The U.K. government has announced that Chloe Squires has been appointed as the new Director General for Homeland Security at the Home Office and Senior Responsible Officer for Counter Terrorism, replacing Tom Hurd who stepped down last month.
Squires, who took up the role on April 1, has been with the Home Office since 2019 and has spent over a decade working across the national security community. Most recently she was Director of National Security in the Home Office (from May 2019) and led on a range of national security issues including aspects of counterterrorism, the domestic response to hostile state activity, implementation of the U.K.’s Investigatory Powers Act and associated oversight mechanisms, the operational relationship with MI5 and the use of national security related immigration and disruption powers. Before joining the Home Office, Squires was Director of Strategy at the National Cyber Security Centre.
After graduating with a degree in History from Oxford University, Squires joined the U.K. Civil Service Fast Stream. She has spent most of her career working in the national security sphere on both domestic and international issues. Amongst other areas she has led on NATO, national security legislation and compliance and crisis management. Cybersecurity has been a theme throughout her career, having jointly authored the U.K.’s first Cyber Security Strategy.
Home Secretary Priti Patel said: “The number one priority of government is to keep people safe, and Chloe’s wealth of experience working in national security will be invaluable to this mission. I look forward to continuing to work closely with her to tackle terrorism and safeguard our country from hostile threats and I want to thank Tom for his excellent work leading the Office for Security and Counter Terrorism since 2016.”
Commenting on her appointment, Chloe Squires said: “I’m thrilled to have been offered the role at this exciting time for the mission. I look forward to working with my brilliant colleagues across the Home Office and its partners to help deliver the government’s vital agenda in this area.”
Squires’ appointment also highlights a shift in language. The British government has rarely used the term “homeland” but while Hurd was the Director General of the Office for Security and Counter Terrorism, Squires is named Director General for Homeland Security at the Home Office.
