Corruption

New report says revolving door between former spy chiefs and big business ‘endangered British public’

A new report published by investigative journalism site Declassified UK says a “revolving door” between former British spy chiefs and big business may have put the British public at increased risk of health crises and climate breakdown.

Security strategy

The British government has long been aware that an influenza pandemic poses the “gravest risk” to the population. Officials have also emphasised the security risk presented by climate breakdown. But the Declassified UK report asserts that “the security services have largely ignored health threats” and Britain’s security strategy has disproportionately focused on the threat of cyber-attacks.

At the same time, the exposé says there is a “revolving door” between former British spy chiefs and the cyber security industry. The report finds that numerous “former heads of MI5, MI6 and GCHQ since 2000 have gone on to work for companies in the cyber and data security sector”. Many have also been employed by oil corporations, widely recognised as one of the leading causes of climate breakdown.