Ian B Beesley

Ian Beesley is the Official Historian of the Cabinet Secretaries and is currently writing about the period 1945-2002 covering the tenure of Norman Brook, Burke Trend, John Hunt, Robert Armstrong, Robin Butler and Richard Wilson. After 22 years in the Civil Service (Cabinet Office, HM Treasury and Downing Street) he was, for 16 years a consulting partner with PwC. He is currently chairman of the Postcode Address File Advisory Board.

Margaret Thatcher and the Joint Intelligence Committee

Ian B Beesley and Dr Michael S Goodman, 1 October 2012 - Civil service, Defence and conflict, No 10 guest historian series, Prime Ministers and No. 10

Soon after taking office a new Prime Minister receives special briefings from the Cabinet Secretary. One is on the ‘letters of last resort’, which give instructions to the commander of the British submarine on patrol with the nuclear deterrent, in the …

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