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 1601 - 1650 of 5082

Per page:
File name File title Begins Ends Release date Any docs withheld? Classification Pages
PREM19/1527 Home Affairs (Football hooliganism: behaviour of British football fans abroad; Bradford City stadium fire and European Cup Final disaster in Brussels, May 1985) (Part 2) Begins: 1985 Mar 27 Ends: 1985 May 31 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Confidential Pages: 344
PREM19/1528 Home Affairs (Football hooliganism: behaviour of British football fans abroad; European Cup Final disaster in Brussels, May 1985) (Part 3) Begins: 1985 Jun 1 Ends: 1985 Jun 28 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 309
PREM19/1529 Home affairs (Football hooliganism: behaviour of British football fans abroad; interim report of Popplewell Inquiry into crowd safety and control at sports grounds) (Part 4) Begins: 1985 Jul 3 Ends: 1985 Jul 31 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 385
PREM19/1530 Hong Kong (Future of Hong Kong) (Part 17) Begins: 1984 Sep 26 Ends: 1985 Apr 30 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 20 Classification: Secret Pages: 291
PREM19/1531 Hong Kong (Metro Cammell contract to supply rolling stock for Kowloon-Canton railway) Begins: 1981 Aug 14 Ends: 1985 Sep 26 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 38
PREM19/1532 Hong Kong (Power projects in Hong Kong and China involving UK companies: Castle Peak power station in Hong Kong; Guandong nuclear power project) (Part 3) Begins: 1982 Dec 2 Ends: 1985 Dec 30 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 300
PREM19/1533 Housing (Housing policy: the Housing Bill; home improvement policy; private rented sector) (Part 5) Begins: 1985 Jan 1 Ends: 1985 Jun 28 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 6 Classification: Confidential Pages: 415
PREM19/1534 Hungary (UK/Hungarian relations: Prime Minister's visit to Hungary, February 1984) (Part 2) Begins: 1984 Feb 1 Ends: 1985 Jan 16 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 343
PREM19/1535 India (Visits to UK by L K Jha, member of the Brandt Commission and adviser to Indira Gandhi: meetings with Prime Minister) Begins: 1983 Jun 4 Ends: 1985 Mar 21 Date of release: 2015 Jul 16 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Confidential Pages: 63
PREM19/1536 (UK/Indian relations: situation in Punjab; activities of Sikh extremists; proposed visit to UK by Rajiv Gandhi in June 1985) (Part 4) Begins: 1983 Mar 4 Ends: 1985 May 22 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 404
PREM19/1537 Industrial policy (Future of British Leyland: privatisation of UniPart) (Part 8) Begins: 1984 Apr 2 Ends: 1985 Mar 29 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 308
PREM19/1538 Industrial policy (Future of British Leyland: privatisation of UniPart; collaboration with Honda) (Part 9) Begins: 1984 Apr 1 Ends: 1985 Jul 7 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 219
PREM19/1539 Industrial policy (Prime Minister's meetings with Confederation of British Industry (CBI)) (Part 4) Begins: 1983 Nov 8 Ends: 1985 Mar 18 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 290
PREM19/1540 Industrial policy (Wages Councils: international obligations under Convention 26 of the International Labour Organisation) (Part 2) Begins: 1982 Apr 1 Ends: 1985 Jun 28 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 307
PREM19/1541 Industrial policy (Industrial action in the oil industry: possible tanker drivers' strike; contingency planning) Begins: 1979 Nov 30 Ends: 1985 Oct 28 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 187
PREM19/1542 Industrial policy (Industrial relations law) (Part 11) Begins: 1984 Apr 5 Ends: 1985 Jan 14 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 251
PREM19/1543 Iraq (Visits to UK by Iraqi Minister of Trade, Hassan Ali: meetings with Prime Minister) Begins: 1981 Apr 24 Ends: 1985 Nov 29 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 48
PREM19/1544 Iraq (Visits to UK by Iraqi Deputy Prime Ministers, Taha Ramadhan and Tariq Aziz (also Foreign Minister): meetings with Prime Minister) Begins: 1981 Nov 23 Ends: 1985 Dec 12 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Secret Pages: 362
PREM19/1545 Ireland (Cases of Marian Price, Dolours Rea (nee Price), Pauline McLaughlin, Robert Cardwell and the Gillespie sisters: pleas for release from imprisonment) Begins: 1980 Apr 29 Ends: 1985 Dec 16 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 6 Classification: Secret Pages: 96
PREM19/1546 Ireland (Lear Fan aircraft project at Aldergove) Begins: 1980 Feb 12 Ends: 1985 Oct 15 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 72
PREM19/1547 Ireland (Prime Minister's visits to Northern Ireland) (Part 3) Begins: 1982 Dec 2 Ends: 1985 Sep 24 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 2 Classification: Top Secret Pages: 266
PREM19/1548 Ireland (Situation in Northern Ireland) (Part 19) Begins: 1984 Dec 31 Ends: 1985 Mar 28 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Top Secret - UK Eyes A Pages: 366
PREM19/1549 Ireland (Prime Minister's meetings with the Taoiseach: Anglo-Irish relations) (Part 8) Begins: 1984 Nov 27 Ends: 1985 Jun 29 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 313
PREM19/1550 Ireland (Prime Minister's meetings with the Taoiseach: Anglo-Irish relations) (Part 9) Begins: 1985 Jul 1 Ends: 1985 Sep 30 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 333
PREM19/1552 Ireland (Prime Minister's meetings with the Taoiseach: Anglo-Irish relations) (Part 11) Begins: 1985 Nov 1 Ends: 1985 Nov 14 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Secret and Personal Pages: 362
