Spy Chief Not ‘gay,’ Says Minister (Press, 21 April 1987)

On 21 April 1987, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher received a report that cleared former MI6 chief Sir Maurice Oldfield of allegations regarding his sexual orientation. Defence Secretary George Younger, who previously served as deputy director of MI6, stated in the "Daily Telegraph" that the report indicated there was no cause for concern about Oldfield's conduct. The allegations had emerged from excerpts of the book "Traitors: The Labyrinth of Treason" by Chapman Pincher, which were published in a London newspaper the preceding Sunday. Pincher claimed that Sir Maurice led a secret life as a homosexual who pursued young boys and male prostitutes. However, Younger dismissed these accusations as "utter nonsense," asserting that Oldfield had actually been celibate rather than engaged in homosexual behaviour. He went further to accuse Pincher of serving the interests of the K.G.B. with his claims. In the context of the allegations, Pincher, who identified himself as a friend of Oldfield, suggested that Oldfield had been warned about his sexual habits and was told that if he agreed to restrain his behaviour, he could continue his work in Northern Ireland after retiring from the security service in 1973. In response to the surfacing of these allegations, Labour MP Ted Leadbitter has called for a full inquiry into the intelligence service, indicating concern over the implications of the accusations on MI6 and its operations.

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