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 1451 - 1500 of 3726

Per page:

File name	File title	Begins	Ends	Release date	Any docs withheld?	Classification	Pages
PREM19/1452	Economic policy (Public Spending) (Part 31)	Begins: 1984 Dec 17	Ends: 1985 Apr 30	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 330
PREM19/1453	Economic policy (Public Spending) (Part 32)	Begins: 1985 May 10	Ends: 1985 Sep 30	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 241
PREM19/1454	Economic policy (Public Spending) (Part 33)	Begins: 1985 Oct 1	Ends: 1985 Nov 26	Date of release: 2015 Jul 16		Classification: Secret	Pages: 341
PREM19/1455	Economic policy (The Budget, 1984 and 1985) (Part 13)	Begins: 1984 Mar 15	Ends: 1985 Mar 8	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 364
PREM19/1456	Economic policy (Domestic monetary policy) (Part 12)	Begins: 1984 Dec 5	Ends: 1985 Apr 26	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 390
PREM19/1457	Economic policy (Domestic monetary policy) (Part 13)	Begins: 1985 May 10	Ends: 1985 Jun 28	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 394
PREM19/1458	Economic policy (Domestic monetary policy) (Part 14)	Begins: 1985 Jul 3	Ends: 1985 Nov 29	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 397
PREM19/1459	Economic policy (Policy towards privatisation: disposal of public sector assets; contracting out of public sector functions) (Part 11)	Begins: 1984 Apr 4	Ends: 1985 Nov 29	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 387
PREM19/1460	Economic policy (Policy towards privatisation: disposal of public sector assets; contracting out of public sector functions) (Part 12	Begins: 1984 Apr 4	Ends: 1985 Nov 29	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 387
PREM19/1461	Economic policy (Financial services: position of Stock Exchange, including future changes to structure and membership; Gower Report on Investor Protection; securities regulation; commercial fraud) (Part 1)	Begins: 1983 Nov 24	Ends: 1985 Sep 18	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 351
PREM19/1462	Economic policy (Pay Review Body reports on pay of civil servants, armed forces and National Health Service (NHS); Top Salaries Review Body (TSRB) pension awards; pay of Permanent and Deputy Secretaries) (Part 6)	Begins: 1984 Mar 6	Ends: 1985 May 31	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 281
PREM19/1463	Economic policy (Pay Review Body reports: Top Salaries Review Body (TSRB) report on salaries of senior civil servants, senior members of the armed services and judges; future of TSRB) (Part 7)	Begins: 1985 Jun 3	Ends: 1985 Nov 29	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 19
PREM19/1464	Economic policy (Countering tax fraud and evasion: report on the black economy)	Begins: 1981 Feb 16	Ends: 1985 Jun 3	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 123
PREM19/1465	Economic policy (Meetings of National Economic Development Council (NEDC): future role) (Part 3)	Begins: 1982 Jan 1	Ends: 1985 Sep 10	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 299
PREM19/1466	Economic policy (Policy on small firms: administrative and legislative burdens; Loan Guarantee Scheme) (Part 5)	Begins: 1984 Sep 4	Ends: 1985 Apr 30	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 192
PREM19/1467	Economic policy (G7 Summit - Bonn) (Part 18)	Begins: 1984 Sep 7	Ends: 1985 Apr 30	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 464
PREM19/1468	Economic policy (G7 Summit - Bonn) (Part 19)	Begins: 1985 Apr 25	Ends: 1985 Sep 22	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 412
PREM19/1469	Education (General policy on education and education expenditure: White Paper on Schools) (Part 4)	Begins: 1984 Jan 3	Ends: 1985 Feb 28	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 327
PREM19/1470	Education (General policy on education and education expenditure: White Paper on Better Schools; Green Paper on Higher Education) (Part 5)	Begins: 1985 Mar 1	Ends: 1985 Aug 27	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 283
PREM19/1471	Education (Teachers’ pay) (Part 3)	Begins: 1982 Apr 1	Ends: 1985 Jan 30	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 382
PREM19/1472	Education (Teachers’ pay) (Part 4)	Begins: 1985 Feb 6	Ends: 1985 Jul 31	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 347
PREM19/1473	Egypt (Visits to UK by President Mubarak by Foreign Minister Ismat Abdel Meguid: meetings with Prime Minister) (Part 1)	Begins: 1981 Dec 12	Ends: 1985 Dec 18	Date of release: 2018 Dec 28	Any docs withheld? 1	Classification: Confidential	Pages: 352
PREM19/1474	Energy (Future of British National Oil Corporation (BNOC): flotation of Britoil, BNOC oil-producing business) (Part 5)	Begins: 1982 Jan 14	Ends: 1985 Nov 12	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 5	Classification: Secret	Pages: 282
PREM19/1475	Energy (Cross Channel electricity link)	Begins: 1980 Jul 15	Ends: 1985 Jun 17	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 55
PREM19/1476	Environmental Affairs (Prime Minister's lunch with conservationists)	Begins: 1985 Oct 21	Ends: 1985 Nov 26	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 46
PREM19/1477	Environmental Affairs (Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution: effects of acid rain; agriculture and conservation) (Part 3)	Begins: 1984 Nov 2	Ends: 1985 May 30	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 1	Classification: Secret	Pages: 503
