#ForgetJamesBond: diversity, inclusion and the UK’s intelligence agencies

Abstract

Diversity and inclusivity remain top priorities for UK intelligence, having been much maligned for the largely white, male stereotype. The Intelligence & Security Committee of Parliament has published a number of reports suggesting that, even in 2018, the UK's agencies were still behind Whitehall. Historically, there have been issues with female, BAME and LGBT representation, with the article placing today's criticism of the agencies in historical context with a particular focus on the period after 1945. The article also examines the position now and the steps taken by the agencies to promote change, suggesting there are grounds for cautious optimism.In February 2021, The Times reported that Britain's foreign intelligence agency, the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS or MI6), was relaxing rules to allow applicants with dual UK nationality, or with one parent being a UK national or having 'substantial ties to the UK', to apply. Sources told the paper it was just the latest move to access a 'larger talent pool', adding: 'We want a diversification of thought, a diverse workforce, not people who all think in similar ways'. 1 Later, marking LGBT History Month 2021, SIS's Chief ('C') Richard Moore followed other agency heads in apologising for the historical treatment of LGBT (Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) officials and the bar to gay men and women serving in SIS. In a video shared on his Twitter feed, Moore said the ban deprived SIS of 'some of the best talent Britain could offer' and was 'wrong, unjust and discriminatory'. 2 PinkNews also interviewed two LGBT SIS officers. 'I think the legacy of the ban has been . . . helping people understand that LGBT+ people aren't inherently untrustworthy', said 'Leia', a member of SIS's LGBT+ Affinity Group. 'It's drawn a line in the sand', she added. 3 The statements and media coverage mark just the latest in a series of announcements on the agency's commitment to diversity and change. In January 2021, tabloid newspapers reported on an SIS recruitment drive, specifically an advert, headlined 'Tell me a secret', calling for 'individuals with diverse skill sets and life experiences' to apply for part-time and consulting roles. 4 Responding, Moore tweeted his service's commitment to 'flexible working' and 'diversity'. '#ForgetJamesBond', he added, acknowledging that Bond often shaped perceptions of the ideal intelligence officer. 5 Sir Colin McColl, 'C' from 1989 to 1994, once described the fictional intelligence officer as, in his view, 'the best recruiting sergeant in the world', yet successive Chiefs, like Moore, have tried to distance themselves, seeing Bond's legacy as both a blessing and a curse. 6 In October 2016, Moore's predecessor, Alex Younger, admitted he was 'conflicted' about Bond, on the one hand creating a 'powerful brand', although one that seemed exclusively white and male. 'For too long -often because of the fictional stereotypes I have mentioned -people have felt that there is a single quality that defines an MI6 officer', Younger told journalists in ...

Public Sector Entrepreneurship: Scientific Mapping and Research Agenda

“…While sustainability is an emerging topic (figure 6), only few studies have attempted to connect the activities of public entrepreneurs with sustainable development. Furthermore, studies on the impact of gender and diversity are also limited, despite the intense efforts to diversify the public services in countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom and New Zealand (Brannan, 2021;Lomas, 2021;Parker et al, 2022). Therefore, this paper advocates a focus on these issues in the future, as well on the social impact of public sector entrepreneurial action.…”