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{{Short description|Alleged coup plot in the United Kingdom}}
{{original research|date=May 2011}}
{{original research|date=May 2011}}


'''''Clockwork Orange''''' is the name of the secret [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Security agency|security services]] project which was alleged to have involved a [[right-wing]] [[smear campaign]] against British [[politicians]] from 1974 to 1975.<ref>Thomas, Rosamund M. (1991). ''Espionage and Secrecy: The Official Secret Acts 1911-1989 of the United Kingdom''. p. 148. {{ISBN|0415040671}}</ref> The [[black propaganda]] led Prime Minister [[Harold Wilson]] to fear that the security services were preparing a ''[[coup d'état]]''.<ref>O'Malley, Brendan and Craig, Ian (2001). ''The Cyprus Conspiracy: America, Espionage and the Turkish Invasion''. [[I.B. Tauris]], p. 149. {{ISBN|1860647375}}</ref> The operation takes its name from ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]'', a 1971 [[Stanley Kubrick]] film based on an [[Anthony Burgess]] [[A Clockwork Orange (novel)|novel of the same name]].
'''Clockwork Orange''' was a secret [[United Kingdom|British]] [[Security agency|security services]] project alleged to have involved a [[right-wing]] [[smear campaign]] against British [[politicians]] from 1974 to 1975.<ref>Thomas, Rosamund M. (1991). ''Espionage and Secrecy: The Official Secret Acts 1911–1989 of the United Kingdom''. p. 148. {{ISBN|0415040671}}</ref> The [[black propaganda]] led Prime Minister [[Harold Wilson]] to fear that the security services were preparing a ''[[coup d'état]]''.<ref>O'Malley, Brendan and Craig, Ian (2001). ''The Cyprus Conspiracy: America, Espionage and the Turkish Invasion''. [[I.B. Tauris]], p. 149. {{ISBN|1860647375}}</ref> The operation takes its name from ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]'', a 1971 [[Stanley Kubrick]] film based on [[Anthony Burgess]]' 1962 [[A Clockwork Orange (novel)|novel of the same name]].


== Project ==
The project was undertaken by members of the British [[intelligence service]]s and the [[British Army]] press office in [[Northern Ireland]], whose job also included routine [[public relations]] work and placing [[disinformation]] stories in the press as part of a [[psychological warfare]] operation against the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]].
The project was undertaken by members of the British [[British intelligence community|intelligence services]] and the [[British Army]] press office in [[Northern Ireland]], whose job also included routine [[public relations]] work and placing [[disinformation]] stories in the press as part of a [[psychological warfare]] operation against the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]].
⚫
One of the project's members, [[Colin Wallace]], who was the press officer at the Army Headquarters in Northern Ireland, also claims that in 1973, after [[MI5]] became the primary [[Intelligence (information gathering)|intelligence]] service in Northern Ireland, the project began giving briefings to foreign journalists against members of Wilson's government. These briefings included distributing forged documents in an attempt to show that the victims were [[communist]]s or [[Irish republican]] sympathisers leading a campaign to destabilise Northern Ireland<ref>Steiner Verlag, Franz (2006). ''Conspiracy Encyclopedia''. Thom Burnett, pp. 158-159. {{ISBN|1843403811}}</ref> or were taking bribes.


⚫
One of the project's members, [[Colin Wallace]], who was the press officer at the [[Army Headquarters in Northern Ireland]], also claims that in 1973, after [[MI5]] became the primary intelligence service in Northern Ireland, the project began giving briefings to foreign journalists against members of Wilson's government. These briefings included distributing forged documents in an attempt to show that the subjects of the briefings were [[communist]]s or [[Irish republicanism|Irish republican]] sympathisers leading a campaign to destabilise Northern Ireland<ref>Steiner Verlag, Franz (2006). ''Conspiracy Encyclopedia''. Thom Burnett, pp. 158–159. {{ISBN|1843403811}}</ref> or were taking bribes.
⚫
After his resignation, Prime Minister Harold Wilson claimed that he was the target of a planned military coup. He also denounced a campaign to smear him staged by members of MI5 in order to force his resignation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last = Wheeler | first = Brian | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Wilson 'plot': The secret tapes | work = |publisher = BBC News | date = 9 March 2006 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4789060.stm | format =| doi = | accessdate = }}</ref><ref>Simon, Tomlin (2009). ''Sons of Soldiers''. p. 177. {{ISBN|1427641951}}</ref> According to journalist Barry Penrose "Wilson spoke darkly of two military coups which he said had been planned to overthrow his government in the late 1960s and in the mid 1970s."<ref name=":0" />