PREM19/1478	European Policy (European Community Budget: developments in the European Community; Dooge Committee on European Community institutions) (Part 28)	Begins: 1984 Nov 1	Ends: 1985 Feb 27	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 424
PREM19/1479	European Policy (European Community Budget: developments in the European Community) (Part 29)	Begins: 1985 Mar 5	Ends: 1985 May 30	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 314
PREM19/1480	European Policy (European Community Budget: developments in the European Community) (Part 30)	Begins: 1985 Jun 6	Ends: 1985 Nov 29	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 401
PREM19/1481	European Policy (European Strategic Research Programme in Information Technology (ESPRIT))	Begins: 1983 Nov 22	Ends: 1984 Mar 19	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 76
PREM19/1482	European Policy (European political co-operation in foreign policy field: Genscher/Colombo proposals)	Begins: 1981 May 6	Ends: 1985 Apr 23	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 142
PREM19/1483	European Policy (Visits to UK by Viscount Etienne Davignon, Vice-President of European Commission, February and November 1984: meetings with Prime Minister)	Begins: 1983 Dec 23	Ends: 1984 Nov 23	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 29
PREM19/1484	European Policy (European Community Labour and Social Affairs Council: draft recommendation on reduction and reorganisation of working time)	Begins: 1984 May 31	Ends: 1984 Jun 6	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 16
PREM19/1485	European Policy (European Convention on Human Rights: corporal punishment in schools)	Begins: 1980 Nov 12	Ends: 1984 Apr 30	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 72
PREM19/1486	European Policy (Enlargement of European Community: applications of Portugal and Spain) (Part 2)	Begins: 1983 Jun 13	Ends: 1985 Aug 30	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 279
PREM19/1487	European Policy (Dean Dove Ltd: provision of financial assistance by Department of Trade and Industry, in breach of European Community guidelines)	Begins: 1985 Jan 10	Ends: 1985 Jan 29	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 21
PREM19/1488	European Policy (European Democratic Group (EDG) in European Parliament; links with other groups/Parties)	Begins: 1984 Jan 30	Ends: 1985 Jun 6	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 35
PREM19/1489	European Policy (Prime Minister of Spain request for UK support for candidacy of Don Marcelino Oreja as Secretary-General of Council of Europe: Oreja's meeting with Prime Minister, January 1985)	Begins: 1984 Jan 30	Ends: 1985 Jun 5	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 53
PREM19/1490	European Policy (European Council meeting, Brussels, March 1985) (Part 20)	Begins: 1985 Mar 7	Ends: 1985 Apr 30	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 718
PREM19/1491	European Policy (European Council meeting, Milan, June 1985) (Part 21)	Begins: 1985 May 10	Ends: 1985 Jun 27	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 276
PREM19/1492	European Policy (European Council meeting, Milan, June 1985) (Part 22)	Begins: 1985 Jun 27	Ends: 1985 Dec 6	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 247
PREM19/1493	Fishing Industry (EEC Common Fisheries Policy) (Part 5)	Begins: 1981 Sep 22	Ends: 1985 Jun 14	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 331
PREM19/1494	Foreign Policy (East/West relations) (Part 4)	Begins: 1983 Oct 27	Ends: 1985 Jun 29	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 1	Classification: Secret	Pages: 315
PREM19/1495	Foreign Policy (East/West relations) (Part 5)	Begins: 1985 Jul 31	Ends: 1985 Nov 29	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 7	Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 424
PREM19/1496	Foreign Policy (Prime Minister's visit to South-East Asia, April 1985) (Part 1)	Begins: 1984 Dec 13	Ends: 1985 Mar 21	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 2	Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 334
PREM19/1497	Foreign Policy (Prime Minister's visit to South-East Asia, April 1985) (Part 1)	Begins: 1985 Apr 1	Ends: 1985 Apr 4	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 9	Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 146
PREM19/1498	Foreign Policy (Prime Minister's visit to South-East Asia, April 1985) (Part 2)	Begins: 1985 Apr 5	Ends: 1985 Jul 27	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 14	Classification: Secret	Pages: 367
PREM19/1499	Foreign Policy (Briefing for Prime Minister's visit to South-East Asia, April 1985)	Begins: 1985 Apr 4	Ends: 1985 Apr 13	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 12	Classification: Secret	Pages: 318
PREM19/1500	Foreign Policy (Briefing for officials for Prime Minister's visit to South-East Asia, April 1985)	Begins: 1985 Apr 4	Ends: 1985 Apr 13	Date of release: 2014 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 7	Classification: Confidential	Pages: 203
PREM19/1501	Foreign Policy (Prime Minister's visit to Egypt and Jordan, September 1985: policy and briefing)	Begins: 1985 Jul 15	Ends: 1985 Sep 29	Date of release: Temporarily Retained

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