Archive

MT's official files as Prime Minister, 1979-90

MT's official files as PM can be read on this site as they are released, in full and free to all - the confidential files originally stored at No.10, the core record of her premiership.

The files have been copied at the British National Archives (TNA) at Kew in London and can be downloaded precisely as they appear in the reading room.

We are doing something more to help people make sense of this mass of information. The files are subject-based, logically enough, but that system makes it difficult to reconstruct the flow of paper across the Prime Minister’s desk at any point in time, depriving us of a sense of context, of the political cross-winds, some of them overwhelming.

To combat this effect we are uploading a large selection of the most important documents from these files – thousands in total – to our powerful site database. You can search and sort by date, subject and other parameters, getting as close as anyone can now get to reconstructing the Prime Minister’s daily "Red Boxes", the rich diet of foreign and domestic policy papers submitted to her by the No.10 Private Office.

List and links to the PM’s files

Below are links to the downloadable files in numerical order. The subject terms are those used in the original filing system.

An average file has around 200 pages.

You can read here an account of how filing worked at No.10, and the system for archiving MT’s Prime Ministerial papers, both of which had their quirks.

Chancellor of the Exchequer’s Private Office files, 1979-1989

1979-89: Chancellor’s Private Office files [links to hundreds of digitised files from the Chancellorships of Sir Geoffrey Howe and Nigel Lawson]

Engagement Diaries

An alternative way through the material is to read MT’s engagement diaries, jumping day to day.

The engagement diaries link directly to relevant documents in the site database, so this is a good way to recover the perspective from the Red Box.

