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coincide with the hiring of an expert to review the Administration. 682 Later, on 5
June, Lloyd approved Burrows’ recommendations and further advised that Smith’s
new post was to be known as the ‘Secretary to the Government of Bahrain’. 683
A meeting was arranged between the Ruler and the NUC on 3 June to
continue their dialogue. The parties discussed the inaugural sessions of the Health
and Education Councils and why the NUC had failed to attend them, despite the
Government’s invitation to. They answered by informing the Ruler ‘that other more
important matters had to be settled first’. The NUC further questioned the Ruler
about the Board of Enquiry’s report, which had been presented to the
Administration but not yet made public. According to the Residency’s intelligence,
the overall attitude of the NUC had recently been negative, due largely to internal
divisions. The latest division within the political party came about when local
merchants were ‘trying to exercise a restraining influence’ on the NUC. Burrows
saw the NUC in clear opposition to the Administration Council. The reason for the
Party’s objection was due (in the Resident’s opinion) to the Council’s ‘success in
dealing with administrative problems and personal complaints’. 684 Gault confirmed
the Resident’s views of the Administration Council’s work since its establishment
earlier in the year. In Gault’s opinion the Council had ‘fully justified its creation and
has, in fact, served as a receiving agency and forum for discussing suggestions and
requests from the public’. Additionally Gault associated previous disturbances in
Muharraq to Muharraqis’ general feeling that the Adviser had neglected them as he
682 TNA, FO 1016/467, Despatch 510, Burrows to FO, 3 June 1956; also in TNA, FO 371/120572; and
TNA, FO 371/120573, D.M.H. Riches to Burrows on Bahrain and Sir Charles Belgrave, 5 June 1956.
683 TNA, FO 1016/467, SOSFA to Residency, 5 June 1956.
684 TNA, FO 1016/467, Despatch 511, Burrows to FO, 3 June 1956.
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