Category:Nicholas Blake

Nicholas Blake MP is a fictional character in the British TV series Spooks, portrayed by British actor Robert Glenister. Blake is Home Secretary in the British government. He is regularly in contact with Harry Pearce, regarding National Security.

Series 5 and Series 6
He was introduced as part of the security council siding with then National Security Coordinator Juliet Shaw. He was opposed to the plans of a senior MI6 agent Michael Collingwood, Collingwood was leading a coup attempt and had a bomb planted in Blake's car. Blake survived the assassination attempt.

The Home Secretary was seen again at the beginning of Series 6 when he covertly ordered the Tehran train bomb, however he was acting of false intelligence provided by Bob Hogan. Soon after a biological virus released from the train infected a man named Mehan Asnik. The virus was brought back to the UK. MI5 stopped this and meanwhile the Home Secretary was in negotiation with the Russians over a solution.

He was then seen again later in the series when he ordered the false assassination of Section D to keep the team busy while his Policy Advisor, Jason Belling reassured Iranian Special Consul Bakshi about the team's death. Belling then convinced Bakshi about buying safe nuclear reactors which could not make nuclear bombs.

Series 7
Blake reappears in Series 7, Episode 3 when Section D are tracking an active Al-Qaeda cell that is planning an attack on crowded places in London, mostly markets. Blake at first refuses to raise the national threat level, stating that the British public need good news due to the housing and financial crisis. He is seen in the House of Commons, proposing a British Day as a national holiday. Harry Pearce reveals to Ros Myers that Blake is extremely patriotic and feels proud to be British. After the Al-Qaeda crisis is resolved, Blake meets with Sir Richard, Harry's new boss, Harry and Ros. Sir Richard attempts to scapegoat Ros but Ros states that she doesn't care about what people think of her. This seemingly impresses Blake, who agrees to raise the national threat level to Severe. Blake is last seen in the House of Commons again, thanking MI5 for stopping the attacks with no civilian casualities, albeit two SO19 officers being killed. He makes a resounding speech attacking Al Qaeda, being met with roaring approval from MP's.

He also appears being briefed by Harry and Ros in Episode 4 when Al-Qaeda's number three wanted to negotiate. He was forced to allow a pardon and release of two prisoners from Guantanamo Bay prison. He is last seen in that Episode watching the TV as a House of Commons restaurant is destroyed by Al-Qaeda, however the people inside had been evacuated by Section D and the explosion was staged.

Blake then returns in Episode 7, where he is informed that Harry Pearce has supposedly been passing secrets to the Russians. He enters the Grid and is briefed by Director-General, Sir Richard Dolby on Harry's supposed deception. Blake talks to Harry in the interrogation room and angrily tells him he will lose everything for his betrayal. When Harry is proved innocent by Lucas North and Ros Myers, Harry is released. Soon after, he and Blake meet and share a concillatory handshake; on Harry's recommendation, Blake awards Ben Kaplan a Distinguished Service Order (Kaplan died trying to stop the actual mole, analyst Connie James from escaping).

Finally in Episode 8, Blake is told by Harry of an imminent Russian nuclear threat with a suitcase bomb. With less than three hours until it goes off, Harry tells Blake to expect a phone call from either Harry or someone from Section D at 2:45pm. Blake was told that if he received the call, then he should evacuate Parliament, Buckingham Palace and Whitehall.

Blake received the phone call from Jo Portman at that time, after a brief conversation Jo ends the call. Blake then calls the Cabinet Office and says he is invoking Protocol Landslide, an emergency evacuation of the government and royal family to deep-level nuclear shelters. Seconds after Blake ends the call, alarms ring inside the Home Office for personnel to be evacuated. Blake is last seen, however, electing to remain at his desk, privately willing Harry to find the bomb in time.