w ent ▁M I 5 ▁inter rog ation ▁aim ed ▁at ▁as certain ing ▁whether ▁he ▁had ▁acted ▁as ▁a ▁" third ▁man " ▁in ▁Burg ess ▁and ▁Mac lean ' s ▁sp y ▁ring . ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 5 1 , ▁he ▁res igned ▁from ▁M I 6 , ▁pre empt ing ▁his ▁all - but - ine v itable ▁dismiss al . ▁ ▁Even ▁after ▁Phil by ' s ▁departure ▁from ▁M I 6 , ▁spec ulation ▁regarding ▁his ▁possible ▁Soviet ▁affili ations ▁continued . ▁Inter rog ated ▁repeatedly ▁regarding ▁his ▁intelligence ▁work ▁and ▁his ▁connection ▁with ▁Burg ess , ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁den y ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁acted ▁as ▁a ▁Soviet ▁agent . ▁From ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁Phil by ▁strugg led ▁to ▁find ▁work ▁as ▁a ▁journalist , ▁eventually ▁– ▁in ▁August ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁– ▁accepting ▁a ▁position ▁with ▁a ▁diplom atic ▁news letter ▁called ▁the ▁Fle et ▁Street ▁Let ter . ▁L ack ing ▁access ▁to ▁material ▁of ▁value ▁and ▁out ▁of ▁touch ▁with ▁Soviet ▁intelligence , ▁he ▁all ▁but ▁ceased ▁to ▁operate ▁as ▁a ▁Soviet ▁agent . ▁ ▁On ▁ 7 ▁November ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁Phil by ▁was ▁officially ▁cleared ▁by ▁Foreign ▁Secretary ▁Harold ▁Mac mill an , ▁who ▁told ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Commons , ▁" I ▁have ▁no ▁reason ▁to ▁conclude ▁that ▁Mr . ▁Phil by ▁has ▁at ▁any ▁time ▁bet rayed ▁the ▁interests ▁of ▁his ▁country , ▁or ▁to ▁identify ▁him ▁with ▁the ▁so -