In the real version of the United Kingdom, 007 might be queuing for petrol in his gleaming Aston Martin
It’s no time to die for James Bond, which is a relief, because Britain’s best-known secret agent has plenty of work to do. There are the well-worn problems of tackling Ernst Stavro Blofeld, one explosion at a time, and the not inconsiderable task of reviving Britain’s pandemic-hit cinema industry, one increasingly expensive ticket at a time. But all this pales somewhat against what might be Bond’s true purpose: as a not very secret weapon in the struggle to assert Britain’s place as a cultural superpower.
Some parts of the British state claim to have an ambivalent relationship to 007, not least the real-life version of his employer, MI6. They complain that Bond’s shoot first, cause a diplomatic crisis later approach is hardly a realistic advert for the undramatic work of intelligence – especially when it comes to pay and expenses. “You won’t find any Aston Martins in the staff car park,” a Whitehall insider tetchily said. Despite recent and necessary efforts to bring the franchise more in line with some modern concerns, the films are not considered an advert for the diverse workforce MI6 needs to attract.
