Chapter 9

As Andrew walked down to Whitehall he thought about the day ahead. Positive Vetting, so far, had been an exercise in filling in a lot of forms. The guidance booklet emphasised above all else to be both honest and as complete as possible with his answers, and definitely don’t attempt to hide anything. He didn’t know what the average age that people normally got Top Secret clearance but he doubted there were many younger than him. The vetting process was a review of a person’s life, so Andrew’s youth was a tremendous asset, there was just less to go back over and check. A key part of the process was talking about and understanding relationships with other people. Not sexual but the circles of relationships in everybody’s lives. And they were interested in money, politics and sex. There were lots of variations on a theme but they were all interwoven back to those three. At the interview there were two vetting officers and Andrew in an anonymous room in the Old War Office Building on Whitehall. The interview lasted over three hours. Once the pleasantries were dealt with they started.

“Your financial statement was perhaps the most unusual I have ever seen during this process. You developed business software while you were at school, with two friends.”

“I did.”

“And you sold that business to three multi-national corporations, one Canadian, one French and one German for a total of £36m.”

“Technically we licenced the software in different countries to these three companies, rather than sell it. But the amount and the three companies are accurate.”

“The business was structured so that a charity, a medical research trust, held 70% of the shares. They received £25.2m and the three of you shared the rest.”

“Correct. The three of us are the Trustees of that Trust.”

Andrew wondered for a minute whether his interrogator was going to go through all his investments one by one getting him to confirm them. But it looked like he was just gobsmacked by the amounts.

“You have no debts and cash and assets in excess of £3.5m.”

Creighton had sent confirmation of all this to Andrew.

“Yes.”

That finished the money section. They asked more questions, just because they thought they should but it seemed a waste of time. They talked about his taxes, again having received confirmation from Creighton that everything had been filed on time and correctly. The financial review was necessary but easy. The other guy tag teamed and dealt with the politics.

“Describe your politics.”

“Independent. I have personally paid more than £3m in tax and I have yet to vote. More than 80% of that tax was paid before I was eligible to vote. At university and in society generally I see a lot of people very happy to spend other people’s money, in this case mine, in an unthinking, reflexive way. At the same time I have read the articles and seen the news of the widespread job losses and the impact on communities. And I have personally tried to do something about that. So I think the political left has a biased outlook on maths and economics and I think the political right has a similarly biased outlook on humanity and helping your fellow citizens.”

“You do not support a more radical political agenda?”

Andrew had been briefed that they wanted to know about communist sympathies.

“No. They have neither. Communist economies are falling apart and they abuse and suppress their people.”

“Do any of your friends support a radical agenda?”

“Not to my knowledge. But one of the things is that we tend not to talk about politics very often. When we have spoken then there has been a spectrum of views but they are all democratic and moderate. If I had to categorise my friends then they are two thirds moderately conservative with the other one third being more centrist or moderately socialist.”

“What about yourself?”

“I am very much in the centrist group. I can see arguments for and against most positions from all the mainstream political parties.”

“What would be your solution then?”

Andrew had to stop and think about that one. He knew what he didn’t like. Easy to moan from the sidelines. But what would he do.

“I think my solution would be politically impossible. Be honest with people, invest in education, look at pensions and the NHS. Something like that.”

They made some notes but did not critique his comments.

“Have you visited a communist country?”

“No. I have visited France, West Germany, Cyprus and Finland. The middle two during my summer job in the last two years.”

Again this was just listing what was on his forms.

“Have you ever been approached by a communist? Either while working at the Ministry of Defence or at university.”

“No. Have I spoken to a communist who did not identify him or herself as such? Maybe, but knowingly? No.”

Andrew was about as politically vanilla as you could get. The communist questions continued for a few minutes but it again seemed a waste of breath. What did become clear to Andrew was that they had discretely asked questions about him at Cambridge. The first guy took the next stage.

“Do you have contacts with foreign nationals?”

They knew he did, he had disclosed everyone going all the way back to Mareikura.

“Yes.”

He recounted the list starting with Mareikura, Lars, Yasmine and Manon, Judy, Pedro, Olivia; all the people he met in Paris modelling, including Heloise, Chiara, Joelle, Camille, Renee, Mathilde and Pierre, Veronique and Michel, Beatrice Raymonde, Marilyn Gauthier, Phillippe; Aino, Kerttu and Lilja, Malou and the four Germans. These were all the people he had met or worked with more than once. He did explain there were more models and production crew but would have to ask Hermès for all their names.

“That is a substantial number.”

“As I disclosed, I model part time during the breaks from university. Most of these people I have met doing that.”

“Most but not all?”

“No Mareikura was when I was at school. Lars is the fiancé of the daughter of Lord Barnes, I met him at Lord Barnes’ house at New Year, and again at Lord and Lady Barnes’ wedding. Yasmine I met in London and then Edinburgh as a tourist when I was still at school. Judy Stein was an American exchange student who I met at London and then Cambridge. Pedro Garcia is a student at Trinity with me. His father is a naval captain and is assigned to the Spanish Defence Ministry. Olivia Dupree is a fellow engineering student although she is at Newnham College. Her father works for Michelin in Clermont-Ferrand in France. The Indians, Finns, Dutch lady and the four Germans I met when I was in Cyprus last year. The Finns are all students, the Germans teachers. The Indians run a business in one of the northern states, I am afraid I don’t remember which one.”

