從更闊歷史看，港督麥理浩急成立廉署，除了受民眾「反貪污、捉葛柏」運動影響，更源於香港倫敦自1960年代以來的緊張關係。到1973年，鍾士元都開腔要求在英國上議院設港人代表，可見當時連精英階層也不滿港督為首的殖民地政府，未夠幫港出聲出力。
葉健民(2014)《靜默革命：香港廉政百年共業》，104–109：
法理上，英國作為宗主國，當然有完全駕馭殖民地的憲制權力，殖民地政府也必須遵照倫敦方面的指示去行事，以保障英國的利益。但從殖民地總督的角度來說，他的最根本任務，就是要維持香港的有效管泊，沒有這種局面，他也沒有辦法去保障任何英國在香港的利益。但要做到這點，先決條件是要取信於民…
自六十年代以來，香港與倫敦已因為多項爭議而把關係弄得十分緊張。駐軍費用、英鎊貶值以及英國加入歐洲共同市場對香港出口的限制，樣樣均對香港帶來直接的負面影響，殖民地與宗主國的關係，也因此變得頗為緊張。甚至連鍾士元這個港英愛將也看不過眼，批評香港官員不體恤香港困難，未能做到下情上達把香港的聲音傳到英國：
「…近數年間，英國國會曾多次就牽涉香港利益的議題作討論，但當中也沒有機會讓香港的意見能直接參與其中，而當有關於香港情況和問題被提及的時候，也沒有任何來自香港的人能在場從符合香港現實的角度去作回應。」
鍾士元的建議，是要英國國會在上議院留一個席位給由香港推薦的人士。這個提議，自然沒有被倫敦接受， 但也反映出香港與倫敦之間暗存張力，早有芥蒂…
在這種香港社會與倫敦關係緊張的背景下，再提出由英國政府成立調查委員會去介入香港貪污問題，只會把矛盾進一步加深，也會更加削弱港英政府在本地群眾眼中的權威性…
鍾士元：1960年代幾單嘢就證明香港好冤枉，希望英政府談香港事務時可以聽到民意。我研究過喇，可用《終身爵位法令》(Life Peerages Act)冊封有料港人入上議院聲。西印度群島可以，香港都可以。
立法局會議記錄(1973年10月31日)：
Occasionally, there are cases in which there are conflicting interests between Her Majesty’s Government and the Hong Kong Government. Since Hong Kong is a colony and officials in the Hong Kong Government, with greatest respect, are basically members of the UK civil service and, strictly speaking, are under directives of Whitehall. Despite all their good efforts, the voices of Hong Kong people are seldom heard within the UK Government…
Hong Kong is small by geographical area but is by no means insignificant as far as population, economic strength and size of world trade are concerned. It is desirable that the Hong Kong case should be put directly and forcibly to the Ministers in Her Majesty’s Government for their consideration and that the people in Hong Kong should have direct access to the supreme bodies in Her Majesty’s Government to voice their approval or disapproval of Her Majesty’s Government’s policy on Hong Kong. In the recent past, there were some debates on matters concerning Hong Kong in both Houses without any direct participation from Hong Kong, and there were problems and issues about Hong Kong raised in both Houses without someone from Hong Kong to put them into proper perspective…
It is therefore imperative that we should have some direct voices in Her Majesty’s Government.
Since all Members of Parliament in the Lower House are elected, it would be difficult for Hong Kong to be represented in the House of Commons and I therefore would like to see the current programme for inviting MPs to visit Hong Kong continued and expanded. However, it is understood that there are no constitutional difficulties for Hong Kong’s representation at the House of Lords. Since 1958 when the Life Peerages Act came into force, many men and women, who have been prominent in public life or have special qualifications which enable them to make a contribution to the work of the Lords, are appointed by the Crown as life peers and have taken their seats in the House of Lords. Before its independence, West Indies also had direct representation in the House of Lords. Today, there are many nominees whom Her Majesty’s Government has recommended for life peerages. It is with this background that I suggest that the Hong Kong Government consider nomination to the Crown for appointment as life peers of prominent Hong Kong people who can ably speak on our behalf in the Upper House.
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