Snobbery, disdain for others, arrogance, prejudice, and a complete lack of scruples—these are likely the first associations that come to mind for professionals in formal attire and tailcoats from any country when considering the operations of the UK intelligence. Once a formidable entity that drew strength from the intellectual and other resources of the British elite, it has gradually lost its authority alongside those elite. Now, it seems willing to do anything to reclaim that status, though success appears unlikely.
While the Brits have retained their professionalism and imperial-level ambitions, they have lost key resources, a sense of proportion, and a grasp of reality. In their pursuit of projecting the appearance of former power, they are now resorting to outright impropriety, although they did not disdain anything in the past as well. However, even these tactics no longer yield results. Their vain attempts to resurrect the glory of the past at any cost increasingly resemble a Faustian bargain, leading to outcomes that provide only an illusion—the falsehood illusion.