Would you like to become a spy?
A new report has just been issued by a group of MPs that says there are not enough middle-aged female spies protecting Great Britain.
They recommended recruiters should try websites like Mumsnet who are an “untapped recruitment pool” and could be used to increase the proportion of females in the secret services.
The idea that a new cohort of British spies could be signed up via Mumsnet, more usually associated with debates on pregnancy, childcare and homemaking, may surprise some.
The report says that while 37% of staff at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ are women, only one in five senior staff are women. On the big screen, James Bond’s boss “M” is played by Dame Judy Dench and Dame Stella Rimington was the former Director General of MI5 in from 1992 when she was aged 57.
In response to the report the government said: “We are committed to ensuring the most talented people succeed and reach top positions, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality or disability.”
It looks like they have omitted age as a criteria!
What’s your view? Should “Silversurfers” be considered as a pool for talented mature ladies for the intelligence services?
