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of its own Labour Law to divert the HEC from establishing a trade union. The

Labour Law should aim, he said, to better manage the conditions of workers in

Bahrain and to enable the setting up of trade unions. 275

The HEC’s boycott of the Manama Municipality’s elections proved yet another

successful undertaking. From the twelve elected seats, of a total of twenty-four, as

the other twelve were to be appointed by the Ruler, none ran for the elections. 276

The alarming success of the boycott was based on the Party’s tactics of denouncing

those who wished to run as traitors. The event further boosted the Party’s

egomania as it now seemed virtually invincible.

Following the election debacle, Gault conducted a private meeting on 17

February with the Adviser in which he rebuked him over certain policies his

Administration exercised that had played its part in the recent political congestion.

Gault said that the Ruler should undertake further reforms in order to appease the

HEC. He pointed to the unsatisfactory and inadequate condition of the police. The

Agent felt that the abysmal state of the public security forces might bring about

direct British intervention with troops on the ground if a major disturbance

occurred, a situation he wished to avoid at all costs. Gault criticised Belgrave over

the closure of the two publications, Sawut Al-Bahrain and Al-Qafilah, as this was

seen as being in conflict with Western principles of press freedom. The Agent also

outlined to Belgrave his views that several government departments were in need of

275 TNA, FO 371/120540, Burrows, the Resident’s Annual Report for the Year 1955.
276 ‘Bernard Burrows, Residency’s Monthly Report for March 1955’, 1-4 (2).

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