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return for a guarantee by Britain to officially recognise the NUC. He described

Bahrain as ‘being governed by steel and fire’ and blamed the ‘British “Inspector”’

(meaning Burrows) for interfering in Bahraini affairs and obstructing reform. He

went on to assert that the British had purposely ‘defamed’ the nationalist movement

by describing it as ‘communist’ and by claims that it was funded by Egypt. He added

that Britain controlled Bahrain through twenty British firms employing 12,000, of

which only 2,500 were Bahrainis. 621 Following these remarks, Burrows asked the

British Embassy in Cairo to further investigate the matter and to ask Al-Bakir if he

had actually made these statements. 622

Audsley, the Labour Counsellor who had earlier met with the Bahraini

nationalist to discuss labour issues in Bahrain, interviewed Al-Bakir at the British

Embassy in Cairo on 7 April to discuss reports of his claims in the Egyptian press.

By Audsley’s account, Al-Bakir had said ‘quite bluntly that it recorded accurately the

main points of his statement’. The Bahraini nationalist leader did not hide his

personal antipathy towards Belgrave and vowed to pursue his removal ‘until he, his

wife and his son have left for good’. In Audsley’s view, Al-Bakir blamed Britain for

his exile and seemed not to have taken the issue too well, as he no longer viewed

Britain as a friend, but as an enemy. It was also recorded that Al-Sadat had provided

him with a flat in Cairo’s upmarket Zamalek district for his stay. 623

Riches informed Burrows on 10 April that an anonymous but ‘reliable source’

had reported that Al-Bakir had conducted further meetings with Al-Sadat and other

621 TNA, FO 371/120545, Trevelyan to FO, 30 March 1956.
622 TNA, FO 371/120545, Burrows to FO, 31 March 1956.
623 TNA, FO 371/120546, Chancery at British Embassy to Residency, 28 April 1956.

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