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 2951 - 3000 of 3726

Per page:
File name File title Begins Ends Release date Any docs withheld? Classification Pages
PREM19/3040 Industrial Policy (Review of the arrangements for consultation with the construction industry: private investment in construction) Begins: 1980 Feb 14 Ends: 1990 Oct 8 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/3041 Industrial Policy (The Finniston Committee of Inquiry into the Engineering Profession: Engineering Council) Begins: 1979 Dec 17 Ends: 1990 Apr 3 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/3042 Industrial Policy (Future of the Rover Group: National Audit Office report on the sale of the Rover Group) (Part 16) Begins: 1989 Jan 7 Ends: 1990 Mar 30 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20
PREM19/3043 Industrial Policy (Wages Councils: future) (Part 3) Begins: 1985 Jul 1 Ends: 1990 Jan 29 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/3045 Iraq (UK/Iraq relations) (Part 1) Begins: 1979 Jul 5 Ends: 1990 Mar 29 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/3046 Iraq (UK/Iraq relations) (Part 2) Begins: 1990 Apr 2 Ends: 1990 Jul 17 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/3048 Ireland (Meetings with the Taoiseach) (Part 20) Begins: 1989 Jan 20 Ends: 1990 Mar 21 Date of release: 2018 Jul 24
PREM19/3052 Ireland (Renewal of Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1978; consideration of section 12 (detention); reviews of the Act; Government's security policy in Northern Ireland) Begins: 1980 Jun 25 Ends: 1990 Nov 8 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30
PREM19/3053 Ireland (Situation in Northern Ireland) (Part 28) [Part 27 out of sequence] Begins: 1990 May 1 Ends: 1991 Apr 30 Date of release: 2027 Any docs withheld? 5 Classification: Secret Pages: 303
PREM19/3055 Israel (Visits to UK by Menachem Begin, Israeli Prime Minister, and his successors Yitzhak Shamir and Shimon Peres) (Part 1) Begins: 1979 May 6 Ends: 1990 Jun 12 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20
PREM19/3055 Israel (The Prime Minister's meetings with Shimon Peres, leader of the Israeli Labour Party) Begins: 1980 May 5 Ends: 1990 Nov 8 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20
PREM19/3056 Italy (Anglo-Italian Summits) (Part 4) Begins: 1986 Nov 5 Ends: 1990 Feb 23 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Confidential Pages: 245
PREM19/3057 Italy (Anglo-Italian relations: internal situation) (Part 2) Begins: 1986 Jan 24 Ends: 1990 Mar 5 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Confidential Pages: 307
PREM19/3058 Italy (Visits of the Italian Prime Minister: visits of the Italian President) (Part 3) Begins: 1986 Oct 3 Ends: 1990 Oct 20 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 6 Classification: Secret Pages: 316
PREM19/3059 Japan (Visits of Noboru Takeshita, Prime Minister of Japan (May 1988) and his successor Toshiki Kaifu (January 1990)) (Part 2) Begins: 1987 Dec 11 Ends: 1990 Feb 28 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20
PREM19/3060 Kenya (Relations between Kenya and Uganda) Begins: 1979 Sep 24 Ends: 1990 Mar 23 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Secret Pages: 21
PREM19/3062 Local Government (Correspondence from Sir John Sainsbury on planning controls; general planning inquiries; future of development plans; Planning Bill) (Part 7) Begins: 1989 Sep 4 Ends: 1990 Jul 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 320
PREM19/3063 Local Government (Future of the rating system: rating revaluation; Community Charge) (Part 16) Begins: 1990 Jan 2 Ends: 1990 Feb 28 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 336
PREM19/3064 Local Government (Future of the rating system: rating revaluation; Community Charge) (Part 17) Begins: 1990 Mar 1 Ends: 1990 Mar 30 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 2 Classification: Secret Pages: 429
PREM19/3065 Local Government (Future of the rating system: rating revaluation; Community Charge) (Part 18) Begins: 1990 Apr 2 Ends: 1990 Apr 30 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 420
PREM19/3066 Local Government (Future of the rating system: rating revaluation; Community Charge) (Part 19) Begins: 1990 May 2 Ends: 1990 Jun 29 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Secret Pages: 519
PREM19/3067 Local Government (Future of the rating system: rating revaluation; Community Charge) (Part 20) Begins: 1990 Jul 2 Ends: 1990 Oct 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 287
PREM19/3068 Local Government (Relations between central and local government: local authority expenditure) (Part 37) Begins: 1989 Jun 9 Ends: 1990 Feb 26 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Secret Pages: 346
PREM19/3069 Manpower (Special employment measures: future of the Employment Service; training policy) (Part 22) Begins: 1989 Aug 1 Ends: 1990 Jan 23 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Secret Pages: 369