⚫
After his resignation, Wilson claimed that he was the target of a planned military coup. He also denounced a campaign to smear him staged by members of MI5 in order to force his resignation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last = Wheeler | first = Brian | title = Wilson 'plot': The secret tapes |work = BBC News | date = 9 March 2006 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4789060.stm }}</ref><ref>Simon, Tomlin (2009). ''Sons of Soldiers''. p. 177. {{ISBN|1427641951}}</ref> According to journalist Barry Penrose, Wilson "spoke darkly of two military coups which he said had been planned to overthrow his government in the late 1960s and in the mid 1970s."<ref name=":0" />
⚫
In January 1974 the British Army carried out [[Operation Marmion (1974)|Operation Marmion]], the occupation of [[London Heathrow Airport]] on the grounds of training for possible [[violent non-state actor]] activity at the terminal,<ref name=":1" /> without Wilson's foreknowledge.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2006/mar/15/comment.labour1|title = Enough of this cover-up: the Wilson plot was our Watergate|date = 15 March 2006|accessdate = 2 April 2015|website = |publisher = [[The Guardian]]|last = Freedland|first = Jonathan}}</ref> The operation was repeated on three more occasions in June, July and September. These military deployments were perceived as a practice-run for a military takeover rather than an anti-terrorist exercise.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url = http://strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pdffiles/PUB1066.pdf|title = The Military's Role in Counterterrorism: Examples and Implications for Liberal Democracies|last = Hughes|first = Geraint|publisher = Strategic Studies Institute|year = 2011|isbn = 1584874899|location = |pages = 91 |format=pdf}}</ref>


⚫
In January 1974, the British Army carried out [[Operation Marmion (1974)|Operation Marmion]], the occupation of London's [[Heathrow Airport]] on the grounds of training for possible [[violent non-state actor]] activity at the terminal,<ref name=":1" /> without Wilson's foreknowledge.<ref>{{Cite web|url = https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2006/mar/15/comment.labour1|title = Enough of this cover-up: the Wilson plot was our Watergate|date = 15 March 2006|access-date = 2 April 2015|work = [[The Guardian]]|last = Freedland|first = Jonathan}}</ref> The operation was repeated on three more occasions in June, July and September. These military deployments were perceived by many in the left as a practice run for a military takeover rather than an anti-terrorist exercise.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Hughes|first=Geraint|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y46dVkCuot0C&q=%22january+1974%2C+troops%22&pg=PA91|title=The Military's Role in Counterterrorism: Examples and Implications for Liberal Democracies|publisher=Strategic Studies Institute|year=2011|isbn=978-1584874898|pages=91}}</ref>
⚫
[[Airey Neave]], the Conservative [[Member of Parliament]] (MP) was alleged to have been involved with Clockwork Orange, and to have briefed Wallace on a number of occasions.<ref>Norton-Taylor, Richard (1990). ''In Defence of the Realm?: The Case for Accountable Security Services''. Routledge, p. 93. {{ISBN|0900137312}}</ref>


⚫
[[Airey Neave]], a [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] [[Member of Parliament]], was alleged to have been involved with Clockwork Orange, and to have briefed Wallace on a number of occasions.<ref>Norton-Taylor, Richard (1990). ''In Defence of the Realm?: The Case for Accountable Security Services''. Routledge, p. 93. {{ISBN|0900137312}}</ref>
Other than Wallace's testimony, the primary evidence for the existence of this plot consisted of a series of handwritten notes taken by Wallace in meetings with other members of the plot.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}} Journalists investigating Wallace's story had these notes analysed by a [[forensic]] scientist, and the results were found to be consistent with the notes having been taken contemporaneously.{{citation needed|date=June 2017}}


In the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]], on 30 January 1990, junior [[defence minister]] [[Archie Hamilton, Baron Hamilton of Epsom|Archie Hamilton]], admitted the existence of a project called Clockwork Orange, although he claimed that there was no evidence that this project involved a smear campaign against politicians.<ref>[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm198990/cmhansrd/1990-01-30/Writtens-2.html#Writtens-2_sbhd19 Hansard, 30 January 1990, Column 108]</ref>
In the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]], on 30 January 1990, junior [[defence minister]] [[Archie Hamilton, Baron Hamilton of Epsom|Archie Hamilton]] admitted the existence of a proposed project called ''Clockwork Orange'', although he went on to say that the project was never approved for operation and that there was no evidence that the proposed project involved a smear campaign against politicians.<ref>[https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm198990/cmhansrd/1990-01-30/Writtens-2.html#Writtens-2_sbhd19 Hansard, 30 January 1990, Column 108]</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
*[[Paul Foot (journalist)|Paul Foot]], ''Who framed Colin Wallace?'' (1989)
*[[Paul Foot (journalist)|Paul Foot]], ''Who framed Colin Wallace?'' (1989)
*[[Peter Wright]], ''[[Spycatcher]]'' (1987)
*[[Peter Wright (MI5 officer)|Peter Wright]], ''[[Spycatcher]]'' (1987)
*[[Hidden Agenda (1990 film)|''Hidden Agenda'']] (1990) - A [[Ken Loach]] film in which a similar plot by a "a secret right-wing group" against Harold Wilson is described.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ebert |first=Roger |title=Hidden Agenda movie review & film summary (1991) {{!}} Roger Ebert |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hidden-agenda-1991 |access-date=2021-08-12 |website=www.rogerebert.com/ |language=en}}</ref>


