Although unsure whether to trouble you with the following note I have decided to send it because of the importance of the Executive referred to who has almost daily working contact with the leading members of the British Cabinet.¹

A Journalist whom I found to be trustworthy, but who does not wish his name to be mentioned, told me that a few days ago he was talking to one of the Chief Executives of the Labour Party when he took the opportunity, as a full member of that Party, to express his bitter disappointment and disillusionment in the action of the Attlee Government in giving so foolish and unnecessary a guarantee to the Six County Government on Partition. From what he told me I thought his denunciation was strongly felt and well expressed.

The Chief Executive - whose name, as usual, I will give when I see you - strongly insisting on the 'off the record' nature of his reply, emphatically assured my informant that the Labour leaders were not disposed to initiate any action in favour of Stormont, but the 'lack of finesse' on the part of the Irish Government made it wholly impossible for his Chiefs to act in any other way than they did.