WomankindThe memo you leaked when
working at GCHQ showed the
US and UK planning to bribe
UN Security Council members
to vote for the Iraq War. What
was going through your mind
when you did it?
‘At the time, I wasn’t thinking of
myself, I just saw this information as
being something everybody should
know about. The war seemed to be
increasingly imminent and there was
no time left. It just had to get out
there as quickly as possible.’
Being charged with breaking
the Official Secrets Act and on
bail for eight months must have
been extremely stressful.
‘As soon as I realised that I had to
confess [to her boss] that I’d leaked
it, that was when the stress hit me. As
that was when I knew I wouldn’t be
able to be anonymous. The eight
months of bail was tough; you don’t
know when the axe is going to fall,
but it’s constantly hanging over you.’
Although charges against you
were dropped, were you at all
reluctant to relive it with the
making ofOfficial Secrets?
‘Fifteen years on, I’ve come to accept
it – it’s almost like it happened in a
different lifetime. For the first few
years afterwards, whenever I
recounted what happened, it alwaysmade me feel shaken. I don’t know if
it was post-traumatic stress, but it
was very vivid at that time.’
What did you think when you
heard Keira Knightley was
going to play you in the film?
‘I was gobsmacked! I was thinking
more towards people who vaguely
resemble me, physically, and
obviously she doesn’t. But, actually,
I’m glad, as it creates a bit of a
barrier. It’s like looking at somebody
else doing it, so that makes it easier
for me to handle.’
Did you meet Keira?
‘Yes, she wanted to meet to ask me
questions. I was very nervous, but
she was so down-to-earth. We met in
a restaurant near where she lives,
with Gavin [Hood, the director], and
as soon as she saw me she gave me a
big hug. That put me at ease and we
chatted about motherhood and
politics. She’d already done a lot of
research, but she really wanted to get
down to the nitty-gritty and see how
I felt about the issues.’
Do you have any regrets?
‘Not really. I think we have a lot of
good values in this country – justice,
equality, fairness – which, sadly, have
been trampled on. We need to start
trying to value those things again .’
Official Secrets is in cinemas from
18 OctoberWOMENWHO WINRuth Morgan is the first
professor of crime and forensic
science at University College
London (UCL). She is passionate
aboutpromoting women in STEM
careers, and was named one of the
World Economic Forum’s (WEF)
21 Young Scientists of 2019‘DON’TLET FAILURE
STOP YOU’
‘Funding is a huge challenge for
forensic science. It was clear to
methat the traditional routes to
securethis for research wouldn’t
work, so I raised money to set up
a lab by crowdfunding.’
‘THE WAY SCIENCE IS USED
IMPACTSON PEOPLE’S LIVES’
‘WhileI was a PhD student, I did
research on a murder trial appeal.
We discovered the forensic
evidence that led to the guilty
verdict hadn’t been properly
tested, and the real culprit was
eventually convicted. There’s a
lot of work to be done to ensure
the interpretation of science in
courtis robust and trustworthy’‘WENEED COLLABORATION
TO ENSURE INNOVATION’
‘There are challenges in forensic
science that scan the entire
process. We need to bring people
from different industries together
because that’s when you get the
innovation to deal with big issues.’
‘I WANT SCIENCE TO
IMPROVE OUR FUTURE’
‘Withinthe WEF’s Young
Scientistsgroup, we have every
type of scientist. We’re given
the chance to talk to politicians
and industry leaders. I think
somethingquite exciting could
happen from this - I’m really
positive about the future.’32
THEWHISTLEBLOWER
In2004, GCHQ translator Katharine Gun was arrested after leaking a
top-secret document about the Iraq War. As her story hits the big screen,
starring Keira Knightley, she talks toJames Mottram about the falloutEXPOSED:US PLOT TO SPY ON
UN TO WIN VOTE ON IRAQ WARGCHQ TRANSLATOR ‘REVEALED SECRETS’whistleblower chargedKeiraKnightley
plays Katharine Gun
inOfficial Secrets;
Gun leaving court
in 2004 (inset)