Scotland's 'Queen of spies', Baroness Meta Ramsay, a Glasgow-born former senior MI6 officer and Labour peer, has died aged 89.
Born in Glasgow in 1936 to a working-class family with Jewish and Church of Scotland roots, Baroness Ramsay was educated at Hutchesons' Grammar School and then Glasgow University, where she read a general degree, an MA covering the arts, languages, philosophy and at least one science.
She became a star of the university's debating society, where she became lifelong friends with John Smith, later leader of the Labour Party, and Donald Dewar, Scotland’s founding First Minister.
Labour MP Douglas Alexander paid tribute to the Baroness, citing the relationship with the future leaders. He said: "Meta was in Glasgow University Labour Club with John Smith, Donald Dewar & my parents. On graduating Meta joined the FCO - even her friends had no idea she was actually MI6. She was an extraordinary, pioneering woman - brave, patriotic & Labour to her core. May she rest in peace."
Ramsay became the first woman president of the then-Scottish Union of Students, shocking some misogynistic classmates, and quickly got a taste for the cut and thrust of politics. In an interview with The Herald in 2024, she said with a smile, “I suppose that’s where the rot began.”
Baroness Claire Fox of Buckley also paid tribute and referenced Neil Mackay's interview with Ramsay. She said, "So, so sad to hear that Baroness Meta Ramsay died this morning. I adored her, and she was so generous with many of us in the House of Lords - gracious, non-sectarian, fun. And of course, inspiring. I loved this interview with her below from a couple of years ago. She really will be missed."
After graduation, she moved into international student politics as a key member of the International Student Conference (ISC) during the Cold War.
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Her ISC tenure saw her first experience of confronting the Soviets, and she met student leaders around the world - some would go on to be presidents, others would be assassinated during the conflicts of the Cold War.
Ramsay remained tight-lipped about precisely how she ended up working for MI6, but she did say that “it was a natural progression” from international student politics to the Foreign Office, which she joined officially in 1968.
Her reasons for becoming a spy were that she “wanted to achieve something positive and helpful to the fight and the cause of democratic socialism.” Although she didn’t suffer any snobbery towards her working-class background, and the fact that she hadn’t gone to Oxbridge, she said that “The most serious problem was the fact I was a woman.”
Ramsay worked undercover for decades, unable to tell even close family her real job, telling them only that she was a Foreign Office civil servant. She rejected the perceived glamour of espionage, though, saying, “You’re just doing the best for your country.”
She was put forward for the House of Lords by Tony Blair in 1996, where she was government whip and got the foreign affairs portfolio. She later became Lords Deputy Speaker.
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Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar comended Ramsay in a tribute, saying she "dedicated her life to public service."
Sarwar said: "Deeply saddened to hear of the passing of my friend Meta Ramsay.
"From her work in the diplomatic service and intelligence community to decades of service in the House of Lords, she dedicated her life to public service and to Scotland.
"She brought that intellect and commitment to everything she did and will be missed.
"My thoughts are with all those who knew and loved her."
Ramsay's spying job came with personal sacrifices, and she never married, citing the difficulty of relationships in intelligence work. “There just wasn’t the right man at the right time,” she said in 2024, “or if the time was right, the men weren’t.”
There was also the small matter of explaining away “things that would seem very odd” to any husband. Such as? “Why all your nails are broken when you’re only supposed to have been in an office.”
An adamant supporter of the Iraq War, she unwaveringly supported the 2003 invasion and stated that she believed Saddam Hussein posed a continuing threat despite no confirmed WMD stockpiles. She told us that she was “one of the few around who still thinks Tony had to go in."
She did, however, express regret over the 1991 Gulf War aftermath, saying that “The one thing that makes me feel I’ve blood on my hands is what happened to the Shia.”
Despite her extraordinary career, Ramsay downplayed her role and maintained a lifelong commitment to secrecy and public service. Leaving our offices after the rare media interview, she said, “You have to try and live a normal life, don’t you?”
