TNAG-0719-FCO40-917-Capital-punishment-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 116

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personal opinion who that Sir P Ramsbotham is being badly advised in Bermuda.

authority

In my opinion the stance adopted by him dearly on the advice of the Deputy Governor and the Premier, that he should stand back as a neutral arbitrator and, in particular, to have been seen as in no way connected with the Burrows/Tacklyn executions was

tolu misguided. Sir P Ramsbotham was apparently advised that he would have a much better change of guiding both parties in Bermuda quietly and peacefully to eventual independente if it had been seen that he had been taken any part in the decision-making process. I believe this

is wrong.

In my experience of colonial societies, and particularly mixed race societies, such as exist in Bermuda, the Governor's reputation and authority rest firmly on the public's feeling that he is the ultimate

and that he, as Governor, must be seen to take ultimate responsibility for the actions of his Government. There is little doubt that the agitation against the executions in Bermuda was a political ploy by the Opposition, and a particularly discreditable one in that in a free vote in the House of Assembly, the House as late as 1975, had voted overwhelmingly for the retention of capital punishment. I believe that Sir P Ramsbotham's authority and reputation in Bermuda, and his chances of guiding the two political parties, would clearly have been enhanced had he been able to show at such an early stage in his Governorship that he accepted the responsibility as well as the authority that went with the post. No-one can blame Sir P Ramsbotham himself. He had, afterall, only been Governor for rather less than eight weeks and with had no previous experience of dependent territories' government. The blame must lie on the advisers.

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