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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
National

Why MI6 chief is C and uses green ink

Blaise Metreweli, the new head of MI6.
Blaise Metreweli, the new head of MI6. Photograph: MI6

Your report (Blaise Metreweli named as first woman to lead UK intelligence service MI6, 15 June) said “the head of MI6 is known internally as C – short for chief”. C is not short for chief. The first head of MI6 was Sir Mansfield Cumming, who always signed his letters “C” in green ink. It has been a tradition since to call the head of service C and for them to use green ink.
Roger Holles
Leeds

• One Christmas our son bought my husband a Donald Trump lavatory brush. Although it’s not official merchandise (Why is there a Maga-branded Instant Pot? Because capitalism never sleeps, 18 June), over the years it has given us immense satisfaction plunging the orange head into the depths in order to Make the Bowl Great Again.
Brenda Edwards
Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria

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