Behind Diplomatic Lines

by Patrick R. H. Wright

  [David Owen was asked, after he had finished being Foreign Secretary, what foreign policy issue had taken up most of his time and energy during his time in the Foreign Office, and he had replied that it was the case of Timothy Davey, the young drug-smuggler in Turkey, whose story was later dramatised in the film Midnight Express.]

  9 MARCH 1987

  I telephoned the Archbishop of Canterbury this afternoon after Robert Runcie had told Geoffrey Howe that he wanted senior-level contacts in the FCO to discuss Terry Waite. Runcie is obviously worried by the emerging stories of Waite’s contacts with Oliver North, quite apart from the continuing lack of information about Waite’s whereabouts. I told Runcie that David Miers would be ready to contact him whenever he wanted.

  There have also been increasing stories over the weekend about British assistance to the Contras; as far as the FCO knows, there has been no official assistance at all. I wondered this morning whether Sir Alfred Sherman (who used to be a policy adviser to the PM) might be behind some of these allegations.

  10 MARCH 1987

  I called on Lady Young at the House of Lords today for a general talk. Neither of us could remember quite why the call had been arranged in the first place. We talked mainly about recruitment, allowances and morale. She showed some resentment at the extent to which her colleagues are encroaching on her responsibilities for management and the administrative side of the office.

  11 MARCH 1987

  Lynda Chalker telephoned me from Strasbourg today to lobby me to vote for Ted Heath as Chancellor of Oxford University. I told her that I had already told Ted that I could not be there, but undertook to instruct Sherard to vote!

  12 MARCH 1987

  A lunchtime seminar with Labour MPs, including Bernard Donoughue. As usual, extraordinary ignorance was revealed about the diplomatic service. Patrick Nixon told me afterwards that one of them was astonished to discover that heads of department ever served abroad (as, indeed, they usually didn’t before the 1943 reforms). I put in a plug for boarding schools, claiming that most members of the service would be very happy to send their children to local schools, but that career mobility made it quite impracticable.

  23 MARCH 1987

  I discussed with Geoffrey Howe a proposal that he should break the news of Arthur Watts’s appointment as legal adviser to Henry Darwin (who, as John Freeland’s deputy, probably expects to get the job). Geoffrey did not like the idea, pointing out that it was an administrative decision for me to handle. He told me that the only time he had ever spoken to anyone about their appointment was to Ewen Fergusson, when I had been appointed PUS (in favour of Ewen and Crispin Tickell). But how ironic that I should find myself in the position of giving disappointing news to the man who was a god-like head boy at Marlborough when I was a junior boy. Indeed, one of my early, maturing experiences was when – sitting in the choir as a junior alto – I noticed that Henry’s hands were shaking with nerves while he stood at the lectern to read the lesson.

  [The above reference to my appointment as PUS is being typed – by an astonishing coincidence – on 25 July 2015, the day after our son-in-law Simon McDonald telephoned us from Berlin to tell us that he had been appointed PUS to succeed Sir Simon Fraser.]

  I discussed with Geoffrey Howe today the PM’s continuing resistance to taking FCO officials with her to Moscow, on which he is becoming increasingly irritated; he says that he will raise it again this week.

  24 MARCH 1987

  Geoffrey Howe held one of his worst meetings ever this afternoon on overseas students, with Chris Patten and a large team from the ODA, and Nicholas Barrington and others on the FCO side. There was only limited time, and Geoffrey had given an untypically inadequate study of his brief, which produced some incomprehensible requests for a paper to be produced in a different format. No conclusions were reached at all. I think he must have the election and politics very much on his mind.

  1 APRIL 1987

  I chaired a DUSs’ meeting for one and a half hours on AIDS; and on the scope for British initiatives in the Security Council, and our chances of remaining permanent members. [My diary comments – in 1997 – on how many of us would have thought we would still be there ten years later; but in 2017 we still are.]

