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that such institutions as UMELCO and the City District Officers' Scheme have/tƒãƒda useful role in eliciting the mood of
а
opinion.. It may be, however, that some of the opposition that is now evidently building up against the Government's plans for labour reforms might have been reduced if there had been more
advance consultation.
4. The final extract from the Press Review deals with the Governor's own position. The newspapers quoted touch on this from four different aspects: whether the Governor will stay on (Sir Michael Wilford is reported, to have said that the Governor's term will be extended); how long the extension will last (opinions vary from 18 months to 5 years); what sort of person will eventually succeed the present Governor (a diplomat or a political appointee); and who will be Sir Murray's successor "reliable sources/Indon" are ; quoted as saying that Sir Michael Wilford is likely to be the man Mr George Thomson is said to have been ruled out. I am not in a position to assess the accuracy or otherwise of this speculation. It would appear, however, that news (if not fact) travels as fast from London to Hong Kong as it does from Hong Kong to London. (The Press Review covers, of course, the period of
the period of the Governor's recent visit to London for consultations.)
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23 December 1976
copies:
OLA
Mr Lipsey
in
D.F. Millon
D F Milton
Hong Kong Department
CONFIDENTIAL
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