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 2601 - 2650 of 3726

Per page:
File name File title Begins Ends Release date Any docs withheld? Classification Pages
PREM19/2636 Economic Policy (Covenanted charitable donations by close companies: taxation of charities; White Paper on Charities) (Part 1) Begins: 1985 Mar 22 Ends: 1989 May 16 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2637 Economic Policy (The coinage. Note: With coins) Begins: 1980 Nov 20 Ends: 1989 Sep 11 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2638 Economic Policy (VAT zero rates: infraction proceedings; European Court of Justice judgment) (Part 1) Begins: 1982 Feb 12 Ends: 1989 Feb 28 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2639 Economic Policy (Correspondence with Sir Emmanuel Kaye on capital taxation) Begins: 1979 Oct 3 Ends: 1989 Jul 21 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Unclassified Pages: 21
PREM19/2640 Economic Policy (Vehicle Excise Duty) Begins: 1979 May 14 Ends: 1989 May 2 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2641 Economic Policy (G7 Summit - Paris, July 1989) (Part 29) Begins: 1989 Aug 1 Ends: 1989 Sep 4 Date of release: 2019 Apr 16
PREM19/2642 Economic Policy (Prime Minister's meetings with Dr Armand Hammer of Occidental Petroleum) (Part 2) Begins: 1982 Sep 29 Ends: 1989 Dec 18 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20
PREM19/2643 Education (General policy on education) (Part 20) Begins: 1988 Dec 1 Ends: 1989 Mar 23 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 4 Classification: Confidential Pages: 397
PREM19/2644 Education (General policy on education) (Part 21) Begins: 1989 Apr 3 Ends: 1989 Jun 30 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2645 Education (General policy on education) (Part 22) Begins: 1989 Jul 3 Ends: 1989 Dec 19 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2646 Education (Nursery education of children under 5) Begins: 1979 Dec 6 Ends: 1989 Apr 17 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2647 Education (The Open College) Begins: 1987 Aug 21 Ends: 1989 Mar 6 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2648 Education (School meals, milk and transport) Begins: 1979 Sep 13 Ends: 1989 Jun 15 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 126
PREM19/2649 Education (Violence and discipline in schools) Begins: 1987 Nov 30 Ends: 1989 Mar 13 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2650 Education (Student loans: White Paper on Student Support) (Part 2) Begins: 1986 Jun 6 Ends: 1989 Dec 22 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 298
PREM19/2651 Education (Teachers' pay) (Part 11) Begins: 1987 Oct 2 Ends: 1989 May 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2652 Environmental Affairs (Environmental policy: environmental pollution: climate change; London Conference on Saving the Ozone Layer, March 1989) (Part 6) Begins: 1988 Aug 1 Ends: 1989 Jan 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 392
PREM19/2653 Environmental Affairs (Environmental policy: environmental pollution: climate change; London Conference on Saving the Ozone Layer, March 1989) (Part 7) Begins: 1989 Jan 30 Ends: 1989 Feb 28 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 229
PREM19/2654 Environmental Affairs (Environmental policy: environmental pollution: climate change; London Conference on Saving the Ozone Layer, March 1989) (Part 8) Begins: 1989 Mar 1 Ends: 1989 Mar 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 2 Classification: Confidential Pages: 279
PREM19/2655 Environmental Affairs (Environmental policy: environmental pollution: climate change; Prime Minister's seminar on the global climate, April 1989) (Part 9) Begins: 1989 Apr 2 Ends: 1989 Apr 28 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 511
PREM19/2656 Environmental Affairs (Environmental policy: environmental pollution: climate change; Prime Minister's seminar on the global climate, April 1989) (Part 10) Begins: 1989 Apr 21 Ends: 1989 May 26 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 283
PREM19/2657 Environmental Affairs (Environmental policy: environmental pollution: climate change; proposed White Paper on the Environment) (Part 11) Begins: 1989 Jun 5 Ends: 1989 Oct 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 488
PREM19/2658 Environmental Affairs (Environmental policy: environmental pollution: climate change; Environmental Protection Bill) (Part 12) Begins: 1989 Nov 1 Ends: 1989 Nov 30 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 220
PREM19/2659 Environmental Affairs (Benson Building, Islington) (Part 12) Begins: 1989 Jul 3 Ends: 1989 Jul 18 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Unclassified Pages: 5
PREM19/2660 Environmental Affairs (Parliament Square improvements) (Part 12) Begins: 1987 Jul 15 Ends: 1989 May 22 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 55
