Latest news with #AnneKeast-Butler
Spectator
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Spectator
Is Barbara Woodward right for MI6?
This time last year Britain's top cyber spy warned that China represents an 'epoch-defining challenge'. Anne Keast-Butler, the director of GCHQ, accused China of defying international norms and said that the country was the agency's 'top priority'. Beijing has been blamed for a string of cyber attacks on British institutions, including hacking the Ministry of Defence's payroll system and stealing data about UK voters from the Electoral Commission. In recent months the intelligence services have alleged that Chinese spies have penetrated the inner circle of the Duke of York, infiltrated Westminster circles, and targeted Hong Kong dissidents in the UK. This is alleged spying and disruption on a grand scale by China. That's why more than a few eyebrows will have been raised by reports that the front runner for the top job at MI6, the service focused on gathering intelligence overseas, is Dame Barbara Woodward – a former ambassador to China who critics have accused of being soft on Beijing.
The Independent
06-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Spy letters show secret orders sent ahead of VE Day
Newly declassified documents reveal GCHQ 's key role in disseminating news of Germany's unconditional surrender on VE Day. A letter from General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Allied Commander, to GCHQ, timestamped 8:30 am on May 7, 1945, instructed Allied forces to 'cease all offensive operations'. The documents highlight the excitement among GCHQ staff upon receiving news of the surrender, with annotations revealing their eagerness to share the information. Another document, dated May 4, 1945, shows that GCHQ staff were among the first to know about the impending war's end. GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler expressed pride in the agency's contribution to ending WWII.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Secret orders sent to spies ahead of VE Day revealed
GCHQ's secret orders to spies ahead of the VE Day announcement in 1945 have been revealed. A set of never-before-seen documents has revealed the Government Communications Headquarters' role in the declaration. The papers, released 80 years after VE Day, showcase the intelligence agency's role and the excitement felt by those in the organisation tasked with sharing the news that fighting in Europe would soon end. The document cache includes a letter from Dwight D Eisenhower, then supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, to the deputy director of the naval section via the Admiralty. The messages relay that the German high command had signed an 'unconditional surrender'. The document, timestamped 8.30am on May 7 1945, instructs Allied expeditionary forces to 'cease all offensive operations', but states that troops should remain in their present positions. The document states: 'Due to difficulties of communication there may be some delay in similar orders reaching enemy troops, so full defensive precautions would be taken.' The bottom of the document includes the instruction that 'no repeat, no release' is to be made to the press. The document also features annotations by the officer who had transcribed the message. At the bottom of the letter, a note reads: 'And u can jolly well RD TT plse.' 'RD TT' probably stands for 'read top-to-toe', with the addition showing the excitement felt by the operator who had the privilege of passing on the news. The voices of intelligence officials, charged with holding vital top-secret information and working under secrecy, rarely feature in historical accounts. Anne Keast-Butler, director of GCHQ, said: 'We know that intelligence had a significant part to play in VE Day and bringing World War Two to a close, and I'm proud that our predecessors at GCHQ were part of that. She added: 'It is also a powerful reminder of how those who worked so diligently and selflessly in the past paved the way for our future, and the world we live in today. 'It is with great pride that we pay homage to them today.' The second document in the cache is a letter written and signed by Sir Edward Travis, then director of the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS), the forerunner of GCHQ, to his staff, stating that 'no congratulatory, greetings or other Victory telegrams will be sent from GC&CS on VE Day or subsequently without the director's prior approval'. The letter is dated May 4 1945, four days before VE Day. It shows that intelligence heads and the staff working at GCHQ were some of the first to know that the end of the war would soon be announced. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Belfast Telegraph
06-05-2025
- General
- Belfast Telegraph
GCHQ release cache of spy chatter discussing VE Day before end of war announced
The documents, released 80 years after VE Day, showcase the intelligence agency's role and the excitement felt by those in the organisation tasked with sharing the news that fighting in Europe would soon end. The document cache includes a letter from then-Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, Dwight D Eisenhower, to the Deputy Director Naval Section via the Admiralty. The messages relay that the German high command had signed an 'unconditional surrender'. The document, timestamped 8.30am on May 7, 1945, instructs Allied expeditionary forces to 'cease all offensive operations' but states that troops should remain in their present positions. The document states: 'Due to difficulties of communication there may be some delay in similar orders reaching enemy troops, so full defensive precautions would be taken.' The bottom of the document includes the instruction that 'no repeat, no release' is to be made to the press. The document also features annotations by the officer who had transcribed the message. At the bottom of the letter, a note reads: 'and u can jollu well RD TT plse'. RD TT likely stands for read top-to-toe, with the addition showing the excitement felt by the operator who had the privilege of passing on the voices of intelligence officials, charged with holding vital top-secret information and working under secrecy, rarely feature in historical accounts. GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler said: 'We know that intelligence had a significant part to play in VE Day and bringing World War Two to a close, and I'm proud that our predecessors at GCHQ were part of that. She added: 'It is also a powerful reminder of how those who worked so diligently and selflessly in the past paved the way for our future, and the world we live in today. 'It is with great pride that we pay homage to them today.' The second document in the cache is a letter written and signed by then-GC&CS (GCHQ) director Sir Edward Travis to his staff, stating that 'no congratulatory, greetings or other Victory telegrams will be sent from GC&CS on VE Day or subsequently without the Director's prior approval'. The letter is dated May 4 1945, four days before VE Day. It shows us that intelligence heads and the staff working at GCHQ were some of the first to know that the end of the war would soon be announced.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
GCHQ release cache of spy chatter discussing VE Day before end of war announced
A set of never-before-seen documents of discussions between spies has revealed the Government Communications Headquarters' (GCHQ) role in the announcement of VE Day. The documents, released 80 years after VE Day, showcase the intelligence agency's role and the excitement felt by those in the organisation tasked with sharing the news that fighting in Europe would soon end. The document cache includes a letter from then-Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe, Dwight D Eisenhower, to the Deputy Director Naval Section via the Admiralty. The messages relay that the German high command had signed an 'unconditional surrender'. The document, timestamped 8.30am on May 7, 1945, instructs Allied expeditionary forces to 'cease all offensive operations' but states that troops should remain in their present positions. The document states: 'Due to difficulties of communication there may be some delay in similar orders reaching enemy troops, so full defensive precautions would be taken.' The bottom of the document includes the instruction that 'no repeat, no release' is to be made to the press. The document also features annotations by the officer who had transcribed the message. At the bottom of the letter, a note reads: 'and u can jollu well RD TT plse'. RD TT likely stands for read top-to-toe, with the addition showing the excitement felt by the operator who had the privilege of passing on the voices of intelligence officials, charged with holding vital top-secret information and working under secrecy, rarely feature in historical accounts. GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler said: 'We know that intelligence had a significant part to play in VE Day and bringing World War Two to a close, and I'm proud that our predecessors at GCHQ were part of that. She added: 'It is also a powerful reminder of how those who worked so diligently and selflessly in the past paved the way for our future, and the world we live in today. 'It is with great pride that we pay homage to them today.' The second document in the cache is a letter written and signed by then-GC&CS (GCHQ) director Sir Edward Travis to his staff, stating that 'no congratulatory, greetings or other Victory telegrams will be sent from GC&CS on VE Day or subsequently without the Director's prior approval'. The letter is dated May 4 1945, four days before VE Day. It shows us that intelligence heads and the staff working at GCHQ were some of the first to know that the end of the war would soon be announced.
