Secret Intelligence - Public Attitudes, Expectations and Accountability

My PhD project focuses upon how the public perceive secret intelligence by focusing on the workings of the British intelligence services, namely The Security Service (MI5), the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) and the Government Communication Headquarters (GCHQ). There is a growing academic literature surrounding the intelligence services and intelligence accountability. But relatively little is written from the perspective of the intelligence services and about public attitudes towards secret intelligence, thus demonstrating a need for this research. Therefore, the research will focus upon whether there is any correlation between how the intelligence services wish to be viewed and the public perception of their work.

The thesis will seek to explore what are British public attitudes towards secret intelligence and, in particular, actions they have taken. This research will seek to explore both how the public perceive the Intelligence Services in general, but also in relation to certain activities they have been involved with, such as extraordinary rendition and torture allegations. This perception will be explored by ascertaining how this contrasts and compares to how the intelligence services wish to be perceived by the British public via utilising open source information from the intelligence services and interviews with them. It is likely that the public perception of the intelligence services varies drastically to the perception they aspire to have in the public domain and the reasoning behind this will be discussed. Perhaps this occurs due to the portrayal of the intelligence services via the media which formulates public opinion on these matters.

To ascertain the views of the intelligence services, numerous open source documents will be utilised such as speeches given by Sir Jonathan Evans, the outgoing Head of MI5 and, Sir John Sawers, Chief of MI6. Former MI5 Heads such as Dame Stella Rimington and Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller have both made public speeches in which the importance of accountability and how they are perceived was discussed. These documents provide a first-hand perspective and will be highly beneficial.

Publicly available governmental documents such as the Intelligence and Security Committee's Annual Report will provide evidence of how the intelligence services are portrayed by those with an understanding of their work. It will also be interesting to ascertain if these reports are widely read, and understood by members of the public, whether these help to form their opinions on the intelligence services and if accountability of the services improves as a result.

Interviews with MI5, MI6 and GCHQ will be pursued in order to ascertain their views on these subjects. Although this may prove difficult due to the ring of secrecy which they are shrouded in, it would be invaluable.

To discover the public's perception of the intelligence services, surveys will be utilised. This could demonstrate how attitudes vary depending on individual circumstances and the media outlets used regularly. Therefore the following sub-sections will provide this information. The groups will be: students studying at university; further broken down into subject areas; 18 - 25 year olds not in education; 25 - 40 year olds in employment, 40 - 65 year olds in employment, the unemployed, split into the same age brackets and the retired. If possible, interviewing some who fall within each category will be pursued.

Discussing the correlation between public opinion and how the intelligence services want to be perceived can enhance public understanding. With relatively little known about the intelligence services due to the secrecy which encompasses them, this could aid public understanding of them and their necessity to be surrounded by secrecy to maintain national security could be better understood.