Overview

• For the first time, MI6's shortlist for its chief comprises three women, including two unnamed internal officers and UN ambassador Dame Barbara Woodward.
• Woodward, the most senior woman in the UK Foreign Service, is favored despite lacking intelligence experience and facing scrutiny over her past engagement with China.
• Critics highlight Woodward's perceived reluctance to confront Beijing's actions during her tenure as UK ambassador to China from 2015 to 2020.
• The decision will be made by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, advised by a high-level government panel including the Foreign Secretary and National Security Adviser.
• Outgoing MI6 chief Sir Richard Moore, who championed gender equality in the service, will step down in autumn 2025 after five years in the role.