In this riveting episode of the Spybrary Spy Podcast, guest host David Clark is joined by author and investigative journalist Tim Tate to dissect his latest espionage non-fiction book To Catch A Spy which examines the enigmatic and controversial history surrounding Roger Hollis the former MI5 Director General, Margaret Thatcher, Peter Wright and the explosive Spycatcher affair!
‘Researched like an intelligence officer, argued like a barrister, and as engaging and intriguing as a Le Carré, Tate presents a critical and compelling analysis which makes for both a fascinating and disturbing portrayal of how a government treated truth, justice, and public accountability with disdain.'
Simon Ball, International Association For Intelligence Education European Chapter
Watch our conversation on Spybrary TV – To Catch A Spy -How the Spycatcher Affair Brought MI5 in from the Cold with Tim Tate
Key Discussion Points:
- The Lord Burke Trend Investigation:
- Hear more about Lord Burke Trent's comprehensive 1975 inquiry into suspicions that Roger Hollis might have been a Soviet spy. Although Margaret Thatcher later claimed Hollis was cleared, newly released 2023 memos reveal a startling 80-20 probability judgment against Hollis, exposing a profound discrepancy.
- Hear more about Lord Burke Trent's comprehensive 1975 inquiry into suspicions that Roger Hollis might have been a Soviet spy. Although Margaret Thatcher later claimed Hollis was cleared, newly released 2023 memos reveal a startling 80-20 probability judgment against Hollis, exposing a profound discrepancy.
- The Unfinished Business of the Spycatcher Trial:
- Explore the complexities and high stakes behind the British government’s attempts to ban Peter Wright’s memoir, “Spycatcher,” and the subsequent litigations plus revelations of Thatcher's misleading statements, and the notorious Streisand effect that turned the book into a global bestseller.
- Explore the complexities and high stakes behind the British government’s attempts to ban Peter Wright’s memoir, “Spycatcher,” and the subsequent litigations plus revelations of Thatcher's misleading statements, and the notorious Streisand effect that turned the book into a global bestseller.
- Intrigues and Paranoia
- Uncover the dynamics between key figures such as Chapman Pincher, Victor Rothschild, and Peter Wright. Delve into Wright's relentless pursuit of truth within MI5 and how Cold War paranoia fueled complex espionage webs.
- Uncover the dynamics between key figures such as Chapman Pincher, Victor Rothschild, and Peter Wright. Delve into Wright's relentless pursuit of truth within MI5 and how Cold War paranoia fueled complex espionage webs.
- Counterintelligence Conundrums:
- Analyze the persistent ambiguity and moral grayness inherent in counterintelligence work, as seen in the case of MI5's Roger Hollis. How do operations and detections of espionage blur lines between proof and suspicion?
- Analyze the persistent ambiguity and moral grayness inherent in counterintelligence work, as seen in the case of MI5's Roger Hollis. How do operations and detections of espionage blur lines between proof and suspicion?
- Harold Wilson Plot:
- Examine the alleged plot by MI5 officers, led by Peter Wright, to force Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s resignation using gathered information and Soviet defector claims, casting new light on internal intelligence machinations.
- Examine the alleged plot by MI5 officers, led by Peter Wright, to force Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s resignation using gathered information and Soviet defector claims, casting new light on internal intelligence machinations.
- Talking Spy Fiction:
- Tim Tate’s preference for Len Deighton's spy novels and their portrayal of class divides within espionage, comparing them to modern spy fiction like John le Carré, which evoke moral ambiguity and the true nature of espionage combatting glamorized cultural depictions.
- Tim Tate’s preference for Len Deighton's spy novels and their portrayal of class divides within espionage, comparing them to modern spy fiction like John le Carré, which evoke moral ambiguity and the true nature of espionage combatting glamorized cultural depictions.
- Thatcher and the Legacy of Lies:
- Reflect on the broader implications of Thatcher’s deceptive statements, the unresolved secrets that still shadow intelligence services today, and the ongoing need for transparency and legal reforms.
