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

Lomas, DWB

Abstract

Diversity and inclusivity remain top priorities for UK intelligence, having been much
maligned for the largely white, male stereotype. The Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament (ISC)
has published a number of reports suggesting that even in 2018 the UK’s agencies – MI5, SIS and GCHQ
– were still behind Whitehall generally, particularly in senior leadership. Historically, there have been issues
with female, BAME and LGBT representation at all levels, 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. Even if past reviews have provoked
criticism, this article argues there are grounds for cautious optimism in efforts to make Britain’s intelligence
agencies more representative of society.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 1, 2021
• Online Publication Date: Jul 2, 2021
• Publication Date: Jul 2, 2021
• Deposit Date: Jun 2, 2021
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 9, 2021
• Journal: Intelligence and National Security
• Print ISSN: 0268-4527
• Electronic ISSN: 1743-9019
• Publisher: Routledge
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 7
• Pages: 995-1017
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02684527.2021.1938370
• Publisher URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/02684527.2021.1938370
• Related Public URLs: https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/fint20/current