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Party Secretary’s threat that, if he was unable to meet Eden, he would then declare a

demonstration on the day of Eden’s visit. 283

During Eden’s visit to Bahrain, the HEC presented a seven-page

memorandum to him listing their demands via the Political Agent. In the

memorandum the Party stated that HMG are ‘our natural allies and in whom the

people of Bahrain have faith’ in improving local conditions and rights. It offered a

brief background of the Movement and warned that further delays to agreeing to

their demands might push Bahrainis into an uncontrollable state. The HEC

additionally informed Eden that the Administration resorted to deducting a week’s

wage from its employees during the strike of December 1954 and closed down two

nationalist publications. The memorandum, moreover, described Belgrave as a

‘dictator’ and called for democratic processes to be implemented. To the HEC,

Belgrave seemed to be destined to remain in post for ever and the Ruler appeared

content on continuing with the Adviser’s services. The Party also urged HMG to

strengthen its ties with the people of Bahrain and not with the Ruler. 284

At this stage the HEC seemed to have adopted a policy of double-dealing

between its nationalistic calls and clandestine direct-dealing with the British

Political Agency in order to maximise its political gains. From one perspective they

seemed to the public to be anti-British and from another through their approaches

to British officials in Bahrain they were persistent in gaining British support for

their demands.

283 TNA, FO 1016/386, Gault’s Minutes with Al-Bakir, 17 February 1955.
284 TNA, FO 371/114586, Committee to Secretary of State, 21 February 1955.

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