Showing items 1351 - 1400 of 3726

Per page:
File name File title Begins Ends Release date Any docs withheld? Classification Pages
PREM19/1352 Prime Minister (Allegations by Paddy Ashdown MP about Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) operations against British companies in the computer technology field allegedly embargo-breaking) Begins: 1984 May 9 Ends: 1984 Dec 14 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Secret Pages: 37
PREM19/1353 Prime Minister (Prime Minister's meeting with Barry Jones MP about British Aerospace (BAe) redundancies in Broughton; launch aid for Airbus A320) Begins: 1984 Jan 16 Ends: 1984 Feb 6 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 29
PREM19/1354 Prime Minister (Prime Minister's meeting with Ralph Howell MP, seeking support for Employment Research Centre (ERC) of University of Buckingham, July 1983) Begins: 1983 Jul 5 Ends: 1984 May 3 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 50
PREM19/1355 Prime Minister (Prime Minister's meetings with Paul Volcker, Chairman of US Federal Reserve) Begins: 1981 Jan 27 Ends: 1984 Dec 13 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Secret Pages: 83
PREM19/1356 Prime Minister (Prime Minister's meeting with Tom Clarke MP about closure of Speedwell Wire Company, Coatbridge, and assistance for Martin-Black Plc to secure British Gas contract) Begins: 1982 Dec 9 Ends: 1983 Jan 14 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 53
PREM19/1357 Prime Minister (Prime Minister's meeting with Group of Eight, representing the construction industry, October 1982; pressure for greater financial assistance from government; complaint about local authority capital underspend) Begins: 1982 Jul 22 Ends: 1983 Nov 30 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 188
PREM19/1358 Prime Minister (Prime Minister's meeting with James Grant, Executive Director of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), December 1982) Begins: 1982 Nov 11 Ends: 1984 Nov 20 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 32
PREM19/1359 Prime Minister (Lord Longford's article for ‘The Universe’, drawing on interview with Prime Minister) Begins: 1982 Sep 29 Ends: 1983 Feb 25 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 29
PREM19/1360 Prime Minister (Prime Minister's meetings with Clifton Garvin, Chairman of Exxon Corporation, and Archibald Forster, Chairman of Esso Petroleum, July 1984) Begins: 1982 Jun 7 Ends: 1984 Jun 3 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Confidential Pages: 67
PREM19/1361 Prime Minister tours abroad (G7 Summit - London; 40th anniversary of D-Day: administrative arrangements) (Part 1) Begins: 1982 Nov 26 Ends: 1984 May 31 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Any docs withheld? 31 Classification: Secret Pages: 403
PREM19/1362 Prime Minister tours abroad (G7 Summit - London; 40th anniversary of D-Day: administrative arrangements) (Part 2) Begins: 1984 Jun 1 Ends: 1984 Oct 2 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Any docs withheld? 10 Classification: Secret Pages: 345
PREM19/1363 Prime Minister (Prime Minister's visit to Liverpool, October 1984; possible visit to British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) at Risley; future of Liverpool Garden Festival site) Begins: 1981 Sep 24 Ends: 1984 Oct 16 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 308
PREM19/1364 Prime Minister (Prime Minister's meeting with delegation of West German industrialists, April 1984) Begins: 1982 Sep 16 Ends: 1984 Jan 24 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 224
PREM19/1365 Regional policy (Review of regional policy; draft White Paper on regional industrial policy; review of urban policy and Urban Programme) (Part 6) Begins: 1983 Nov 2 Ends: 1984 Sep 28 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 235
PREM19/1366 Royal family (Visit by the Queen to Liverpool, May 1984) Begins: 1984 Mar 12 Ends: 1984 May 14 Date of release: 2032 Jan 1 Classification: Closed for 47 years
PREM19/1367 Royal family (Relations between the media and members of the Royal Family; possible legal measures to prevent harassment) Begins: 1984 Jan 3 Ends: 1984 Jan 18 Date of release: Retained Classification: Closed for 47 years
PREM19/1368 Royal family (Princess Margaret's proposed visit to China for Royal Ballet performance; Duke of Edinburgh's visit to China as President of World Wildlife Fund (WWF)) Begins: 1982 Aug 5 Ends: 1984 Jan 30 Date of release: 2014 Nov 28 Any docs withheld? 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 42
PREM19/1369 Science and technology (Maintaining the strength of the science base; the science budget; review of high energy particle physics (HEPP); annual review of government funded research and development 1984) (Part 1) Begins: 1983 Sep 15 Ends: 1984 Jul 30 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Secret Pages: 396
PREM19/1370 Science and technology (Prime Minister’s seminar on science, technology, and industry, September 1983) (Part 1) Begins: 1982 Dec 22 Ends: 1984 Feb 2 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 364
PREM19/1371 Security (Irish terrorist activity in Great Britain) (Part 1A) Begins: 1979 May 10 Ends: 1982 Aug 11 Date of release: Retained Classification: Retained Sec 3.4
PREM19/1372 Security (Irish terrorist activity in Great Britain; threat to Weston supermarkets) (Part 1B) Begins: 1982 Sep 6 Ends: 1984 Feb 10 Date of release: Retained Classification: Retained Sec 3.4
PREM19/1373 Security (Recommendation by Security Commission in report on Geoffrey Prime case for pilot polygraph scheme in Security Service and Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)) Begins: 1984 Feb 10 Ends: 1984 Aug 8 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 20
PREM19/1374 Security (Circumstances surrounding death of a Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) employee) Begins: 1984 Apr 4 Ends: 1984 Sep 26 Date of release: Retained Classification: Retained Sec 3.4
PREM19/1375 Security (Custody contacts of persons accused of security offences, following arrest of Security Service officer Michael Bettaney) Begins: 1984 May 1 Ends: 1984 Jul 13 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Secret Pages: 20
