Head of Government’s spy agency to step down in summer

The boss of one of Gloucestershire’s biggest employers has announced he is to step down later this year.

Sir Jeremy Fleming the head of GCHQ in Cheltenham announced he is leaving his role over the weekend.

Sir Jeremy has been director of Government Communications Headquarters since April 2017.

He will continue to lead and oversee work at the agency but will leave his post in the summer.

Sir Jeremy had to deal with the Salisbury nerve agent attack and the potential involvement of Huawei in the UK’s 5G network during his time in charge.

A statement from GCHQ said: “Sir Jeremy Fleming, director GCQH, has today announced his decision to step down at the end of his tenure later this year.

“In line with normal practice, there will be an internal civil service competition to identify a successor.

“Sir Jeremy and the board will continue to lead and oversee work at GCHQ unil the summer.”

The agency is one of the most sophisticated organisations of its type in the world and it employs more than 7,000 staff.

Sir Jeremy is credited with leading “a significant period of growth” at the agency and also championing “a focus on diversity and inclusion”.

He joined MI5 in 1993 and won recognition for helping with the agency’s response to the terror attacks in July 2005.

He then led the service’s preparations ahead of the London 2012 Olympic Games before spending four years as deputy director general of MI5.