PREM19/2661 Environmental Affairs (The litter problem in the UK: briefing on the City of Westminster Bill; Westminster Initiative Report; part 1. Note: With photographs) (Part 1) Begins: 1985 Dec 11 Ends: 1989 Apr 24 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 319
PREM19/2662 European Policy (European Community budget: developments in the European Community; Cabinet Office brief on Community competence) (Part 41) Begins: 1989 Mar 1 Ends: 1989 May 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 387
PREM19/2663 European Policy (European Community budget: developments in the European Community) (Part 42) Begins: 1989 Jun 1 Ends: 1989 Sep 29 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2664 European Policy (European Community budget: developments in the European Community) (Part 43) Begins: 1989 Oct 2 Ends: 1989 Nov 30 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2665 European Policy (European Council meeting, Madrid, June 1989) (Part 32) Begins: 1989 Jun 7 Ends: 1989 Jun 22 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 289
PREM19/2666 European Policy (European Council meeting, Madrid, June 1989) (Part 33) Begins: 1989 Jun 23 Ends: 1989 Jun 27 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Secret Pages: 348
PREM19/2667 European Policy (European Council meeting, Madrid, June 1989) (Part 34) Begins: 1989 Jun 27 Ends: 1989 Jul 17 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2668 European Policy (European Council meeting, Strasbourg, December 1989) (Part 35) Begins: 1989 Nov 3 Ends: 1989 Dec 11 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2669 European Policy (European Council meeting, Strasbourg, December 1989) (Part 36) Begins: 1989 Dec 12 Ends: 1989 Dec 15 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2671 European Policy (Proposals for a common format for the passports of European Community member states: abolition of frontiers formalities within the European Community) Begins: 1980 Apr 14 Ends: 1989 Mar 23 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2672 European Policy (Meeting of European Community leaders to discuss the situation in Eastern Europe, Paris, 18 November 1989) Begins: 1989 Nov 13 Ends: 1989 Nov 30 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2673 European Policy (European Convention on Human Rights) (Part 2) Begins: 1986 Jun 6 Ends: 1989 Sep 29 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20
PREM19/2675 European Policy (European Monetary System (EMS)) (Part 3) Begins: 1987 Jun 10 Ends: 1989 Feb 28 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 327
PREM19/2676 European Policy (European Monetary System (EMS)) (Part 4) Begins: 1989 Mar 1 Ends: 1989 Aug 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 376
PREM19/2677 Food (Food safety) (Part 1) Begins: 1989 Jan 30 Ends: 1989 Mar 30 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2678 Food (Food safety) (Part 2) Begins: 1989 Apr 3 Ends: 1989 Jun 30 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2680 Foreign Policy (Allegations concerning war criminals: Simon Weisenthal Center; War Crimes Inquiry) (Part 1) Begins: 1986 Oct 22 Ends: 1989 Jun 29 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2681 Foreign Policy (Allegations concerning war criminals: War Crimes Inquiry) (Part 2) Begins: 1989 Jun 30 Ends: 1989 Dec 22 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2682 Foreign Policy (East/West relations) (Part 9) Begins: 1988 Dec 2 Ends: 1989 Nov 17 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 8 Classification: Secret Pages: 347
PREM19/2685 Foreign Policy (Prime Minister's visit to Morocco, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Namibia, March-April 1989) (Part 1) Begins: 1989 Jan 20 Ends: 1989 Mar 21 Date of release: 2018 Jul 24 Any docs withheld? 15 Classification: Secret - Cab One Pages: 342
PREM19/2686 Foreign Policy (Prime Minister's visit to Morocco, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Namibia, March-April 1989) (Part 2) Begins: 1989 Mar 22 Ends: 1989 May 16 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 12 Classification: Top Secret - Cab One Pages: 331
PREM19/2687 Foreign Policy (Correspondence with and about George Soros: economic proposals concerning the Soviet Union and Poland) Begins: 1987 Sep 3 Ends: 1989 Sep 8 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 108
PREM19/2688 Foreign Policy (Consular Fees (Amendment) Bill: increases in consular fees) Begins: 1979 Jul 10 Ends: 1989 Mar 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2689 Foreign Policy (Policy towards bilateral summits) Begins: 1988 Mar 28 Ends: 1989 Apr 18 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/2690 Foreign Policy (Prime Minister's visit to Australia, Bahrain, Oman, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Dubai, August 1988: policy. Note: With photograph) Begins: 1988 Aug 1 Ends: 1989 May 17 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 2 Classification: Secret Pages: 250
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