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period to independence.
He was therefore worried about Sir Peter Ramsbotham's ideas about seeking further delegation. Mr Stewart added that experience in Hong Kong had shown that the cumulative effect of small measures of delegation had led to the Hong Kong Government's attaining a de facto position of internal autonomy which had become embarrassing to the British Government and made it very difficult for us to intervene. Mr Cortazzi mentioned that the Associated States were another constitutional example which Ministers would not wish to see repeated. He thought that if the Bermuda
Government wanted further devolution of power they could have this only as part of a planned pro cess towards independence. The Bermuda Government could not have their cake and eat it.
14.
Sir Peter Ramsbotham said he thought in fact that they could. For example, they were now intent on improving the capability of their security forces so that the chance of their needing to ask the British Government for military assistance during any future disturbances would recede. He saw his task as that of helping the present Government to increase their status and area of responsibility, while Bermuda remained a dependent territory: this would make them better able to resist the pressure from irresponsible elements for premature independence, with the risks of instability and racial conflict which this entailed. A careful programme of delegation, much of which would be cosmetic, was part of his plan.
15. Mr Cortazzi took note of the Governor's remarks and went on to say that there was also the international and UK parliamentary aspect. The British Government had to defend Bermuda's internal policies in international bodies. The Governor's papers on electoral matters and constituency boundaries showed that the present arrangements and the Bermuda Government's proposals for improvements were fully in accordance with democratic practice. It was important to remember that so long as Bermuda remained a dependency the Secretary of State would want to be able to say that Bermudian society was fully democratic. Sir Peter Ramsbotham accepted this and said that he thought the backward
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