MI6 chief vows to put a woman on the shortlist for his successor as ‘C’ to head the Secret Intelligence Service
- Richard Moore, head of MI6, said it is time for women to be considered bosses
- He said he will help “forge equality for women” by getting rid of the all-male shortlist.
Britain’s top spy has vowed to end shortlists of men ahead of his successor’s appointment as head of the Secret Intelligence Service.
Richard Moore, the head of MI6, also known by the code word ‘C’, has signaled that the time has come to follow in the footsteps of sister agency MI5, which is already run by two women.
In a tweet, Moore, who has been in the role since 2020 and is expected to be there for at least two more years, said: “I will help build equality for women by working to ensure I am the last C selected out of a shortlist. exclusively male.
MI6 employs around 3,600 people at its London headquarters in Vauxhall Cross, on the south bank of the River Thames, and in covert locations around the world.
But despite almost half of them being women, with a growing number working in senior positions, none have made the shortlist to become the head of the service.
Richard Moore (pictured), the head of MI6, also known by the code word ‘C’, has signaled that the time has come to follow in the footsteps of sister agency MI5, which is already run by two women.
By contrast, MI5, situated almost directly opposite on the north bank of the Thames, has had two female directors-general: Dame Stella Rimington and Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller.
In theory, the Foreign Secretary, who is ultimately responsible for MI6 activities, has the final say on who should be designated as C.
But any views of the incumbent would carry a lot of weight at a selection meeting.
Intelligence sources have said the spies have been involved in covert operations around the world, often working closely with British Special Forces in some of the world’s most dangerous countries.
Moore, 59, has often been vocal on Twitter about social issues within MI6.
He previously encouraged more women to join the agency when he praised the female spies, calling them “inspirational,” and said he’s “looking forward to seeing an even greater diversity of skills and backgrounds.”
He has also previously urged more people with disabilities to join Britain’s secret intelligence services after revealing that his wife is blind.
The spymaster said he wanted the organization to become a better place for disabled people to work.
He cited his wife, Maggie, who has been by his side in numerous posts around the world, as an inspiration.
In another tweet, he said: “Married as I am to an inspiring blind woman, I feel particularly driven to make MI6 a better place for disabled people to pursue their careers.”
His wife helped establish the Turkish Guide Dog Association when he was ambassador to the country from 2014 to 2017.
The couple, who married in 1985 and have a son and a daughter, are fluent in Turkish.
In 2021, Moore became the first head of one of Britain’s spy agencies to publicly apologize for MI6’s historic treatment of LGBT people.
He said that a security bar on LGBT staff until 1991 had been “wrong, unfair and discriminatory”.