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}


{{Disinformation}}
{{Harold Wilson}}
{{Harold Wilson}}


[[Category:1970s coups d'état and coup attempts]]
[[Category:1970s coups d'état and coup attempts]]
[[Category:1970s in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1974 in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Attempted coups]]
[[Category:1975 in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1974 in military history]]
[[Category:1975 in military history]]
[[Category:20th-century history of the British Army]]
[[Category:Attempted coups d'état in Europe]]
[[Category:Black propaganda]]
[[Category:Black propaganda]]
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[[Category:Conspiracy theories]]
[[Category:Disinformation operations]]
[[Category:Political history of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Political history of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Propaganda in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Propaganda in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:United Kingdom intelligence operations]]
[[Category:United Kingdom intelligence operations]]
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[[Category:Harold Wilson]]

Latest revision as of 14:33, 18 May 2024

Clockwork Orange was a secret British security services project alleged to have involved a right-wing smear campaign against British politicians from 1974 to 1975.[1] The black propaganda led Prime Minister Harold Wilson to fear that the security services were preparing a coup d'état.[2] The operation takes its name from A Clockwork Orange, a 1971 Stanley Kubrick film based on Anthony Burgess' 1962 novel of the same name.

Project

[edit]

The project was undertaken by members of the British intelligence services and the British Army press office in Northern Ireland, whose job also included routine public relations work and placing disinformation stories in the press as part of a psychological warfare operation against the Provisional Irish Republican Army.

One of the project's members, Colin Wallace, who was the press officer at the Army Headquarters in Northern Ireland, also claims that in 1973, after MI5 became the primary intelligence service in Northern Ireland, the project began giving briefings to foreign journalists against members of Wilson's government. These briefings included distributing forged documents in an attempt to show that the subjects of the briefings were communists or Irish republican sympathisers leading a campaign to destabilise Northern Ireland[3] or were taking bribes.

After his resignation, Wilson claimed that he was the target of a planned military coup. He also denounced a campaign to smear him staged by members of MI5 in order to force his resignation.[4][5] According to journalist Barry Penrose, Wilson "spoke darkly of two military coups which he said had been planned to overthrow his government in the late 1960s and in the mid 1970s."[4]

In January 1974, the British Army carried out Operation Marmion, the occupation of London's Heathrow Airport on the grounds of training for possible violent non-state actor activity at the terminal,[6] without Wilson's foreknowledge.[7] The operation was repeated on three more occasions in June, July and September. These military deployments were perceived by many in the left as a practice run for a military takeover rather than an anti-terrorist exercise.[6]

Airey Neave, a Conservative Member of Parliament, was alleged to have been involved with Clockwork Orange, and to have briefed Wallace on a number of occasions.[8]

In the House of Commons, on 30 January 1990, junior defence minister Archie Hamilton admitted the existence of a proposed project called Clockwork Orange, although he went on to say that the project was never approved for operation and that there was no evidence that the proposed project involved a smear campaign against politicians.[9]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Thomas, Rosamund M. (1991). Espionage and Secrecy: The Official Secret Acts 1911–1989 of the United Kingdom. p. 148. ISBN 0415040671
  2. ^ O'Malley, Brendan and Craig, Ian (2001). The Cyprus Conspiracy: America, Espionage and the Turkish Invasion. I.B. Tauris, p. 149. ISBN 1860647375
  3. ^ Steiner Verlag, Franz (2006). Conspiracy Encyclopedia. Thom Burnett, pp. 158–159. ISBN 1843403811
  4. ^ a b Wheeler, Brian (9 March 2006). "Wilson 'plot': The secret tapes". BBC News.
  5. ^ Simon, Tomlin (2009). Sons of Soldiers. p. 177. ISBN 1427641951
  6. ^ a b Hughes, Geraint (2011). The Military's Role in Counterterrorism: Examples and Implications for Liberal Democracies. Strategic Studies Institute. p. 91. ISBN 978-1584874898.
  7. ^ Freedland, Jonathan (15 March 2006). "Enough of this cover-up: the Wilson plot was our Watergate". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  8. ^ Norton-Taylor, Richard (1990). In Defence of the Realm?: The Case for Accountable Security Services. Routledge, p. 93. ISBN 0900137312
  9. ^ Hansard, 30 January 1990, Column 108
  10. ^ Ebert, Roger. "Hidden Agenda movie review & film summary (1991) | Roger Ebert". www.rogerebert.com/. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
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