A TORY who was MP for Richmond until 1983 has been identified as a member of Edward Heath’s secret propaganda unit in files published this month by the National Archives (formerly Public Record Office).

The name of the late Sir Anthony Royle (Anthony Henry Fanshawe Royle, Baron Fanshawe of Richmond), MP for Richmond (1959-83), under secretary of state for foreign and commonwealth affairs (1970-74) and vice chairman of the Conservative party (1979-84 ) appears in a list of 200 files quietly released at the National Archives in Kew.

They relate to the work of civil servants in a secret department of the Foreign Office, The European Community Information Unit (1970-72), set up by Mr Heath in a bid to conceal any threat to sovereignty and revoke any anti Common Market arguments.

Sir Anthony’s pro-Europeanism endeared him to Edward Heath and his stance both during the entry of the UK into the European Community in 1973 and in later Conservative relationships with Europe, was perhaps the most significant aspect of his political career.

It is revealed in these files that in September 1970 as Foreign Office Minister he informed the secret government propaganda unit of its new duties in a five page memo after discussions with Geoffrey Rippon, the Europe Minister and Willie Whitelaw the cabinet fixer and Lord president of the council.

Sir Anthony told the unit he expected them to find "independent" minded people to deluge newspapers with pro-Europe letters and to tour Britain on behalf of the pressure group the British Council of the European Movement. He told them they would receive a secret list of constituencies whose MPs were anti-marketeers.

He said he wanted close liaison with leading Labour pro-marketeers but said: "It is important that the FO is not known to be inspiring, encouraging and helping to educate public opinion, but that the operation appears to be instigated by back benchers on both sides of the House and by independent outside bodies."

The unit persuaded Gwyn Morgan, Labour’s assistant general secretary, to reveal Harold Wilson’s campaign plans and to leak a copy of a report on the issue by Labour’s National Executive.

After several unsuccessful attempts in various wards he became MP for Torrington, later abandoning it to pursue Richmond upon Thames and Folkestone and being tagged ‘Runaway Royle’. When he gained the seat in Richmond, his Folkestone backers called his secretive behaviour "outrageous".

As a constituency MP he was a persistent critic of the noise of Heathrow overflights, but preferred to spend weekends with his wife and two daughters at their Cotswold home.

Cllr Rodney Bennett said: "His poor performance as a constituency member made a significant contribution to the rise of the Lib Dems in the area."