Andrew had to ask himself what was wrong with British women.

“Do you talk politics with any of these people?”

“With them, never. Other than some general political discussions. I think I have only once talked about my political beliefs in the same way as I did today. No hang on, that was not at university that was with friends in Edinburgh. Most of my friends are not very political.”

“Are you aware of the politics of the people you work with in France and elsewhere?”

“I have no idea. It has never once come up in conversation.”

“Do you know any people who work for a foreign government?”

Andrew had filled in that section of the form as well. What was this, a memory test?

“Yes. Phillippe Bernard works for the French Finance Ministry. I have met him socially and we never discussed his job once.”

“Never?”

“No. His wife to be works at Hermès and nearly always there are models present when we are together. It wouldn’t be appropriate. He has never discussed his work with me.”

“Were you approached while in either West Germany or Cyprus by anyone asking questions about the Army, why you were there, the political situation, anything like that?”

“No. In West Germany we stayed in garrisons the whole time and I think it was always the MP barracks. We were not forbidden from talking to the soldiers but at the same time it was strongly discouraged. It was the same at Colchester and at Kyle of Lochalsh. In Cyprus we didn’t even stay at a garrison but rather were at a tourist resort and were approached by no one asking questions. Well about our work at least.”

He had disclosed the meeting and chat with Aditi and her brother and sister-in-law. Then it got interesting.

“What were you doing in these two countries?”

“I requested and received a letter of reference from the Chief Constable of the Ministry of Defence Police. Did you receive a copy of that letter from him?”

“Yes there is one on file.”

“I think your question is best answered by him.”

“You won’t tell us?”

“I don’t know if I can tell you. I don’t know whether a vetting officer has the right to know the details of work covered by a Secret clearance. I was given a long and thorough briefing by a Mr. Craig at the MoD Police and the Official Secrets Act was explained to me in painstaking detail.”

Andrew didn’t know whether it was a trick question or they were just nosy and trying to put a good face on his polite ‘piss off’, but they smoothly moved on.

“What do you think of the Official Secrets Act?”

What an odd question.

“I am not sure what you mean.”

“Some people think it is too heavy handed, that things are cloaked in secrecy that the public should know about.”

“This answer is not flippant. It is necessary. I do not have the knowledge or experience to make such comments or judgements. It just is.”

Finally the interview turned to sex.

“Are you sexually active?”

“Yes I am.”

“How many people have you had sex with?”

Do you want to know what was embarrassing? Having to ask for a piece of paper as he tried to remember them all.

“29, I think.”

This was not one of the questions Andrew had answered on all the forms. In fact it was 30, he forgot Lily in 2^nd year.

“How many foreign nationals are there in that list.”

He had to look down and count.

“Fourteen.”

“Do any of these people work for foreign governments?”

Did you see how they did that?

“No.”

“Have you seen or do you use sexually explicit material?”

“Do you mean magazines or videos?”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Well not personally, although he had looked at some professionally.

“Have you ever used a prostitute?”

“No.”

“Have you done any sexual acts that would leave you open to blackmail?”

“No.”

Best not to ask for an example and just go with ‘no’.

“Are any of your sexual partners communist sympathisers to your knowledge?”

“None, to my knowledge. But I also have had no political discussions with any of them.”

“Have you had any homosexual experiences.”

Andrew told himself to remain calm. He could sense the question coming.

“No.”

“Do you know any homosexuals.”

Here it was.

“Yes.”

“Presumed or you know for sure?”

“I know for sure.”

“Who are they? What is your relationship with them.”

“They are two of my oldest friends. They are a lesbian couple who I met when I was recovering from cancer.”

“You are close friends with them?”

“Yes. I photographed their commitment ceremony in.”

He had to stop and think.

“The summer of 1982. July I think.”

“Were there other homosexuals there?”

Andrew was practically chanting his inner mantra. Stay calm Andrew, stay calm.

“There were 80 or so guests at the ceremony. More than half were gay, men and women. So 50 or so.”

“Have you met any of them since then?”

“No, just my friends.”

“How close is your friendship?”

“I stay in their flat when I visit them in Glasgow and they stay with me when they are in Edinburgh.”

“Do you have any other homosexual friends or acquaintances?”

“Not to my knowledge, but it something that I do not care about and never ask about. It is nobody’s business but their own.”

“What would happen to your friends if their employers found out they were homosexual?”

“Nothing.”

“You are sure?”

“They live discreetly but openly as a couple. They have told me separately that both their employers know they are a lesbian couple. There is no issue.”

“If someone threatened to disclose their homosexuality, tell the tabloids, what would you do?”

“Support them.”

“What if someone required you to disclose something secret to stop such a tabloid attack. What would you do?”

“I would report the attempted blackmail to the appropriate security officer.”

“So you would not pass on secrets to protect your friends, potentially save their careers.”

“No.”

“Are you sure?”

“The two are not connected.”

“Would you no longer have contact with these people if it was a requirement to pass this vetting process?”

“These people are my friends. I will maintain contact with them, regardless of the consequences on this process.”

That was noted down by both of them.

“Would they be worried about their background becoming knowing given your potential job, the roles that this clearance allows?”

Andrew looked confused.

“Nobody knows about my job at the MoD Police and nobody knows I have a Secret security clearance other than my lawyer and accountant who I authorised to answer the questions two years ago and again last year. That you are conducting further checks is only known to my references. I have told everyone else that this is a job interview not a vetting interview.”