Oxford-educated career diplomat Richard Moore takes over as ‘C’ – the new head of MI6
- Moore will take up his role in the autumn, replacing current chief Alex Younger
- Next head of the Secret Intelligence Service said he is ‘pleased and honoured’
- Outgoing MI6 chief Mr Younger added that he is ‘delighted’ by the appointment
Oxford-educated career diplomat Richard Moore has taken over as ‘C’ – the new head of MI6.
Moore, director general of political affairs at the Foreign Office, will take up his role in the autumn, replacing current chief Alex Younger.
The next head of the Secret Intelligence Service said: ‘I am pleased and honoured to be asked to return to lead my service.
Richard Moore (pictured above), director general of political affairs at the Foreign Office, will take up his role as MI6 chief in the autumn, replacing current head Alex Younger
‘SIS plays a vital role – with MI5 and GCHQ – in keeping the British people safe and promoting UK interests overseas.
‘I look forward to continuing that work alongside the brave and dedicated team at SIS.’
Outgoing MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger said: ‘I am delighted by this appointment.
A general view of the MI6 building in Vauxhall, London. The outgoing chief said he is ‘delighted’ by Moore’s appointment (file photo)
‘Richard is a highly accomplished intelligence officer and we look forward to welcoming him back to the service.’
It is unusual for someone in the role to stay on for more than five years, with Mr Younger’s predecessors Sir John Sawers, Sir John Scarlett and Sir Richard Dearlove all leaving within that period.
MI6, depicted by novelists as the employer of some of the most memorable fictional spies from John le Carré’s George Smiley to Ian Fleming’s James Bond, operates overseas and is tasked with defending Britain and its interests.