Sir David Omand, the former head of the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), has publicly criticized the espionage novels of John le Carré, describing them as unrealistic portrayals of intelligence work. Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Omand contrasted le Carré’s depiction of intelligence services with that of earlier authors such as Somerset Maugham and Graham Greene, who he said provided more credible accounts based on their own intelligence backgrounds.

Omand argued that the pervasive mistrust and internal conflict depicted in le Carré’s novels would be detrimental to the functioning of a real intelligence agency. “Forget about le Carré,” he said, referring to the author’s work as purely entertaining rather than authentic. According to Omand, no agency could survive under the level of suspicion portrayed in le Carré’s stories.

These criticisms echo earlier remarks made by Sir Richard Dearlove, the former chief of MI6, who described le Carré’s work as “corrosive.” Speaking in 2019, Dearlove said the novels focused disproportionately on betrayal, suggesting a cynical view of intelligence organizations that rely fundamentally on trust among colleagues. Dearlove added that many professional intelligence officers were angered by le Carré’s portrayals and implied that the author’s negative perspective may have stemmed from personal experiences during his time in the service.

John le Carré, whose real name was David Cornwell, worked for MI5 and MI6 before establishing a celebrated literary career spanning several decades. His novels, including the well-known "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," drew inspiration from real intelligence events such as the Kim Philby betrayal. Despite the criticisms, le Carré argued that some senior intelligence figures respected his work. In a letter responding to Dearlove, he noted that Sir John Scarlett and Sir David Spedding, both former heads of MI6, had extended invitations for meetings and expressed appreciation for the way his books brought intelligence services into public view as complex and human institutions. Le Carré also cited Antony Duff, a former MI5 director-general and personal friend, who reportedly considered his novels “trash but harmless.”

Omand, who plans to release his own spy novel series beginning next year, praised Maugham’s "Ashenden: Or the British Agent" and Greene’s espionage-related writings as more realistic examples within the genre. However, he dismissed most contemporary espionage fiction, aside from those authors, as primarily entertainment rather than accurate reflections of intelligence work.