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Muharraq Island (a predominantly Sunni community) had also shown an

unwillingness to accept any form of settlement. 577

The Residency updated the Ruler on 16 March regarding the recent

understanding reached with the HEC. Burrows explained to him that the Party had

been told that the latest proposal was ‘the final offer’ and that he had pressed the

HEC to end the strike by 17 March. The dissidents had also been warned that any

future disturbance would entitle the Government to exert its authority to bring by

stability and security. 578

Eden was preoccupied with Bahraini affairs and together with Lloyd, drafted

a message to Bahrain reiterating that there should be no move to displace Belgrave

at this stage, although Shuckburgh himself believed that the Adviser ‘ought to go,

and soon’, as he noted in his diary, adding:

Fuss, fuss; no confidence in anyone; teaching Bernard Burrows his
business. The PM [Eden] has never understood that it is far more
courageous to accept a humiliation than to do a damn silly ‘bold’
act. 579

It was around this time that, according to Shuckburgh, the Prime Minister recalled

meeting the Adviser’s son who, he understood, was ‘training to succeed’ his

father. 580 Eden also thought that the Residency in Bahrain should have never

allowed itself to be put into a position to negotiate with the HEC on Belgrave’s

577 TNA, PREM 11/1471, Burrows to FO, 15 March 1956.
578 TNA, FO 1016/465, Despatch 227, Burrows to FO, 16 March 1956.
579 Descent to Suez, 16 March 1956, 348.
580 TNA, FO 371/120549, M.43/56, Prime Minister’s Personal Minute, 16 March 1956.

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