Lady Thatcher opposed official recognition of MI6
Plans to officially admit to the existence of MI6 were opposed by Lady Thatcher before she came to power.
In a July 1978 letter to Jim Callaghan, then prime minister, she said one should “never admit to anything unless you have to”.
Lady Thatcher was responding to plans to allow post-war documents mentioning the secret intelligence service to be published.
Before then, papers referring to the continued existence of MI6 or the Joint Intelligence Committee were exempt from the “30 year rule”.
She wrote: “I was taught a very good rule by my two Masters at Law, both of whom are now Judges: never admit to anything unless you have to; and then only for specific reasons and within defined limits.
“It is a rule that has stood me in very good stead in many a complicated matter, and in the absence of further advice I should be inclined to stick to it now.”
The lifting of the ban went ahead. The ongoing existence of MI6 and MI5 was officially recognised in the 1994 Intelligence Services Act.
Read entire article at Telegraph (UK)
In a July 1978 letter to Jim Callaghan, then prime minister, she said one should “never admit to anything unless you have to”.
Lady Thatcher was responding to plans to allow post-war documents mentioning the secret intelligence service to be published.
Before then, papers referring to the continued existence of MI6 or the Joint Intelligence Committee were exempt from the “30 year rule”.
She wrote: “I was taught a very good rule by my two Masters at Law, both of whom are now Judges: never admit to anything unless you have to; and then only for specific reasons and within defined limits.
“It is a rule that has stood me in very good stead in many a complicated matter, and in the absence of further advice I should be inclined to stick to it now.”
The lifting of the ban went ahead. The ongoing existence of MI6 and MI5 was officially recognised in the 1994 Intelligence Services Act.