boc
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 010/3
RECEIVED IN RES ༢།
19 JUN1990
DESK
INDEX
T
H3.
Tony Kerpel Esq MBE
Conservative Central Office
32 Smith Square LONDON SW1
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
5 June 1990
REGGE
1916
b. 2 weeks
N
Dear Toy;
Maria Tam, a leading member of the Executive Council in Hong Kong, will be visiting Britain in August. She is now helping to set up a moderate political party (likely to be called the "Liberal Democratic Party") and needs advice about political organisation, especially at the constituency level.
The FCO view is that Miss Tam should be encouraged. Indications from the territory are that the radical critics of British Government policy, led by people like Martin Lee, have got their act together while the moderates are trailing behind. This would not be helpful to British interests in the 1991 LegCo elections and I am sure that you will readily appreciate the need to limit bad news stories for the Government over the next couple of years.
One option could be for the Government itself to help Maria Tam. But this would play very badly in Hong Kong. It would probably be counter-productive as well as improper.
Could somebody in Central Office arrange for Miss Tam to have some briefing during her visit to this country and perhaps to visit one or two area or constituency offices to learn about grassroots
compaigning? The Canadian Liberal Party, which of course is our sister party in the IDU, is already involved in advising Maria Tam and her colleagues.
Of course August is far from being the best month for any sort of political activity. Nevertheless I think that it would be right to provide what help we can. Perhaps we could have a word about the form which this could take.
"%
Mr McLaren
MiL Burns
MR Paul, HKD)
けって
عيدا
David Lidington Special Adviser