UK Appoints Blaise Metreweli as First Woman to Lead MI6

Report by “Safarti Tarjuman” International News Desk

LONDON — In a historic move, Blaise Metreweli has been named the first female chief of the United Kingdom’s MI6 Secret Intelligence Service, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday. Her appointment comes at a time when Britain faces increasingly complex national security threats.

Metreweli will become the 18th head of MI6, replacing Richard Moore this autumn. She currently serves as MI6’s Director General for Technology and Innovation, codenamed “Q,” and has played a leading role in the agency’s tech transformation.

In an official statement, Prime Minister Starmer said:

Starmer pointed to the need for adaptive intelligence leadership in light of recent foreign spy ship sightings and cyberattacks targeting public infrastructure.

He cited threats ranging from foreign spy vessels entering UK waters to sophisticated cyberattacks aimed at disrupting public services.

Metreweli is a career intelligence officer who joined MI6 in 1999 after earning a degree in anthropology from Cambridge University. She has held key operational roles in both MI6 and MI5, focusing extensively on missions in the Middle East and Europe, according to the government statement.

Her appointment marks a significant milestone, reflecting the changing face of British intelligence leadership.

Metreweli joins a small but growing list of women at the helm of British intelligence. She follows Stella Rimington and Eliza Manningham-Buller, former directors of MI5, and Anne Keast-Butler, who in 2023 became the first woman to lead GCHQ.

Though popular culture famously dubbed MI6’s fictional leader as “M,” the agency’s real-life head is referred to as “C” and reports directly to the UK Foreign Secretary.

Thank you for reading! For comprehensive news coverage and exclusive stories, visit SafartiTarjuman.com