Podcast Episode

Описание: Podcast Episode #172 - Secrets of the Spycatcher Affair with Tim Tate

The Spycatcher Affair of 1987 was a major scandal which shined a light on one of the United Kingdom’s most secretive organizations.

Peter Wright served for years as a counterespionage investigator with MI5. Wright got his start as a scientific officer and was instrumental in analyzing the infamous (and revolutionary) audio bug known as “The Thing”, which was found in the US Ambassador’s office in Moscow. He later participated in or oversaw many of MI5’s technical operations including bugging and break-ins during counterespionage operations.

Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, MI5 suffered through a series of seemingly unexplained intelligence failures. Even taking into account the actions of the Cambridge Five spy ring, Wright still believed there was at least one more mole within British intelligence. In 1965 he formed the FLUENCY committee with six other officers to determine whether they were still compromised.

In the end, Wright came to the astonishing conclusion that not only was there still a Soviet mole inside MI5, but that the most likely suspect was the Director-General himself, Sir Roger Hollis. Wright confronted Hollis shortly before his retirement, but Hollis denied the allegations and retired with full benefits and his reputation intact. Wright refused to drop the matter although it would not see the light for years to come.

Following his retirement in 1976, he moved to rural Australia and wrote his memoirs, titled Spycatcher. When the British government learned he intended to publish them in 1985, it was banned in the UK. However, the book went on sale in the US and was an instant bestseller. Copies were mailed to the UK and his allegations turned into a huge scandal. The UK government ultimately lost its legal battles, but the question of Hollis’ guilt remained inconclusive.

For episode 172 of the Spycraft 101 podcast I spoke with Tim Tate, author of To Catch a Spy: How the Spycatcher Affair Brought MI5 in from the Cold. We discussed Peter Wright’s rise through MI5, his suspicions about Hollis, and the fallout that resulted both from his investigation and his memoirs.

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