Andrew Parker, Baron Parker of Minsmere

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The Right Honourable

The Lord Parker of Minsmere

GCVO KCB PC
Lord Chamberlain of the Household
Assumed office
1 April 2021
MonarchElizabeth II
Preceded byThe Earl Peel
Member of the House of Lords
Lord Temporal
Assumed office
9 February 2021
Life peerage
Director General of MI5
In office
2013–2020
MonarchElizabeth II
Prime MinisterDavid Cameron
Theresa May
Boris Johnson
Personal details
Born1962 (age 58–59)
NationalityBritish
Political partyCrossbencher
Children2
Alma materChurchill College, Cambridge
OccupationLord Chamberlain
AwardsCoronet of a British Baron.svg Life peer

Andrew David Parker, Baron Parker of Minsmere, GCVO KCB PC (born 1962) is a former British intelligence officer who served as Director General of MI5 from 2013 to 2020. He has been serving as Lord Chamberlain of the Household since 1 April 2021.

Biography[]

Parker was educated at Churchill College, Cambridge where he studied natural sciences.[1] He joined the Security Service in 1983.[2] He was seconded to HM Customs and Excise as Director Intelligence in 1999 before becoming Director, International Terrorism at the Security Service in February 2005.[3] After leading the Security Service's response to the 7 July 2005 London bombings and the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot, he became Deputy Director General in 2007.[2]

Parker went on to become Director General of the Service in April 2013. As of 2015, Parker was paid a salary of between £165,000 and £169,999 by the department, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.[4]

In May 2018 Parker said that Russia is seeking to undermine European democracies with "malign activities". Speaking in Berlin, Parker also condemned Russia for the "reckless" poisoning of the Skripals in Salisbury. Russia has denied involvement in the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. Parker also warned Islamic State aspires to commit "devastating" and "more complex" attacks in Europe. Parker said the Kremlin was taking part in "deliberate, targeted, malign activity intended to undermine our free, open and democratic societies".[5]

In 2019 Parker, writing with Cressida Dick, the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, suggested that far-right and far-left terrorism have been identified as key threats to the safety and prosperity of the nation. They warned that while Islamist terrorism remains the largest by scale, they are also “concerned about the growing threat from other forms of violent extremism … covering a spectrum of hate-driven ideologies, including the extreme right and left.”[6]

In December 2020 it was announced that Parker would be created a crossbench life peer in the 2020 Political Peerages.[7] He was created Baron Parker of Minsmere, of Minsmere in the County of Suffolk on 29 January 2021. The territorial designation reflects his interest in bird watching.[8]

Parker retired from MI5 in April 2020.[9][10] On 5 February 2021, Buckingham Palace announced that Lord Parker of Minsmere would succeed Earl Peel as Lord Chamberlain on 1 April 2021.[11]

Honours[]

Parker was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in the 2019 Birthday Honours.[12] He was given his Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order upon taking up the role of Lord Chamberlain.[13][14]

Parker was appointed a Member of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom on 28 April 2021.[15]

References[]

  1. ^ Sengupta, Kim (28 March 2013). "Meet the real-life spymaster: Andrew Parker announced as new director general of MI5". The Independent. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b "Andrew Parker named as new head of MI5". BBC News. 28 March 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2013.
  3. ^ "Director General". MI5. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
  4. ^ "Senior officials 'high earners' salaries as at 30 September 2015". gov.uk. 17 December 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2016.
  5. ^ "MI5 chief: Russia trying to undermine European democracies". BBC News. 14 May 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  6. ^ Jacobson, Seth (29 March 2019). "Far-right terrorism threat is growing, say MI5 and police chiefs of the nation". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Political Peerages 2020". GOV.UK. 22 December 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2020.
  8. ^ "So who is the Queen's new Lord Chamberlain?". The Telegraph. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 7 February 2021.
  9. ^ "Appointment of the new Director General of the Security Service". www.GOV.uk. GOV.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  10. ^ "Ken McCallum appointed new MI5 boss". www.BBC.co.uk. BBC News. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2020.
  11. ^ "Lord Parker of Minsmere KCB appointed as Lord Chamberlain". The Royal Family. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 6 February 2021.
  12. ^ "No. 62666". The London Gazette (Supplement). 8 June 2019. p. B3.
  13. ^ "The Queen Performed Her First Royal Duty Since the Death of Prince Philip". Marieclaire. 14 April 2021. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  14. ^ "The Queen appoints new Lord Chamberlain ahead of Prince Philip's funeral". BBC. 15 April 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2021.
  15. ^ "Orders approved and business transacted at the Privy Council held by the Queen at Windsor Castle on 28 April 2021" (PDF).
Government offices
Preceded by
Sir Jonathan Evans 		Director General of MI5
2013 – 2020 		Succeeded by
Ken McCallum
Court offices
Preceded by
The Earl Peel 		Lord Chamberlain
1 April 2021 – present 		Incumbent
Order of precedence in England and Wales
Preceded by
The Earl of Dalhousie
as Lord Steward
of the Household 		Gentlemen
Lord Chamberlain
of the Household 		Succeeded by
The Lord de Mauley
as Master of the Horse
Retrieved from ""