Is David Shayler a public-spirited whistleblower exposing malpractice in the shadowy world of Britains secret services?
Or is he a traitor putting national security at risk by his embarrassing revelations? Should he be made to pay for his lack of discretion in the courts or allowed to return home from exile in Paris? Would you risk becoming a fugitive to expose something you believed was wrong, or is loyalty to your country more important? This Talking Point is closed. You can read a selection of your comments below. David Shayler writes to Talking Point to have his say on the debate: Could I contribute this debate by saying that I am a patriot? I tried to change MI5 from within but it was impossible because MI5 management were faceless bureaucrats who had no idea about serving the public who pay their wages. I finally did what I did because I love my country. Criticising the intelligence services does not make me a traitor or an enemy of this country. Those who imply it does seem to think that Britain (and England – the country rather than the state I belong to) consists only of its intelligence servic
