The volumes of documents declassified by the British government this week shed new light on the strained state of Anglo-Maltese relations in the lead-up to the departure of the last of the British forces from Malta on 31 March 1979.

The set of declassified documents – from 27 February 1978 to 29 March 1979 – contains 83 pages on Maltese/British relations at the pivotal point in Maltese history.

From then Prime Minister Dom Mintoff practically pleading with former British Prime Minister James Callahan to attend the ceremonies, to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office describing former Maltese President Anton Buttigieg as one who “tends to drink too much and does not hold his liquor well” in a personality profile – the documents are a goldmine of historical insight.

At the time, Mintoff had made multiple demands of the British government that the latter was not inclined to grant, but tactfully avoided, as it was increasingly concerned about avoiding any “classic Mintoff tantrums”, as one Foreign and Commonwealth Office advisor put it in correspondence.

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Malta at that time was facing the prospect of its then vital textile industry being sanctioned by the EEC, a move seemingly spearheaded by the UK, while it was also demanding that the UK foot the bill for the clearance of unexploded bombs from Grand Harbour and concentrate the number of British service cemeteries from four to just one or two.

Anglo-Maltese relations had become increasingly strained by 1979, and the UK was also bracing itself for an election.

Mintoff had repeatedly requested Callahan himself to attend the 31 March 1979 ceremonies, a request to which the latter was continually reluctant to agree.

A note to Callahan dated 5 March 1979 refers to the invitation to mark the end of the British military presence in Malta and advises the British PM to refrain from attending, since the two outstanding and contentious requests from Mintoff – to concentrate the British military graves and to remove unexploded bombs from Grand Harbour – were deemed impossible to accommodate by the British government of the time.

Mintoff had insisted he saw “no reason why British forces should be allowed to leave Malta ‘amicably’ unless his government is given satisfactory assurances on these two issues”.

A note to Callahan from a private secretary reads: “…it seems that there is virtually no prospect of our being able to give Mr Mintoff assurances on these points before 31 March (1979) which he would regard as remotely satisfactory.

“This being so, I think you would be wise to avoid personal involvement in any occasion which though historic in a melancholy way, is all too likely to be marred by a classic Mintoff tantrum.”

In an ensuing telephone conversation between the prime ministers, Callahan stood his ground in declining the invitation – citing that it would be a “melancholy occasion” that he would not enjoy and that politically, “it would be used against me at home”.

The British also appeared unwilling to have the Union Jack lowered during the 31 March ceremonies, but Mintoff was having none of it.

In a note from the British High Commission, which detailed the events for the day after discussions with Mintoff on the matter, the BHC questioned which flag would be lowered on the day – pointing out that the Union Jack had already been lowered in Malta some years previously.

Mintoff, however, was intent on seeing the Union Jack lowered on the day and declined the suggestion that the British Navy’s white ensign be lowered instead since, Mintoff is quoted as having explained, the commemorative stamps for the occasion had already been printed showing the Union Jack being lowered and that, as such, the request could not be accommodated.

The same correspondence also shows how Mintoff effectively snubbed a British request for Lord Mountbatten to attend the ceremonies. It says of the conversation: “As regards a possible visit by Lord Mountbatten, Mintoff stressed his personal friendship for Lord Mountbatten and said he would always be welcome in Malta. On this occasion he would be welcome as a guest of the British services. But he would not be received as a guest of the British government and therefore would not be invited officially to the final ceremony at midnight on 31 March.”

The Ministry of Defence at the time was also concerned about ruffling Mintoff’s feathers at this delicate juncture.

A note from Secretary of State for Trade to the ministry observes: “My officials have already made clear the acute Ministry of Defence concern, in support of the agreed foreign policy objectives, that we should, if at all possible, adhere to our plans for an orderly Service withdrawal from Malta by April 1979 and that we should, therefore, seek to avoid any confrontation with Mr Mintoff which might cause him to retaliate against the Service bases. I would suggest that to withdraw in a hurry or on bad terms would not be welcome by our NATO partners and could prejudice our aim that Malta should not, following the Service withdrawal become aligned with the Eastern bloc.”

On the same subject, Callahan was advised that Mintoff planned contacting him over the situation with the textiles standoff and that if he did phone him, it was advised: “Should Mr Mintoff telephone threatening e.g. to close the bases, the Prime Minister will no doubt wish to counsel calm, caution and second thoughts.”

Along similar lines, a No. 10 private secretary wrote: “[The British Cabinet of] Ministers are conscious of the vulnerability to harassment of the remaining British servicemen and their families (about 1,200 all told) if Mr Mintoff were to decide to take action against us.

“The seriousness of the threat of far reaching action by Mr Mintoff against British interests in Malta is hard to evaluate. But ministers consider the right course of action is to stand firm in as good a posture as possible.”

Another note from the British High Commission from November 1978 relays a description of a Maltese Cabinet meeting at the time when the textile dispute was culminating. “Abela described in graphic terms the angry reaction of the [Maltese] Cabinet to his presentation of the package of proposals. He said he had never seen ministers in a more militant mood: even those who normally took a back seat in Cabinet discussions had voiced their sense of outrage.”

