Information Research Department

The Information Research Department, founded in 1948 by Christopher Mayhew MP, was a department of the British Foreign Office set up to counter Soviet propaganda and infiltration, particularly amongst the western labour movement.

The Soviet Union was fully aware of its existence as Guy Burgess had been posted to IRD for a period of two months in 1948 before being sacked by Mayhew for being "dirty, drunk and idle."

In a confidential paper to the foreign secretary, Ernest Bevin, in 1947, Mayhew, at the time a junior minister, had proposed a "propaganda counter-offensive" and Attlee summoned him to Chequers to discuss it further. Mayhew ran the department with Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick until 1950.

The original offices were in Carlton House Terrace, before moving to Riverwalk House, Millbank, London.

The first head of IRD was Ralph Murray, later a diplomat. John Rennie, who subsequently served as head of MI6, was head of the department between 1953 and 1958. The last head of the IRD was Ray Whitney, later a Conservative member of parliament and junior minister. IRD was staffed with many emigres, from Iron Curtain countries. IRD officials were ordered not to tell even other FO staff where they worked. IRD flourished in the 1950s. The staff of the Soviet section alone rose from 20 to more than 60. Embassies had resident IRD men under cover who planted material on local journalists – and opinion formers. Other staffers included Robert Conquest and his assistant Celia Kirwan, who was given Orwell's list.

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