  Crispin Tickell was there, probably for his last meeting before his departure for New York. I shall need to watch relations with the ODA when he goes; there have been two signs recently of Chris Patten becoming irritated by wire-crossing.

  2 APRIL 1987

  At my morning meeting, Michael Forsyth (Geoffrey Howe’s PPS) suggested that ways should be found to give the FCO some credit for the success of the PM’s visit to Moscow, and reported that MPs were already saying that it had only gone well because No. 10 had organised it. Geoffrey Howe did a lot of background briefing today, which may help.

  I saw Geoffrey Howe after lunch, who revealed his opposition to the length of the FCO honours list, claiming that his own knighthood was ex officio. Tony Galsworthy pointed out that many of the FCO honours were also ex officio, and that they were, in any case, a cheap compensation for inadequate pay (good for him!).

  3 APRIL 1987

  David Owen told me that a recent opinion poll had shown that the PM had gained 25 per cent from her trip to Moscow; Neil Kinnock had gained 7 per cent from his trip to Washington; and the [SDP] Alliance had gained 17 per cent from not travelling at all! David is now reported to be forecasting a 7 May election, which will cause me some awkward decisions over travel.

  14 APRIL 1987

  One of the events during our absence in Israel and Turkey was Mugabe’s arms deal with the Soviet Union, on which the PM is taking a hawkish view and threatening to cut off aid. Geoffrey Howe later told me he thought it important that we should collect information on those states which have been pushed into the arms of the USSR, like Cuba, and others, like Jordan, with whom we have maintained amicable relations.

  15 APRIL 1987

  I attend the Zeebrugge ferry disaster memorial service at Canterbury, sitting immediately behind Geoffrey and Elspeth Howe and one other. Geoffrey later told me he had no idea who the latter was, and that when he asked Margaret Thatcher she didn’t know either, saying he was either a whip or a junior minister. He is, in fact, John Moore, Secretary of State for Transport.

  I had a meeting this afternoon to brief Geoffrey Howe on my visits to Israel and Turkey. He was shocked by my account of Israeli impediments to Palestinian family reunification, and has asked for further details, so that he can brief the PM ‘to steer her away from Finchley’. After I had criticised several aspects of Israeli life, Geoffrey laughed and said: ‘I see you have maintained your admirable objectivity about the Middle East.’

  Peter Wallis called to warn me that the Oldfield story about the Kincora Boys’ Home may surface in a book by Barrie Penrose. I discovered that Christopher Mallaby had already warned Geoffrey Howe, who had been previously unbriefed – presumably during my absence. But signs of increasing Cabinet Office involvement?

  22 APRIL 1987

  Following revelations in the Mail on Sunday of Maurice Oldfield’s homosexuality, I attended a meeting at No. 10 this morning to discuss the text of a parliamentary written reply, revealing that Maurice had finally admitted his homosexuality after his appointment to Northern Ireland (having given false replies on previous occasions, and having had his positive vetting withdrawn). When the Prime Minister and Home Secretary, plus others, entered the Cabinet Room, the PM was evidently discussing the latest bomb outrage in Colombo, and said to the Home Secretary: ‘We must send all the Tamils back; they are all bombers!’ When discussing the Oldfield case, the PM initially questioned whether he had to admit his homosexuality at all. But everyone pointed out the risk that knowledge of the 1980 inquiry, and police reports at that time, would leak out subsequently. She was obviously enraged by Chapman Pincher’s disloyalty to his friend, describing him twice as Judas, and was particularly (and characteristically) concerned about the effect on Maurice Oldfield’s
family.

  I later gave Sherard an imitation of the PM’s behaviour during the Oldfield meeting, when the No. 10 servants were handing round coffee. She brought proceedings to a close, staring frenetically round the room and turning over her papers (with the particular look on her face when she is discussing security). Sherard told me it was a great pity I was not keeping a diary, saying that he was quite certain that Antony Acland had done so.

