The world’s most famous fictional spy, James Bond, would never have been hired by Britain’s security services in the real world due to his ‘morally dubious character’, the boss of MI6 has said.
In a rare interview with Black History Month website, Alex Younger said, “We know that if we undermine British values, even in the name of defending them, then we have failed. Our staff are not from another planet. They are ordinary men and women operating in the face of complex moral, ethical and physical challenges, often in the most forbidding environments on earth.
Bond’s ‘morally dubious character’ would rule him out as a real-life MI6 spy despite his tenacity and patriotism, he added.
Younger said: “In contrast to James Bond, MI6 officers are not for taking moral shortcuts. In fact, a strong ethical core is one of the first qualities we look for in our staff.
“It’s safe to say that James Bond wouldn’t get through our recruitment process,” he said.