CONFIDENTIAL
DRAFT LETTER FROM PUS TO SIR ROBIN BUTLER
Sir Robin Butler GCB CVO
Cabinet Office
You asked for our advice on Sir Percy Cradock's letter of
20 July to you.
He is clearly concerned at the prospect that if he
publishes his book he will attract official and public
condemnation. The revised text of the chapters on the
airport negotiations and constitutional development is an improvement on the first version. It goes a good way
towards removing one of our concerns, that revelations
about previous confidential negotiations with the Chinese
will make the latter less willing to negotiate on current
issues. He has also modified (though not eliminated) his
criticism of HMG and the Governor so the danger of the
Chinese concluding that there are divided counsels within
the Government and that this weakness can be exploited is
reduced.
From the point of view of this department, we would therefore think it worthwhile to accept his offer to
engage in a negotiation about the text, during which we
would seek to obtain a few further amendments. If you are
content with this course John Coles could offer to see
Percy Cradock as soon as possible for this purpose (unless
of course you prefer to handle the negotiations yourself).
CONFIDENTIAL