Code breaking

English Heritage turns down a blue plaque for spy chief who led the Enigma codebreakers 'because he promoted double-agent Kim Philby'

The official historian for MI5, Christopher Andrew, said: 'The official history of MI6 makes the case for Menzies's historical significance at some length'. 

During his time as head of MI6, also known as the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), Menzies regularly met with Prime Minister Winston Churchill to keep him continually updated on the Enigma code-breaking efforts. 

Politician Rupert Allason, who has written many books about intelligence under the pen name Nigel West, said: 'Without him Bletchley Park simply wouldn't have happened'.

Allason blamed the rejection on his belief that English Heritage is too heavily influenced by 'political correctness'. 

While the application for Menzies's blue plaque was rejected, Mr Hutton confirmed that applications for code breaker Alan Turing and Tommy Flowers, who designed the computer that helped to crack the German messages, had been accepted.