The Secret History of UK Security Vetting from 1909 to the Present

The Centre for the Study of Subversion, Unconventional Interventions and Terrorism (SUIT)'s co-director Dr Dan Lomas has recently published a new book detailing the secret story of UK security vetting from 1909 to the present. 

The Secret History of UK Security Vetting from 1909 to the Present (Bloomsbury) draws on newly released archival material, Freedom of Information releases and interviews to explore the scope of government security checks on civil servants, defence contractors and armed forces personnel from Edwardian 'spy scares' and the inter-war period, to the Cold War and present day.

Dan is an expert in the history of the UK's Secret Intelligence Service, focusing on the internal culture, leadership and activities of the organisation. Speaking about his new publication, Dan said "Vetting is a highly personalised process where candidates can, at times, reveal their deepest secrets. It's always been important, but it's significantly shaped UK government after 1945. The book is a social history of how attitudes to sexuality and race have shaped Whitehall and have unintended consequences today ."