Spreading Smiley’s Secrets Another Chapter In... (Press, 9 May 1987)

A recent revelation has surfaced regarding Sir Maurice Oldfield, the former head of MI6, and his connection to John le Carré's famed character George Smiley. Oldfield, who passed away in 1981, had confessed to colleagues about his homosexuality, which had been kept hidden for years, likely due to the stigma surrounding it within the intelligence community. This confession came in the wake of a smear campaign orchestrated by MIS, where efforts were made to tarnish his reputation along with those of other prominent figures like Lord Mountbatten and former Prime Minister Edward Heath. In the spring of 1980, Oldfield was visited by a senior MI6 associate at his flat, where he expressed deep remorse over lying in his vetting process. He acknowledged previous homosexual relationships dating back to his youth. Oldfield, at that time, faced immense pressure due to his role in Northern Ireland, where he was under threat of assassination and endured continuous health issues that were ultimately discovered to be stomach cancer. His isolation and fear of exposure drove him to contemplate suicide, leading to his resignation offer to the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Robert Armstrong. Oldfield's decline seemed part of a long tradition within British intelligence services, where personal secrets and public personas often intersected in troubling ways. The report hinted that the smear campaign against him involved disinformation tactics used by MI5 and the Royal Ulster Constabulary and highlighted a disturbing culture within MI6. Oldfield had been a loyal servant to the British government for over three decades, yet he became a victim of a system that often turned on its own. He had initially gained recognition as the first professional head of MI6 in 1973, with a history that included heroism during World War II and a robust career that began in 1946. During his tenure, he became embroiled in scandals, especially as derogatory rumours tied him unlawfully to other homosexual figures in the intelligence community. Most notably, after the public exposure of Sir Anthony Blunt as a traitor, suspicions began to surface regarding Oldfield's own fidelity to the establishment. His name was (erroneously) associated with scandals surrounding a Belfast boys' home, believed to be connected to a larger homosexual ring. Amidst these events, Oldfield's health deteriorated, and he suffered through professional and personal humiliation before dying in February 1981. This public discrediting marked his fall from grace, elucidating a complex interplay of tragedy and systemic failures within British intelligence, where personal lives were ruthlessly scrutinised. The narrative also suggests that the culture surrounding MI6 could force many individuals to lead clandestine lives, a practice reflecting the ongoing struggles for acceptance and security for members of the LGBTQ+ community in intelligence roles.

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