PREM19/1376 Security (Proposed book by Vernon Newton on Donald Maclean's espionage activities) Begins: 1984 May 14 Ends: 1984 May 21 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Any docs withheld? 2 Classification: Secret Pages: 29
PREM19/1377 Security (Security risks in certain Civil Service grades) Begins: 1984 Oct 15 Ends: 1984 Nov 5 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Confidential Pages: 14
PREM19/1378 Security (Leakage of NATO Alliance documents to Soviet Union by official in Belgian Foreign Ministry) Begins: 1984 Aug 3 Ends: 1984 Aug 6 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Secret Pages: 7
PREM19/1379 Security (Article in ‘The Times’ by Edward Rowlands MP on the Labour Government and the Falkland Islands; disclosure of intelligence information and use of quotations from Cabinet Committee papers) Begins: 1983 Jan 17 Ends: 1984 May 7 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 14
PREM19/1380 Security (Forged recording of telephone conversation between Prime Minister and President Reagan during Falklands campaign) Begins: 1983 May 25 Ends: 1984 Apr 6 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Any docs withheld? 2 Classification: Secret Pages: 44
PREM19/1381 Security (Information leaked by ‘The Guardian’ about siting of cruise nuclear missiles at Greenham Common; Sarah Tisdall not referred to Security Commission) Begins: 1983 Oct 24 Ends: 1984 Apr 9 Date of release: 2018 Dec 28 Any docs withheld? 2 Classification: Confidential Pages: 93
PREM19/1382 Security (Oleg Bitov, Soviet defector; Bitov's return to Moscow) Begins: 1983 Oct 21 Ends: 1984 Sep 17 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Any docs withheld? 2 Classification: Top Secret Pages: 19
PREM19/1383 Security (Access to classified documents by members of Conservative Research Department; case of Tony Hutt, adviser to Secretary of State for the Environment) Begins: 1983 Dec 22 Ends: 1984 Jan 12 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 10
PREM19/1384 Security (South African diplomat accused of spying for Russia) Begins: 1983 Jan 19 Ends: 1984 Jan 23 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Any docs withheld? 2 Classification: Top Secret Pages: 36
PREM19/1385 Security (Case of Rhona Ritchie, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) official, convicted of passing classified documents to Egyptian diplomat in Tel Aviv; Security Commission investigation) Begins: 1982 Mar 17 Ends: 1983 Jul 26 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Any docs withheld? 7 Classification: Secret Pages: 124
PREM19/1386 Security (Case of Intelligence Corps Lance Corporal Philip Leslie Aldridge convicted of passing secret information to Soviet Union; Security Commission investigation) Begins: 1982 Nov 26 Ends: 1984 Mar 27 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Any docs withheld? 2 Classification: Top Secret Pages: 82
PREM19/1387 Security (Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ): changes in funding, status and staffing) (Part 1) Begins: 1981 Mar 10 Ends: 1984 Feb 9 Date of release: Retained Classification: Retained Sec 3.4
PREM19/1388 Security (Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ): changes in funding, status and staffing) (Part 2) Begins: 1984 Feb 6 Ends: 1984 Feb 29 Date of release: Retained Classification: Retained Sec 3.4
PREM19/1389 Security (Distribution of intelligence reports and assessments) Begins: 1979 May 14 Ends: 1984 Nov 14 Date of release: Retained Classification: Retained Sec 3.4
PREM19/1390 Social services (Genetic Manipulation Advisory Group (GMAG)) Begins: 1980 Dec 31 Ends: 1984 Jan 11 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 66
PREM19/1391 South Africa (Internal situation; relations with UK) (Part 3) Begins: 1982 Dec 9 Ends: 1984 Sep 30 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Any docs withheld? 18 Classification: Top Secret Pages: 379
PREM19/1392 South Africa (Visit to UK by Prime Minister, P.W. Botha, June 1984; meeting with Prime Minister) Begins: 1984 Apr 13 Ends: 1984 Jul 19 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Secret Pages: 433
PREM19/1393 Soviet Union (UK/Soviet relations) (Part 2) Begins: 1982 Apr 21 Ends: 1984 May 14 Date of release: 2018 Dec 28 Any docs withheld? 7 Classification: Top Secret Pages: 275
PREM19/1394 Soviet Union (UK/Soviet relations; visit to UK by Mikhail Gorbachev, member of Politburo, December 1984; meeting with Prime Minister) (Part 3) Begins: 1984 Jun 4 Ends: 1984 Dec 22 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Any docs withheld? 3 Classification: Top Secret Pages: 411
PREM19/1395 Sri Lanka (Internal situation; UK/Sri Lankan relations; aid to Sri Lanka) (Part 1) Begins: 1979 May 21 Ends: 1984 Oct 22 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Secret Pages: 354
PREM19/1396 Tonga (Visits to UK by King and Queen of Tonga, December 1979 and October 1983) Begins: 1979 Nov 20 Ends: 1984 Mar 5 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 84
PREM19/1397 Trade (Britain’s international trade policies; problems with Spain and Japan; rolling back protectionism; export promotion) (Part 3) Begins: 1982 Nov 4 Ends: 1984 May 31 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 277
PREM19/1398 Transport (Merger of British Rail Hovercraft and Hoverlloyd (hovercraft operators) to form Hoverspeed in 1981; financial difficulties of Hoverspeed) Begins: 1981 Jun 16 Ends: 1984 Jan 30 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 34
PREM19/1399 Transport (Inquiry into Archway Road Scheme (North London); withdrawal of nominated inspector Sir Michael Giddings following harassment of him and his family) Begins: 1984 Feb 27 Ends: 1984 Nov 19 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 43
PREM19/1400 Transport (British Rail: review of main line electrification; Hastings-Tonbridge rail service) Begins: 1980 Nov 13 Ends: 1984 Jul 30 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 274
PREM19/1401 United Nations (Dinner for members of United Nations Administrative Committee on Coordination, April 1984) Begins: 1983 Oct 17 Ends: 1984 May 10 Date of release: 2014 Jan 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 58
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