20 February 2026
- 14:00 to 15:00
Talk
John Vassall: victim, spy, traitor, prisoner
Uncover the scandal that rocked the Macmillan government in the early 1960s, fuelling a national obsession with spy culture.
- Date
- 20 February 2026
- Location
- Online
About this image
Keystone Pictures USA-ZUMAPRESS.com-Mary Evans
In 1962, civil servant John Vassall was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment for espionage following an MI5 investigation and a trial at the Old Bailey. Vassall was homosexual, and while working as a clerk at the British Embassy in Moscow (1954-56), was caught in a KGB ‘honeytrap’. Vassall was blackmailed into passing secrets to the Soviet Union, and then started receiving payments for his efforts.
Using evidence from files released to The National Archives by MI5, contemporary records specialist, Mark Dunton, will piece together a portrait of John Vassall, focusing on his years in prison, the revelations from his many interviews with MI5 officers, his changing moods, his relations with famous fellow prisoners, and his awareness of a changing Britain outside the prison walls.
Event details
Dates for this event
How to join online
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Watch after the event
This talk will be available to watch after the event, using the same link you will receive to join it live. It will remain available for a limited period of 48 hours after the event has finished, unless otherwise stated.
