In the time of instant constant news, the release of old papers still has some power. The obvious febrilenesss caused by Spycatcher, one of those much more bought than read books, was evident at the time. Now it seems quaint.
There is an element of the emperor's new clothes about the belief that our security services are filled with George Smiley's able to see a pragmatic but vituous path. Given the effect pf Philby, Burgess, McLean, and Blunt, and events in Northern Ireland, I think the public had a rather more realistic view than Thatcher credited them with.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67835095