Sir Peter Ramsbotham

Peter Ramsbotham’s career began with wartime intelligence work and the occupation of Germany. Educated at Eton and Magdalen College, Oxford, he entered the Diplomatic Service in 1948 after work in the Control Office for Germany and Austria. He served in Berlin, at the United Nations, and in Paris, and worked on Britain’s early negotiations for entry into the European Economic Community. He was high commissioner in Cyprus and ambassador to Iran before moving to Washington in 1974. ^{1, 2}

Ramsbotham served during the Nixon, Ford, and early Carter presidencies. In his oral history he described frequent dealings with Henry Kissinger while Watergate absorbed Nixon’s attention. Contacts arranged through the British consul-general in Atlanta helped him establish an early relationship with Carter. An American briefing prepared for his April 1974 meeting with Vice President Ford shows the importance attached to his Middle Eastern experience and to reconciling Britain’s American relationship with its European commitments. ^{2, 1}

His replacement by Peter Jay in 1977 became a political controversy. Ramsbotham later described his distress at attacks on his professional standing. Callaghan’s statement to Parliament on 16 May denied that the government had organised a campaign against him, affirmed confidence in his work, and disavowed the hostile remarks reported in the press. ^{2, 3}

Ramsbotham then became governor of Bermuda, serving until 1980. In December 1977, following the executions of Erskine Burrows and Larry Tacklyn and serious disturbances, he declared an emergency and requested military reinforcements. Owen’s parliamentary statement records that Ramsbotham had accepted advice against reprieve after reconsidering a clemency petition. In his later interview Ramsbotham criticised the communication of decisions between London and Bermuda. ^{2, 4}