Meta Ramsay: The British intelligence pioneer who could have been MI6’s first female ‘C’
Meta Ramsay was a pioneering British intelligence officer who could have been the first female head of MI6. She played a significant role during the Cold War, notably in the extraction of KGB double agent Oleg Gordievsky. After retiring from intelligence, she transitioned into politics and contributed to the establishment of the Scottish Parliament.
- ▪Meta Ramsay was one of the few female operatives in MI6 during her career.
- ▪She was involved in a major Cold War operation to extract KGB double agent Oleg Gordievsky from the Soviet Union.
- ▪After retiring from MI6, she became a foreign policy adviser and later a government minister in the House of Lords.
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NewsUKHome NewsMeta Ramsay: The British intelligence pioneer who could have been MI6’s first female ‘C’Labour peer was a senior agent during the height of the Cold WarGavin Cordon Friday 29 May 2026 10:11 BSTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popover{"translations":{"comments":"Go to comments","share":"Share","copyLink":"Copy link","bookmark":"Bookmark","removeBookmark":"Remove bookmark"},"showComments":true,"showBookmark":true,"articleId":"b2985812","articleMeta":{"url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/meta-ramsay-death-spy-mi6-labour-b2985812.html","title":"Meta Ramsay: the spy who could have been MI6’s first female ‘C’"}}(Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament)Your support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive…
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