Clockwork Orange (plot)
Encyclopedia
Clockwork Orange is the name of the secret British security services
project which was alleged to have involved a right-wing smear campaign
against British
politicians in the 1970s.
The project was undertaken by members of the British intelligence services and the British Army
press office in Northern Ireland, whose job also included routine public relations
work and placing disinformation
stories in the press, as part of a psychological warfare
operation against paramilitary
groups in Northern Ireland.
One of the project's members, Colin Wallace
, who was the press officer at the Army Headquarters in Northern Ireland, also claims that in 1973, after MI5
became the primary intelligence
service in Northern Ireland, the project began giving briefings to foreign journalists against politicians. These briefings included distributing forged documents in an attempt to show that the victims were communists, or Irish Republican sympathisers or were taking bribes.
Politicians alleged to have been smeared in this manner include Harold Wilson
, Ian Paisley
(Democratic Unionist Party), Merlyn Rees, Tony Benn
and Edward Heath
(Conservative).
Airey Neave
, the British Conservative
Member of Parliament
(MP) was alleged to have been involved with 'Clockwork Orange', and to have briefed Wallace on a number of occasions.
Other than Wallace's testimony, the primary evidence for the existence of this plot consisted of a series of handwritten notes taken by Wallace in meetings with other members of the plot. Journalists investigating Wallace's story had these notes analysed by a forensic scientist, and the results were found to be consistent with the notes having been taken contemporaneously.
In the House of Commons
, on the 31 January 1990, junior defence minister
Archie Hamilton
, admitted the existence of a project called 'Clockwork Orange', although he claimed that there was no evidence that this project involved a smear campaign against politicians.
Security agency
A security agency is a governmental organization which conducts intelligence activities for the internal security of a nation. They are the domestic cousins of foreign intelligence agencies...
project which was alleged to have involved a right-wing smear campaign
Smear campaign
A smear campaign, smear tactic or simply smear is a metaphor for activity that can harm an individual or group's reputation by conflation with a stigmatized group...
against British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
politicians in the 1970s.
The project was undertaken by members of the British intelligence services and the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
press office in Northern Ireland, whose job also included routine public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
work and placing disinformation
Disinformation
Disinformation is intentionally false or inaccurate information that is spread deliberately. For this reason, it is synonymous with and sometimes called black propaganda. It is an act of deception and false statements to convince someone of untruth...
stories in the press, as part of a psychological warfare
Psychological warfare
Psychological warfare , or the basic aspects of modern psychological operations , have been known by many other names or terms, including Psy Ops, Political Warfare, “Hearts and Minds,” and Propaganda...
operation against paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
groups in Northern Ireland.
One of the project's members, Colin Wallace
Colin Wallace
John Colin Wallace is a former British soldier and psychological warfare operative who was one of the members of the 'Clockwork Orange' project, which is alleged to have been an attempt to smear a number of British politicians in the early 1970s.-Early life:...
, who was the press officer at the Army Headquarters in Northern Ireland, also claims that in 1973, after MI5
MI5
The Security Service, commonly known as MI5 , is the United Kingdom's internal counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its core intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service focused on foreign threats, Government Communications Headquarters and the Defence...
became the primary intelligence
Intelligence (information gathering)
Intelligence assessment is the development of forecasts of behaviour or recommended courses of action to the leadership of an organization, based on a wide range of available information sources both overt and covert. Assessments are developed in response to requirements declared by the leadership...
service in Northern Ireland, the project began giving briefings to foreign journalists against politicians. These briefings included distributing forged documents in an attempt to show that the victims were communists, or Irish Republican sympathisers or were taking bribes.
Politicians alleged to have been smeared in this manner include Harold Wilson
Harold Wilson
James Harold Wilson, Baron Wilson of Rievaulx, KG, OBE, FRS, FSS, PC was a British Labour Member of Parliament, Leader of the Labour Party. He was twice Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the 1960s and 1970s, winning four general elections, including a minority government after the...
, Ian Paisley
Ian Paisley
Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, PC is a politician and church minister in Northern Ireland. As the leader of the Democratic Unionist Party , he and Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness were elected First Minister and deputy First Minister respectively on 8 May 2007.In addition to co-founding...
(Democratic Unionist Party), Merlyn Rees, Tony Benn
Tony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
and Edward Heath
Edward Heath
Sir Edward Richard George "Ted" Heath, KG, MBE, PC was a British Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and as Leader of the Conservative Party ....
(Conservative).
Airey Neave
Airey Neave
Airey Middleton Sheffield Neave DSO, OBE, MC was a British soldier, barrister and politician.During World War II, Neave was one of the few servicemen to escape from the German prisoner-of-war camp Oflag IV-C at Colditz Castle...
, the British Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) was alleged to have been involved with 'Clockwork Orange', and to have briefed Wallace on a number of occasions.
Other than Wallace's testimony, the primary evidence for the existence of this plot consisted of a series of handwritten notes taken by Wallace in meetings with other members of the plot. Journalists investigating Wallace's story had these notes analysed by a forensic scientist, and the results were found to be consistent with the notes having been taken contemporaneously.
In the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...
, on the 31 January 1990, junior defence minister
Defence minister
A defence minister is a person in a cabinet position in charge of a Ministry of Defence, which regulates the armed forces in some sovereign nations...
Archie Hamilton
Archie Hamilton, Baron Hamilton of Epsom
Archibald Gavin Hamilton, Baron Hamilton of Epsom, PC is a British Conservative Party politician.-Background and education:...
, admitted the existence of a project called 'Clockwork Orange', although he claimed that there was no evidence that this project involved a smear campaign against politicians.
External links
- Archie Hamilton's answers in the House of Commons, Hansard, 31 January 1990, Column 108