SECRET
FM HONG KONG
HKB
31A)
SECRET
012/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
24 JAN 1990
TO DESKBY 19090OZ FCO TELNO 258
DESK OFFICER
REGIS
INDEX
PA
Action
OF 190820Z JANUARY 90
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JEG HONG KONG
TOP
033206
MDHIAN 3149
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
PERSONAL FOR PAUL, HKD FROM GOVERNOR
PEKING STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR
UKREP JLG STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY
B
YOUR TELNO 178: CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT: POSSIBLE RESIGNATIONS
1. YOUR QUESTIONS ARE IMPORTANT ONES: BUT NOT EASY TO ANSWER WITH ANY DEGREE OF CERTAINTY. MUCH WOULD DEPEND ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THESE VARIOUS HIGHLY UNDESIRABLE SCENARIOS MIGHT OCCUR. MUCH WOULD DEPEND ON WHAT THE LINE UP OF FORCES WAS ON A DISPUTED POLICY DECISION BY HMG, EG WHETHER IT WAS AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF DIFFERENCES OF VIEW IN EXCO: OR A MAJORITY EXCO VIEW WHICH THE HK ADMINISTRATION DID NOT SHARE: OR A CLEAR VIEW FROM EXCO AND THE HK ADMINISTRATION WITH WHICH HMG DISAGREED. I HOPE AND TRUST THAT THE LAST CAN BE RULED OUT.
2. YOUR PARA 2A. IF ONE OR BOTH SENIOR MEMBERS RESIGNED AND DID SO SPECIFICALLY IN OPPOSITION TO A DECISION BY HMG ON CONSTITUTIONAL PROGRESS, THERE WOULD OF COURSE BE A MAJOR PUBLIC FURORE IN HONG KONG. IN EXCO I WOULD HAVE TO APPOINT A NEW SENIOR MEMBER.
LEGCO WOULD BE HARDER.
THERE WOULD ALMOST CERTAINLY BE A ROW ABOUT THE POSITION OF SENIOR MEMBER WHICH HAS NO CONSTITUTIONAL BASIS AND SOONER OR LATER WILL HAVE TO GO.
3. THE MOST IMPORTANT EFFECT OF THE RESIGNATION OF BOTH SENIOR MEMBERS WOULD BE A WAVE OF LOYALTY TO THEM WITH OTHERS SWEPT INTO TAKING SYMPATHETIC ACTION WHICH, EVEN IF IT DID NOT INCLUDE RESIGNATION, WOULD PROBABLY INCLUDE UNWILLINGNESS TO CO-OPERATE IN APPROVING LEGISLATION NEEDED FOR WHATEVER ''UNACCEPTABLE'' CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE HAD EMERGED TO TRIGGER THE RESIGNATIONS.
Redacted Under FOI Exemption Sec 27(1)
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