- Reflect on the broader implications of Thatcher’s deceptive statements, the unresolved secrets that still shadow intelligence services today, and the ongoing need for transparency and legal reforms.
- Tim Tate’s Upcoming Works:
- Get a sneak peek into Tim Tate’s upcoming book investigating the recruitment of Nazi war criminals by British and U.S. intelligence for Cold War purposes—an ambitious project three and a half years in the making.
Call to Action: For those intrigued by the intricate world of spies, secrets, and treachery, don’t miss out on Tim Tate’s To Catch A Spy.
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More about To Catch A Spy -How the Spycatcher Affair Brought MI5 in from the Cold with Tim Tate
The Spycatcher affair remains one of the most intriguing moments in the history of British intelligence and a pivotal point in the public's relationship with the murky world of espionage and security. It lifted the lid on alleged Soviet infiltration of British services and revealed a culture of law-breaking, bugging and burgling. But how much do we know about the story behind the scandal?
In To Catch a Spy, Tim Tate reveals the astonishing true story of the British government's attempts to silence whistleblower Peter Wright and hide the truth about Britain's intelligence services and political elites. It's a story of state-sanctioned cover-up plots; of the government lying to Parliament and courts around the world; and of stories leaked with the intention to mislead and deceive.
This is a tale of high treason and low farce. Drawing on thousands of pages of previously unpublished court transcripts, the contents of secret British government files, and original interviews with many of the key players in the Spycatcher trials, it draws back the curtain on a hidden world. A world where spies, politicians and Britain's most senior civil servants conspired to ride roughshod over the law, prevented the public from hearing about their actions and mounted a cynical conspiracy to deceive the world. It is the story of Peter Wright's ruthless and often lawless obsession to uncover Russian spies, both real and imagined, his belated determination to reveal the truth and the lengths to which the British government would go to silence him.
Tim Tate is a multi-award-winning documentary film-maker, investigative journalist and best-selling author. Over a career spanning 45 years he has written for most national newspapers and made more than 80 documentaries for British and international broadcasters. His films have been honoured by Amnesty International, the Royal Television Society, UNESCO, the International Documentary Association, the Association for International Broadcasting, the [US] National Academy of Cable Broadcasting and the New York Festivals.
He is the author of 18 published non-fiction books. His most recent work, The Spy Who Was Left Out In The Cold (Transworld, UK/St Martin's Press, US) uncovered the secret history of Cold War superspy Michał Goleniewski. Hitler's British Traitors (Icon Books) revealed the untold story of espionage, sabotage and treachery by pro-Nazi British fascists during the Second World War. It was selected as Book of The Week by The Times. His 2018 book Hitler's Forgotten Children (Elliott & Thompson), which told the story of the Nazi Lebensborn program through the life of one of its victims, Ingrid von Oelhafen, has been translated into twelve languages and published in 16 countries. Tim is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
Tim Tate unpicks the fascinating complexity of the Spycatcher affair. In a wilderness of mirrors, the worst betrayal was in Number 10.Honourable Malcolm Turnbull
Tim Tate reveals an extraordinary tale of spying scandals, mixed with Government skulduggery, which spiralled out of control and turned into a prolonged and very English farce.Rt. Hon. Neil (Lord) Kinnock, former leader of Labour Party (1983–1992)
Tate lifts the lid on one of the most controversial periods of MI5's history, an era when MI5 sought to silence its very own spycatcher.Dr Helen Fry, author of Women in Intelligence
Researched like an intelligence officer, argued like a barrister, and as engaging and intriguing as a Le Carré, Tate presents a critical and compelling analysis which makes for both a fascinating and disturbing portrayal of how a government treated truth, justice, and public accountability with disdain.Simon Ball, International Association For Intelligence Education European Chapter
Tim Tate uses hitherto unpublished court evidence and withheld official files to charge the Thatcher government with deceptionCountry Life
What a story it is … I'm grateful to Mr Tate for reminding us of this important and occasionally comic episode.Lobster
An enthralling account of the paranoias of Cold War Britain.Nick Cohen
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- Len Deighton Books
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