PREM19/1553 Italy (Italian PM’s visits to UK) (Part 2) Begins: 1980 Jan 3 Ends: 1985 Sep 12 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 297
PREM19/1554 Italy (Italian PM visits to UK; Anglo/Italian Summit, October 1984) (Part 3) Begins: 1983 Sep 1 Ends: 1985 Dec 19 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Secret Pages: 361
PREM19/1555 Japan (Anglo-Japanese relations: Nissan car plant in UK) (Part 4) Begins: 1983 Nov 1 Ends: 1985 May 17 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 275
PREM19/1556 Japan (Prime Minister's visit to Japan, September 1982) (Part 2) Begins: 1982 Sep 20 Ends: 1985 Apr 16 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Secret Pages: 148
PREM19/1557 Kenya (State Visit to UK by President Daniel arup Moi, June 1979, and private visit, February 1980: meetings with Prime Minister) Begins: 1979 May 8 Ends: 1985 Jun 4 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 3 Classification: Secret Pages: 286
PREM19/1558 Legal Procedure (Restrictions on conveyancing for reward: solicitors' conveyancing monopoly; increased competition) Begins: 1983 Nov 10 Ends: 1985 May 29 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 155
PREM19/1559 Local Government (Relations with central government, organisation & finance; beginning of Community Charge) (Part 25) Begins: 1985 Jan 1 Ends: 1985 May 31 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 425
PREM19/1560 Local Government (Relations with central government, organisation & finance; Chequers meeting on Community Charge) (Part 26) Begins: 1985 Mar 1 Ends: 1985 May 31 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 369
PREM19/1561 Local Government (Relations with central government, organisation & finance; Community Charge) (Part 27) Begins: 1985 Jun 3 Ends: 1985 Jul 31 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 380
PREM19/1562 Local Government (Relations with central government, organisation & finance; Community Charge) (Part 28) Begins: 1985 Aug 1 Ends: 1985 Nov 29 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 404
PREM19/1563 Local Government (Water industry: structural change; financing arrangements; Water Bill) (Part 2) Begins: 1982 Nov 15 Ends: 1985 Nov 26 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 175
PREM19/1564 Local Government (Planning systems, policy and practice: superstores and the planning system; Sir John Sainsbury's correspondence and meetings with Prime Minister on planning controls; public inquiries) (Part 1) Begins: 1983 Jul 14 Ends: 1985 Apr 30 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 286
PREM19/1565 Local Government (Future of the rating system: alternatives to domestic rates; rate limitation White Paper; rates in Scotland; Community Charge) (Part 3) Begins: 1983 Jul 4 Ends: 1985 Dec 31 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 376
PREM19/1566 Malaysia (UK/Malaysia relations: visit to UK by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad, March 1983; meeting with Prime Minister) (Part 1) Begins: 1979 Aug 28 Ends: 1985 Jul 31 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 4 Classification: Confidential Pages: 347
PREM19/1567 Manpower (Strategy for industry and employment: seminar and paper on employment) (Part 3) Begins: 1984 Jun 5 Ends: 1985 Feb 27 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 416
PREM19/1568 Manpower (Employment policy: measures to counter unemployment; education and training for 14 to 18 year olds; Youth Training Scheme (YTS)) (Part 11) Begins: 1984 Nov 1 Ends: 1985 Feb 27 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 238
PREM19/1569 Manpower (Employment policy: special employment programmes; White Paper on education and training for young people; Youth Training Scheme (YTS); long term unemployment) (Part 12) Begins: 1985 Mar 1 Ends: 1985 May 31 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 291
PREM19/1570 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East) (Part 12) Begins: 1984 Jan 5 Ends: 1985 May 31 Date of release: Temporarily retained
PREM19/1572 Mozambique (Visits to UK by President Samora Machel: meetings with Prime Minister) Begins: 1981 Jun 24 Ends: 1985 Sep 28 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 5 Classification: Secret Pages: 242
PREM19/1573 National Health (Expenditure and efficiency in the National Health Service (NHS): annual report; restrictions on NHS prescribing; limited list of drugs; health charges) (Part 4) Begins: 1984 Sep 4 Ends: 1985 Mar 29 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 319
PREM19/1574 National Health (Report on diet and cardiovascular disease by Committee on Medical Aspects of Food Policy (COMA)) Begins: 1984 Jul 2 Ends: 1985 Aug 7 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 92
PREM19/1575 National Health (Financial support to Medical Research Council (MRC)) Begins: 1984 Jul 25 Ends: 1985 May 8 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 94
PREM19/1576 National Health (Road traffic accident charges: recovery of hospital costs) Begins: 1980 Apr 29 Ends: 1985 Feb 27 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 30
PREM19/1577 Nationalised Industries (Prospects for steel industry: British Steel Corporation (BSC) future strategy; plant closures) (Part 12) Begins: 1983 Jul 7 Ends: 1985 Aug 27 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 225
PREM19/1578 Nationalised industries (Coal mines) (Part 15) Begins: 1984 Nov 21 Ends: 1985 Jan 18 Date of release: 2014 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 379
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