from Dave Windsor The following interesting article appeared as the lead story i i
r in the 'Dail Express' of April 13th. It shows how a Labour Government Seana ee exactly the same as a Tory Government in relation to the secret service: "A big overhaul of the Secret Service and other overseas Intelligence agencies is being carried out by Mr. George Wigg, the Paymaster General who is Britain's security watchdog. The shake-up follows a suceesaion of Intelligence failures which have seriously embarrassed the Government within the past few months. Several department chiefs are being moved prematurely from their posts. The general retiring age is to be reduced from 60 to 55. The Director-General of the Secret Service, known publicly by the code-letter ‘'C‘ for security reasons, is due to retire this year in any case. "The first Intelligence failure was the sudden breakaway of Si Malaysia eight months ago. The Government had no idea that a es to happen. Its annoumcement near the end of the defence review, in which the future of the Singapore base was a vital issue, raised great difficult~ ies for Mr. Denis Healey, the Defence ifinister. “Mr. Harold Wilson was particularly embarrassed by the assassination of the Nigerian leaders, including the Federal Premier Sir Abubaka Tafawa Balewa, in January. This occurred only two days after Mr. Wilson visited Nigeria for the Commonwealth Conference on Rhodesia. The Intelligence services had given him no hint of any umrest which might involve such a degree of violence. They were also caught out over the Ghana revolt which ousted on — various revolutions in Indonesia and the riots in Hongkong st week. "ar. Wilson appointed lir. Wigg as security watchdog to wake sure that he would never be caught napping on an Intelligence matter, as Mr. Harold Macmillan was over the Profwm affair. The premature retirements, due to be completed by September, are being organised with the least possible hardship because of the special circumstances involving people who must rewain silent about their past jobs forever. Some of the men are being transferred to other Government departments. Commercial posts are being organised for others. "the Secret Service officially costs £10 willion a year, but this is only the basic bill. Purther sums are hidden in the general votes of the Poreign Office, Commonwealth Relations Office, and Defence Ministry. No official confirmation of the shake~up is likely even in Parliament because of the gereral clamp~down on information about the Secret Services.