A secret inquiry by MI5’s independent watchdog has concluded that the security service was aware its agent X, a neo-Nazi informant, was a misogynist “obsessed” with violence. The inquiry found serious failings in the agency’s management of the abusive agent, who used his status to coercively control his then-girlfriend, including attacking her with a machete.
The revelations come after BBC News originally exposed how MI5 had covered up for Agent X. In 2022, the government attempted to block the BBC’s investigation in court, a bid that ultimately failed, though Agent X was granted legal anonymity. That same year, the BBC first reported how the MI5 spy had abused his girlfriend before moving abroad to continue intelligence work, even while under investigation.
Following the BBC’s initial story, the office of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner (IPCO), led by Sir Brian Leveson, launched a secret inquiry. Details of this inquiry, like much of IPCO’s work, are now being reported for the first time.
IPCO, which oversees the use of covert investigatory powers by UK intelligence agencies, reached several critical conclusions. It found that “strong indications” of Agent X’s interest in violence, including video footage of him threatening his girlfriend with a machete, did not prompt an MI5 review of his suitability as an agent, a step IPCO stated “should have done.” Furthermore, Agent X was “openly misogynistic” with his MI5 handlers, who were aware of his involvement with a “pick up artistry” movement aimed at exploiting women for sex, yet “none of this attracted much attention” from them. The inquiry also noted that MI5 knew Agent X was “obsessed” with violence, as he had informed them, and there were indications he might pose a threat to others due to his “general interest in extreme violence.” However, IPCO identified a “lack of sufficient professional curiosity” about him by MI5.
In a statement to the BBC, IPCO confirmed its inspection “identified serious failings in MI5’s management of agent X” and mandated MI5 to address these issues. IPCO added that MI5 has since implemented “significant changes to its policies, practices and procedures,” which have been verified in subsequent inspections. The watchdog affirmed that MI5’s work in this area is ongoing and will continue to be supervised through its rigorous inspection programme.
Beth, the spy’s former partner, expressed her desire for accountability, telling the BBC, “I’d like to see a full apology for the fact that MI5 actually were willing to use somebody like X and the fact they were aware of his abuse towards me and they did nothing at all.” She also sought an apology for how MI5 had portrayed her.
The IPCO inspection, which concluded in 2024, also uncovered that MI5 had misled the watchdog regarding its adherence to the core “neither confirm nor deny” secrecy policy about Agent X’s status during conversations with the BBC. In reality, MI5 had confirmed he was an agent during early attempts in 2020 to prevent the BBC from investigating him. Moreover, MI5 provided false evidence on this matter to three courts, prompting a further IPCO investigation whose report is due to the prime minister imminently. The IPCO inspection found no evidence in “case records” to suggest MI5 was aware of any sinister motivation behind Agent X’s decision to become an agent.
The IPCO inspection report, along with other previously secret documents, was recently disclosed to the BBC as part of ongoing legal proceedings. These proceedings remain active, as the court is soon expected to consider what action to take concerning MI5’s false evidence. An internal MI5 document, an interview with the head of Agent X’s management team, revealed the officer’s admission that X “should never have been used as a covert human intelligence source (CHIS), or agent.” The officer stated, “This whole case has been a disaster for everyone, and on reflection, we shouldn’t have touched him [X] as a CHIS.”
After years of attempting to undermine Beth in the courts, the government has now publicly acknowledged the abuse she suffered. During the original court battle in 2022, the then-government had cast doubt on the BBC’s case, arguing it rested on “foundations that are anything but solid” and that there was “real doubt about the reliability, credibility and motivation of Beth.” However, a new statement from a government spokesperson to the BBC said, “The abuse suffered by the woman in this case, known as Beth, was abhorrent and we extend our sincere sympathies to her.”
Sir Ken McCallum, MI5’s director general, apologised for any distress caused by “mistakes in the litigation.” The statement from MI5 further explained that “The use of agents is fundamental to MI5’s ability to keep the UK safe. It is difficult, human work that is governed by legislation and tightly overseen by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO).” It added that MI5 has procedures to address risks associated with working with Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS), particularly where individuals might be at risk of harm, and these procedures have been improved based on lessons learned.
Earlier this year, MI5 paid compensation to Beth to settle a human rights claim she brought against them, doing so without admitting legal liability. In her first interview since receiving the compensation, Beth told the BBC she felt “gaslit” by MI5. “They can’t be trusted because they’ve already lied in court and painted me out to look a certain way and made me feel like I didn’t have a voice or a valid story, but they have now done a 360-degree turn and paid compensation,” she said. Beth described fighting the case as “absolutely debilitating at times with the level of trauma and flashbacks it’s caused.”