The full archive is available free of charge on www.nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Prime Minister Callahan's telephone conversation with Prime Minister Mintoff - 6 March 1979

Prime Minister James Callahan

Dom, I wanted to ring and have a word with you because I had a report from our High Commissioner of his meeting with you, which has just come to me. We’ve been pretty tied up with things recently. And I thought if I wrote what I’m going to say to you it might sound very cold and distant so I wanted to say it to you so you will understand the way in which I am putting it forward. I do appreciate your invitation for 31 March but Dom I say two things. First of all to me it would be a very melancholy occasion. When I saw the flag being hoisted down and the other flag going up and realised that our relationship over all these years was coming to an end and – I’ll be quite blunt with you – I wouldn’t enjoy it. That’s the first thing. Secondly, politically it would be used against me at home. I’ve got plenty of things on my plate at the present time as I’m sure you know, and the Conservative newspapers would use it in a way which wouldn’t help me at all. So for both those reasons – and it’s so much more easy to say it to you than it is to write to you – whilst I appreciate very much the spirit of your invitation, I really wouldn’t feel happy about coming on that occasion.

Prime Minister Dom Mintoff

The last thing in the world that I want to do is to do you any harm. I wanted this to symbolise the fact that although this fortress is coming to an end, it’s not an anti-British feeling because it represents a change in the way of life, a change in outlook. And I hope that you, as part of Europe now, would want this change to take place once the old one cannot continue.

Callahan

Well it can’t continue. I am rather nostalgic about it. I sailed into Malta during the war, I know what happened then and I felt very close all the time and – perhaps it’s rather silly of me – but I wouldn’t really...

Mintoff

We are saying, look this is part of our life. It cannot continue into the future. I hope that both of us can look to the future with great courage, with confidence, and together. This is why for me it would have been symbolic for things to come. This is why I invited you. It also says, look we have never had a Prime Minister in Malta, we’ve only had a Prime Minister once in wartime.

Callahan

Who was that?

Mintoff

Churchill

Callahan

Oh, yes. Well look, I’ll tell you what. Can I make two suggestions?

Mintoff

First I want to explain to you that it wasn’t meant to hurt you – I wouldn’t have done it. You know what I told your people – I want to make it very formal or very simple but not halfway.

Callahan

You realise why I’m telephoning you. Because I wanted to talk to you personally about it.

Mintoff

I’m glad you are doing this because I can explain that there was not only no harm meant but the whole idea was to put our future relations straight away on an even keel.

Callahan

I have a suggestion to make – well two suggestions to make. One is this. I wonder whether Michael Foot would be able to come for this purpose. He is the deputy leader of the Party. He is my deputy in every sense and he doesn’t feel about it in the same way as I feel about it.

Mintoff

Jim, can you think it over please. I don’t think this is going to hurt you.

Callahan

Well I think it will politically, Dom.

Mintoff

Then let’s cut it out. I told your people. I didn’t say we insist on it. What I said was, let’s have it either very formal or very simple.

Callahan

Well let’s make it very simple

Mintoff

This is what I said, you see, because I feel that what is neither one nor the other is going to upset us both. One is very tempted to have nobody.

Callahan

Well I would sooner make it very simple and I think politically for me here at home it would be more helpful if it was very simple.

Mintoff

Well it wasn’t meant in that way, and also I feel like you. This is part of our history.

Callahan

I always remember the way you and I went swimming at St George’s Bay 30 years ago.

Mintoff

Do you still think I regret that part of our past? I don’t regret it. But I don’t want it to remain forever. Neither do you. It’s impossible.

Callahan

I fully agree. Dom, I will tell you what. What I would like to do if we’re still here – perhaps I could come out for a weekend afterwards, because we’re really in trouble at the moment, from now till March. I was thinking perhaps during May or June if we’re still around and so on.

Mintoff

Jim, I’ll tell you what. If you tell me you’ll send Michael, you will come a little afterwards. But don’t wait until you might not be there.

Callahan

We’re living week to week, Dom.

Mintoff

It is only a few hours. But you have been able in the past to change the situation very quickly. That’s why I want to make sure that you come. I cannot take the risk that you’ll get out of office.

Callahan

Would you like Michael to come?

Mintoff

If you tell me that you will also come, but not on this occasion. And I can publicise that you are coming later?

Callahan

Yes, you can do that, and that will be sometime in May or June.

Mintoff

It’s something only you can put right. The people around who can’t understand it – this business about bombs and so on. They told you about it?

Callahan

Yes I heard that these were unexploded bombs.

Mintoff

Now what we are saying about this, please tell us that when we need to remove them for the practical purpose you will undertake it.

Callahan

When you need to remove them. But of course we can help when you need to remove them.

Mintoff

But they say there’s no legal obligation and so on, do it out of the kindness of heart.

Callahan

I haven’t gone into all the details, but obviously we would help after our joint arrangements were over.

Mintoff

Now that’s all there is between us at the moment. If you tell me that Michael Foot will come and after you’ll also come, so that we can say, at last a Prime Minister will come here.

Callahan

OK. Mind you, I might not be Prime Minister then.

Mintoff

That’s why I want you to come when you are.

Callahan

Dom, I will come. I think May and June will probably be the safest period, then.

Mintoff

You are not going to have elections before then, are you?

Callahan

Well, if we are defeated you see. If all the minor parties get together, Dom, on a vote of confidence...

Mintoff

No. You have pulled this off before.

Callahan

Yes, I know. But there comes a limit to what you can do, you know.

Mintoff

I notice. That’s why I like to be sure that you are coming as Prime Minister.

Callahan

Really I couldn’t undertake to come out because...

Mintoff

We don’t want you when you are not Prime Minister. At least we shall be able to say, one Prime Minister has come and seen us.

Callahan

That’s an added incentive to me to try and stay in office. All right then, Dom. All the best.

Goodbye.