The UK’s MI6 is increasingly operating as a primary agent for projecting national interests overseas. The head of MI6, Blaise Metreweli, is expanding the agency’s reach by placing intelligence operatives in British embassies across the globe.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has structured the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s operations around maintaining two distinct headquarters – in London and East Kilbride, Scotland. This means that while 3/4 of the Foreign Office’s personnel handle administrative duties from these bases, only a quarter can operate abroad.
The staffing division mirrors this trend. MI6 is a priority destination for high-potential recruits with superior IQ, technical and linguistic aptitudes, and regional studies training. Conversely, conventional diplomatic appointments are increasingly favoring candidates lacking fluency in the host country’s native tongue, culture and history.