TNAG-0714-FCO40-910-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 121

- 5-

ony marginal understanding of the issues; but an understandable

"gut" reaction: "A sell out"

"trying to get rid of them" -

"the cold hearted diplomats of the FO insensitive to the wishes

of the people

etc

...

It is

They pick

Handling the

Again I attach no blame to anyone about this situation.

probably as much, if not more, Governments' fault.

up these problems and then drop them almost as quickly.

Government has not really encouraged a debate.

issues vary from the most secret of diplomacy all the fun of

a secret meeting with the Foreign Minister of country X etc

to the proposition that any change must be the subject of a

referendum, the most open form of foreign policy decision

making.

A

-

There is a strong case for presenting the issues, dilemmas and

problems more openly. There has been no White Paper on the

issue of the dependent territories. Ministers have been so busy

trying to keep things afloat - indeed trying to solve at least

one or two of the problems that "overviews" etc have proved

a luxury one has not been able to afford. But maybe that over-

view would have been helpful in getting a context, a framework

within which efforts to solve individual problems could be

set. Most importantly it might encourage a degree of realism

to temper the emotion on these issues. I note that some of the

organs of the media who specialise in preaching about Britain.

needing to face up to economic reality, produce instant unreal

comment upon the issues I am discussing.