  23 APRIL 1987

  I caused hilarity at my morning meeting today by reading out to Michael Forsyth the Times diary piece describing his conversion from a ‘madcap right-winger’ to ‘an intelligent and balanced MP, tipped for ministerial promotion’.

  24 APRIL 1987

  I discussed with Philip Wetton, the new head of the Energy, Science and Space Department, the problem of Peter Walker, whose failure to consult others in Whitehall is becoming even worse than usual. His department has just concluded an agreement with the Russians without consulting either the FCO or the legal advisers. I told Philip about the problems I had had over Peter Walker’s contacts with Yamani.

  An amusing incident yesterday over Alan Clark, the Minister of Trade, who was due to leave last night for a visit to Venezuela and (in spite of FCO dissuasion) Chile. He had earlier this week received a rocket from the PM, who complained that ministers were travelling too much. At the airport, after three accompanying businessmen were already on board the aircraft, Clark developed toothache, and said he wouldn’t go. Three furious businessmen took off a few minutes later.

  29 APRIL 1987

  I told Geoffrey Howe today that when Margaret Thatcher had received Crispin Tickell before Crispin’s departure for New York, she had unfairly criticised John Thomson, our permanent representative at the United Nations, for his inactivity. I had sent No. 10 John’s valedictory despatch as a corrective, which displeased Geoffrey – nervous, as ever, of the PM seeing FCO papers before himself.

  I also discussed with him the PM’s reaction to Mugabe’s possible arms deal with the Soviet Union with words like: ‘Teach Mugabe a lesson.’ Geoffrey will have a hard task keeping her from damaging our position in Southern Africa; her relations with Mugabe are already tense, and Ramsay Melhuish has several times recommended that messages to Mugabe should not be signed by her.

  1 MAY 1987

  There were some interesting signs this week of the PM’s ambivalent attitude to the FCO. She told Crispin Tickell that it was a pity that an FCO candidate had not succeeded him at the ODA; she also questioned Janet Young this week about what she thought of the office (on which Janet claims that she described us as impressive, but inadequately rewarded). Charles Powell advised David Miers, when discussing the PM’s criticism of our performance on Iran/Iraq, and the production of a paper for No. 10, to be ready to admit that we had not got it right – ‘since the one thing the PM can’t stand about the FCO is their assumption that they are always right’.

  I pointed out to George Younger today that if, as is likely, the local election results are bad for the government, a decision not to call a June election will make them look even worse than they otherwise would, since the government will seem as if they are scared of fighting another election so quickly. George Younger nevertheless thinks that a September election is not to be excluded, since it would successfully disrupt the SDP conference.

  5 MAY 1987

  Continuing speculation in the press about Geoffrey Howe’s future, including renewed gossip (which Lynda Chalker told me today she thought was well founded) that Nigel Lawson might become Foreign Secretary if Geoffrey becomes Lord Chancellor. Lynda herself expects to return to the FCO, possibly in the Lords (having told me in strict confidence that her name would appear in the birthday honours list, though she did not explain how). Tony Galsworthy told me today that Geoffrey is determined to stay on at the FCO, if at all possible. I nevertheless wrote Geoffrey a private letter this evening, expressing the hope that he would.

  6 MAY 1987

  DUSs had a discussion this afternoon on DOFFCO – the acronym used for ‘image’ to describe the whole process of disseminating the truth about the service. Robert Rhodes James commented to me again last night on how ignorant most of his parliamentary colleagues are about the FCO. At a dinner in No. 10 this evening for President Chissano of Mozambique, I learned that Margaret Thatcher had asked him a question about sanctions this afternoon, on which his reply was so staunchly negative that she immediately promised him £15 million of aid – having earlier expressed doubts about aid for Mozambique (doubts which were no doubt refuelled when Geoffrey Howe was photographed in Mozambique, apparently giving the communist salute!).

  7 MAY 1987

  Anthony Kershaw congratulated me today on my recent appearance before the Foreign Affairs Committee. I told him that I had told Geoffrey Howe that he had been a very considerate and helpful chairman, having blocked three of the questions put to me on the grounds that they should be addressed to ministers. Tony told me that he had got into trouble for it afterwards!

