My father, John Morrison, who has died aged 74, was a senior intelligence analyst who lost his job after speaking out against the case for going to war with Iraq.
Having worked in various civil service intelligence roles for much of his career, John was the parliamentary intelligence and security committee’s first investigator in 2004 when his contract was prematurely terminated after he appeared on the BBC television programme Panorama, maintaining that Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction were not a “current and serious” threat as Tony Blair had argued.
He also said, in a phrase that resonated widely with the media, that he “could almost hear the collective raspberry going up around Whitehall” in response to Blair’s claims.
Asked if he regretted speaking out, he said: “The function of intelligence is to speak truth unto power – if it doesn’t do that it fails, and I felt somebody had to speak up for intelligence standards. I did that, I got sacked – I don’t regret it for a moment.” Those sentiments summarised his deeply held respect for the intelligence process and a profound sense of public duty, even when asserting those principles came at personal cost.
John was born in Hexham, Northumberland, to Robert, a Scottish microbiologist, and Sheila (nee Noble), a teacher. When he was 13 the family moved to Glasgow. While studying politics at Glasgow University he met Rosemary (nee Wilson), whom he married in 1967. On graduating that year he joined the UK’s defence intelligence staff (DIS) in London as a desk-level intelligence analyst. During his Ministry of Defence career he occupied a wide range of analytical and management positions in the DIS and elsewhere, including three tours in the Cabinet Office, culminating as secretary to the joint intelligence committee.
He ended his civil service career as the senior civilian intelligence professional in the DIS, serving four years as deputy chief of defence intelligence. The DIS, now just DI, was and is the UK’s largest organisation focused on the analysis and assessment of information on foreign defence and security matters from all sources.
After leaving the civil service in 1999, he became the parliamentary intelligence and security committee’s first investigator and held that position until his sacking in 2004.
He and Rosemary took the opportunity to retire, and in 2005 moved to Canterbury, Kent, where they enjoyed a blissful time indulging their passions for food, drink, theatre and travel, including many cruises around the world on which, as part of the entertainment, John gave hugely popular lectures about his cold war adventures.
To the last he continued to put himself at the service of the community, actively involved with a number of charities, in particular as the chair of the Early Years Project, which focuses on improving the development, education and wellbeing of children and families in East Kent.
He is survived by Rosemary, their sons, Chris and me, and three grandchildren Tess, Sam and Bertie.
