The former chief of MI6 has paid tribute to 'trailblazer' and 'proper spy' Baroness Meta Ramsay, the woman once tipped to be the first female head of the service who died on Thursday at the age of 88.
Lady Ramsay's 22-year career saw her become the most senior officer in MI6 and take part in the 1985 extraction of KGB double agent Oleg Gordievsky from the Soviet Union – one of the most audacious operations of the Cold War.
On news of her death, former MI6 chief Sir Richard Moore described her as 'wise, kind, fun'. He said: 'She was a trailblazer for women in MI6 and so thrilled that Blaise Metreweli, first woman ''C'', like her, was a proper spy who had run operations.'
Politicians also paid tribute to Lady Ramsay, who entered politics after leaving MI6 in the early 1990s, becoming foreign policy adviser to Labour leader John Smith and then a government minister under Sir Tony Blair.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said: 'Meta had an incredible life and was highly respected in her career in the Secret Intelligence Service and as a member of the House of Lords. She was a valued friend to my father, myself and my wife and will be missed.'
Labour deputy leader Lucy Powell described her as 'a remarkable woman, who led an extraordinary life, but throughout remained humble and gracious' and 'always gave the best advice and particularly supported women in politics and Parliament'.
Former Labour deputy leader Lord Tom Watson said Lady Ramsay was 'a true servant of the people', while former health secretary Wes Streeting said her life was 'the epitome of public service'.
Lord Speaker Michael Forsyth said Lady Ramsay 'served our country and protected its values with great courage'. Lord Forsyth added: 'I count myself very fortunate to have spent time with her recently and reflect with her on her formidable life and contribution. Her legacy will be felt by all those who follow her.'
After a 22-year career in intelligence, she became a Labour minister in the Lords, helping to steer Scottish devolution.
Ramsay was born on July 12 1936, in Glasgow, where she grew up in a working-class family. Her father was an engineering pattern-maker, and her mother was the daughter of a Jewish refugee from Ukraine. She was educated at Hutchesons' School, a local private school, where she excelled in debating and won prizes.
She later studied at the University of Glasgow, reading a broad degree covering arts, languages, philosophy and science. During her time there, she became a prominent figure in the debating society and was elected the first woman president of the Scottish Union of Students.
After university, she moved into international student politics with the International Student Conference, which had been created to counter communist influence in global student organisations. It was during this period, while travelling abroad, that she said she was first approached by someone from the Ministry of Defence, which ultimately led to her progression into the Foreign Office and then MI6.
As head of MI6's Helsinki station in the 1980s, she was closely involved in the exfiltration of KGB double agent Gordievsky. A CIA double agent compromised the operation, and the escape plan ultimately involved smuggling him across the border hidden in the boot of a car. One diversion used during the crossing included Gordievsky's wife changing a baby's nappies to distract border guards and their sniffer dogs.
After compulsory retirement at 55, she worked briefly for the private security firm Control Risks before returning to politics. Following the death of John Smith in 1994, she was nominated for a life peerage by Tony Blair and entered the House of Lords in 1996 as Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale.
In government, she served as a minister in the Lords for the Foreign Office, the Scottish Office, and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. She was later Deputy Lords Speaker in 2002 and joined the parliamentary Intelligence and Security Committee in 2005, which oversees MI6, MI5 and GCHQ. Ramsay also worked on MI6's Iraq desk around the time of the 1991 Gulf War and supported the 2003 invasion of Iraq even after doubts emerged over weapons of mass destruction.
She never married or had children, which she attributed to the demands and secrecy of her intelligence career.
