On behalf of Her Majesty's government, I send to you and to the people of the Soviet Union our condolences on the death of President L. I. Brezhnev.
As General Secretary of the Communist party of the Soviet Union since 1964, and as President of the Praesidium of the Supreme Soviet from 1960 to 1964 and again since 1977, his wide-ranging and long experience in different fields of public life will be a serious loss to the Soviet Union. The consequences of his death will be felt far beyond the frontiers of his own country.