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Administration freedom to arrest any member of the Party who encouraged others

towards violence. 632

Lloyd forwarded to Eden a draft copy of a Cabinet paper on the situation in

Bahrain. 633 The paper, dated 14 April, provided an overview of the Movement in

Bahrain and the complex Sunni-Shi’ite political structure on the islands. In relation

to the NUC and Egyptian ties Lloyd said that

There is no evidence that the reform movement is directly sponsored
by Egypt, but in the present state of the Middle East, Egypt is looked
upon as the fount of progressive political ideas and the Bahraini
leaders undoubtedly seek their inspiration there.

Lloyd also brought to the forefront the NUC’s opposition to the enrolment of Iraqi

officers in Bahrain’s Police Force. The Foreign Secretary believed that British policy

vis-à-vis Bahrain needed ‘to adopt a middle way, pushing the Ruler to go a little

faster and the reformists a little more slowly along the path of constitutional

advance’. The paper was discussed at a Cabinet meeting held on 17 April. On

Belgrave’s role, Lloyd maintained that

Sir Charles Belgrave had held this position for thirty years, but he had
not lost the confidence of most of his British assistants and of many of
the people in London who had interests in the Persian Gulf.

Nevertheless Lloyd sealed Belgrave’s fate for the general security of Britain in the

Arabian Gulf as he ‘recommended that appropriate steps should be taken to secure

his retirement’. He was also determined to have a British assistant hired to

gradually take on the Adviser’s role. He also cautioned that Belgrave’s dismissal

only weeks following Glubb’s discharge from service ‘would be a blow to British

632 TNA, FO 371/120545, D.M.H. Riches at FO to Residency, 14 April 1956.
633 TNA, FO 371/120545, Bishop on Draft of Cabinet Paper on Bahrain, 11 April 1956.

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