If you thought that the end of the Cold War was ever likely to put the world’s spies out of business, you’d be wrong – that’s one message of a new book just published and co-authored by Muswell Hill Lib Dem councillor Jonathan Bloch.

Jonathan Bloch’s book, written with Paul Todd, Global Intelligence – The World Secret Services Today, explains how the war on terrorism provides a new working context in which the world’s intelligence agencies can operate.

The book represents a second book in a colourful publishing career for the Muswell Hill councillor. In 1984, his British Intelligence and Covert Action caused a national political storm, as the then Tory government was so annoyed by the book that the Home Secretary refused permanent residency to Jonathan, who was then a political refugee.

Jonathan Bloch comments:

“I wanted to write a book that looks at how these intelligence agencies have found new roles for themselves. We now face a large and unsolved, contradiction between protecting the liberties of individuals, and a growing world of secret and unaccountable agencies. This contradiction is one which we will all have to address.”