Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs visits GCHQ
It was with great pleasure that Director GCHQ, Robert Hannigan, welcomed the Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, on his first visit to GCHQ, the intelligence and security agency in Cheltenham.
The Foreign Secretary holds ministerial responsibility for GCHQ and was keen to make his first visit to the site following his appointment in the summer.
His visit began with a tour of our GCHQ museum, where he was able to see one of the first Enigma machines, the Zimmermann telegram and a list of early recruits that included Alan Turing, Max Newman, and Gordon Welchman. As Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs he then received a series of intelligence briefings, before finishing by addressing staff.
The Rt Hon Boris Johnson praised GCHQ for continuing as the heirs of the great Bletchley Park effort. He said:
"There are new frontiers in warfare today and you are on the frontline. I have been educated, inspired, but reassured by the incredible work you are doing. You can count on my unswerving support for what you do. Thank you very much for having me."