  13 MAY 1987

  Janet Young asked to see me this morning to tell me in confidence that she has told the Prime Minister that she intends to retire from public life after the election. She spoke very warmly about the office and the service, comparing it very favourably with the three civil service departments in which she has served. She is worried about pay and about some of the poor management – both justifiably, in my opinion. I thanked her for the interest and concern that she has shown for the service, which had been widely recognised and appreciated.

  Michael Palliser called today to solicit FCO funds of an IISS (International Institute for Strategic Studies) seminar – the second ex-PUS I have received in a week, though not as remarkable a coincidence as Antony Acland’s experience, whose engagements blackboard in the outer office once showed calls from the Duke of Marlborough and the Duke of Wellington on the same day!

  19 MAY 1987

  I went to the Hilton for the vast annual CBI (Confederation of British Industry) dinner, at which Nigel Lawson spoke. I sat between Alan Clark and Sir Michael Clapham, an ex-President of the CBI. I noticed that, for once, I was seated above the Chief of Naval Staff (who commented on it afterwards!).

  28 MAY 1987

  Dreadful news today from Tehran, where Edward Chaplin has been hijacked. I agreed that Alan Munro should summon the Iranian chargé, who appeared to know nothing about it, though there is at least a suspicion that it might be in retaliation for yesterday’s arrest of the Iranian vice-consul in Manchester on shoplifting charges. There will be pressure from ministers to react very toughly, but there is little we can do other than break relations even further. The Prime Minister would probably be happy to do this, since she is very sceptical of the FCO’s balancing act between Iraq and Iran. I am uncomfortably aware that Jimmy Carter lost the presidential election because of the American hostage-taking in Tehran. We have to remember that Iran is our third largest trading country in the world.

  Meanwhile, Neil Kinnock has done his best today to lose the election, by promising (very foolishly) to decommission Polaris within two weeks of forming a government.

  29 MAY 1987

  Edward Chaplin was released today, or rather dumped and left to walk the last mile home.

  2 JUNE 1987

  The Prime Minister is said to be becoming very agitated about the Chaplin case, and inclined (as she has been before) to go straight for a total break. This was by no means the only occasion on which the FCO had to resist Margaret Thatcher’s instincts that we should not maintain diplomatic relations, or renew them when broken, with ‘nasties’. Geoffrey Howe is arguing for the expulsion of the vice-consul first, but almost any reasonable solution will look like a deal. Christopher MacRae reported today that Velayati is said to have returned to Tehran, furious at the mess that Khomeini’s people have got them into.

  4 JUNE 1987

  I attended a lunchtime talk by Tim Eggar on the service – a packed audience and a thoughtful and provocative spe
ech, with some sensible criticism of FCO methods, arguing that the bureaucratic method prevented radical thinking about choices, to which ministers should be exposed. When he claimed that decisions should be taken at a lower level, I pointed out that this was not easy with a Prime Minister who took such a close interest in foreign affairs.

  5 JUNE 1987

  At a Sunningdale weekend, I had a spirited discussion with Arthur Walsh of STC (Standard Telephones and Cables), who complained about the alleged failure of posts to support commerce. It emerged that he was in fact complaining about the failure of embassies to support one British company when another was in competition. I pointed out to him that he needed to get ministers to change their policy on this, to which he replied dismissively that ministers were run by their civil servants. After quite a row, we ended the weekend walking round Sunningdale Park together.

  An interesting article in The Economist this week on Margaret Thatcher, claiming – depressingly, but probably correctly – that her greatest contempt is reserved for the Foreign Office, and that she had been influenced by the fact that she had had to fight to win the budget row with the European Community. I discussed this with Michael Franklin (who had played a major part in the negotiations), and he claimed that allegations of lack of FCO support were totally unfair, and that the office had backed up the PM superbly.