Director General of the Security Service (MI5) | |
---|---|
Incumbent Ken McCallum since 30 March 2020; 4 years ago (2020-03-30) | |
Security Service (MI5) | |
Residence | Thames House, London, UK |
Appointer | Home Secretary |
Term length | No fixed term |
Inaugural holder | Vernon Kell 1909 |
Formation | Security Service Act 1989 |
Website | https://www.mi5.gov.uk/ |
The Director General of the Security Service is the head of the Security Service (commonly known as MI5), the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency. The Director General is assisted by a Deputy Director General and an Assistant Director General, and reports to the Home Secretary, although the Security Service is not formally part of the Home Office.
List of directors general
Directors General have been:
- Maj Gen Sir Vernon Kell, 1909–1940
- Brigadier 'Jasper' Harker, Acting, June 1940 – April 1941
- Sir David Petrie, 1941–1946
- Sir Percy Sillitoe, 1946–1953
- Sir Dick White, 1953–1956
- Sir Roger Hollis, 1956–1965
- Sir Martin Furnival Jones, 1965–1972
- Sir Michael Hanley, 1972–1978
- Sir Howard Smith, 1978–1981
- Sir John Jones, 1981–1985
- Sir Antony Duff, 1985–1988
- Sir Patrick Walker, 1988–1992
- Dame Stella Rimington, 1992–1996
- Sir Stephen Lander, 1996–2002
- Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, 2002–2007
- Sir Jonathan Evans, 2007–2013
- Sir Andrew Parker, 2013–2020
- Ken McCallum, from 2020
See also
References
- "Former Directors General". Retrieved 25 October 2014.
- "Oswald Allen Harker (1886–1968)". State Secrets... Archived from the original on 7 October 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2007.