UK: MI5 Declassifies Top Secret Files Ahead of Spring Exhibition

Improve the News Foundation -

Facts

  • The British Security Service (MI5) has released more than 100 previously classified files prior to an exhibition at the National Archives this spring.[1][2]
  • The release includes historical reports spanning from before World War I to the mid-1970s, communications between MI5 and the FBI, and investigations into the Communist Party of Great Britain.[3][4]
  • Further details are also provided concerning the "Cambridge Five" – graduates from the University of Cambridge (Kim Philby, Guy Burgess, Donald Maclean, Anthony Blunt, and John Cairncross) who spied on behalf of the Soviet Union between the 1930s-1950s.[3][5]
  • Philby's 1963 confession transcript reveals his recruitment by Soviet intelligence in 1934 through his Communist Party member wife Lizzy — working for the OGPU (Soviet secret police), and helping recruit Burgess and Maclean. Philby also states that, given another chance, he "would probably have behaved in the same way."[6][7]
  • Files also show that Queen Elizabeth II was not briefed on Blunt’s espionage, who confessed in 1964, until 1973 — a year after the spy left the role of the monarch's art advisor. It is written that the late Queen "took it all very calmly and without surprise."[8][9]
  • Another document describes surveillance as an "onerous and exacting profession," detailing "ideal" watchers as 5'7-5'8 and "rather nondescript." The guide tells spies to remain 25-30 yards behind targets on an opposite pavement, and that facial disguises were "considered essential" in films but in reality were "deplored."[10]

Sources: [1]BBC News, [2]The National Archives, [3]The National Archives Blog, [4]Archive, [5]The Moscow Times, [6]Reuters, [7]CDN.NationalArchives.Gov.UK, [8]The Telegraph, [9]The Guardian and [10]Sky News.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Independent and The National Archives. MI5's declassified files offer a compelling glimpse into the shadowy world of British intelligence. These records reveal the inner workings of notorious cases like those of Kim Philby and Anthony Blunt — shedding light on the motivations and betrayals of Soviet spies. The files showcase the tension, daring decisions, and quiet resilience of MI5, bringing history to life with an unprecedented level of depth and insight.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Spyscape and Declassified UK. The Cambridge Five scandal remains a profound embarrassment for the UK, exposing deep flaws in its intelligence and elite institutions. Worse, newly released files reveal Queen Elizabeth II, MI5, and the establishment knew of Blunt's treachery long before it was exposed publicly in 1979. By shielding him to avoid a national scandal, they prioritized reputation over accountability — undermining trust in the monarchy and national security alike.