelligence, with 35 eminent persons listed as Soviet spies 3 4. Wright's investigations were often blocked, and his findings were kept from political masters for years.

Wright's phrase, the British establishment hadn't just been penetrated by Soviet intelligence, but that it was, his phrase, rotten to the core.

--- Tim Tate

These revelations had a lasting impact on British public life and the perception of intelligence agencies.

   

Controversies

The publication of Spycatcher led to significant legal battles and political controversies. The British government attempted to ban the book in multiple countries, arguing that it would damage national security 5. However, the efforts to suppress the book backfired, making it a global bestseller and leading to increased scrutiny of MI5 and MI6.

The whole thing was an absurdist farce that the British government knew it would lose and duly did.

--- Tim Tate

The Spycatcher affair ultimately resulted in MI5 and MI6 being placed on a statutory basis for the first time, fundamentally changing British intelligence operations.