PREM19/3070 Manpower (Special employment measures: Prime Minister's seminar on training, 2 February 1990; future of the Skills Training Agency) (Part 23) Begins: 1990 Jan 23 Ends: 1990 Feb 28 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 329
PREM19/3071 Manpower (Special employment measures: training policy; pilot schemes of training credits for young people) (Part 24) Begins: 1990 Mar 1 Ends: 1990 Oct 31 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 264
PREM19/3072 Middle East (Arms sales and military assistance to Middle East countries) (Part 4) Begins: 1984 Nov 8 Ends: 1990 Aug 31 Date of release: Retained under Sec 3.4 (reconsideration in 2027)
PREM19/3073 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East) (Part 20) Begins: 1989 Dec 3 Ends: 1990 Aug 1 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 6 Classification: Secret - Cab One Pages: 177
PREM19/3074 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East: Iraqi invasion of Kuwait) (Part 21) Begins: 1990 Aug 2 Ends: 1990 Aug 6 Date of release: Retained under Sec 3.4 (reconsideration in 2027)
PREM19/3075 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East: Iraqi invasion of Kuwait) (Part 22) Begins: 1990 Aug 7 Ends: 1990 Aug 12 Date of release: Retained under Sec 3.4 (reconsideration in 2027)
PREM19/3076 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East: Iraqi invasion of Kuwait) (Part 23) Begins: 1990 Aug 13 Ends: 1990 Aug 19 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 15 Classification: Top Secret Pages: 349
PREM19/3077 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East: Iraqi invasion of Kuwait) (Part 24) Begins: 1990 Aug 20 Ends: 1990 Aug 23 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Top Secret Pages: 370
PREM19/3078 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East: Iraqi invasion of Kuwait) (Part 25) Begins: 1990 Aug 24 Ends: 1990 Aug 29 Date of release: Retained under Sec 3.4 (reconsideration in 2027)
PREM19/3079 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East: Iraqi invasion of Kuwait) (Part 26) Begins: 1990 Aug 30 Ends: 1990 Aug 31 Date of release: 2018 Jul 24 Any docs withheld? 9 Classification: Secret Pages: 182
PREM19/3080 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East: Iraqi invasion of Kuwait) (Part 27) Begins: 1990 Sep 1 Ends: 1990 Sep 16 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 7 Classification: Top Secret Pages: 299
PREM19/3081 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East: Iraqi invasion of Kuwait) (Part 28) Begins: 1990 Sep 6 Ends: 1990 Sep 13 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Top Secret Pages: 328
PREM19/3082 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East: Iraqi invasion of Kuwait) (Part 29) Begins: 1990 Sep 14 Ends: 1990 Sep 29 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 16 Classification: Secret Pages: 362
PREM19/3083 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East: Iraqi invasion of Kuwait) (Part 30) Begins: 1990 Sep 26 Ends: 1990 Oct 8 Date of release: Retained under Sec 3.4 (reconsideration in 2028)
PREM19/3084 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East: Iraqi invasion of Kuwait) (Part 31) Begins: 1990 Oct 9 Ends: 1990 Oct 21 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Top Secret - Cab One Pages: 324
PREM19/3085 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East: Iraqi invasion of Kuwait) (Part 32) Begins: 1990 Oct 22 Ends: 1990 Oct 31 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 11 Classification: Top Secret - Cab One Pages: 241
PREM19/3086 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East: Iraqi invasion of Kuwait) (Part 33) Begins: 1990 Nov 1 Ends: 1990 Nov 17 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 8 Classification: Top Secret - Cab One Pages: 375
PREM19/3087 Ministers (Titles of Ministers and order of precedence) Begins: 1979 May 8 Ends: 1990 May 24 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Confidential Pages: 319
PREM19/3089 Ministers (Prime Minister's meetings with Junior Ministers) Begins: 1979 Jun 6 Ends: 1990 Sep 12 Date of release: 2016 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Confidential Pages: 266
PREM19/3090 Ministers (Presence of Ministers in the House of Commons) Begins: 1990 Apr 11 Ends: 1990 Apr 18 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Unclassified Pages: 6
PREM19/3091 Mozambique (Internal situation: aid programme; relations with the UK) Begins: 1979 Aug 2 Ends: 1990 Mar 23 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 8 Classification: Top Secret - Cab One Pages: 360
PREM19/3092 National Health ( Industrial action in the National Health Service (NHS): NHS workers pay (except nurses)) (Part 3) Begins: 1984 Mar 9 Ends: 1990 Jan 29 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Secret Pages: 420
PREM19/3093 National Health (Expenditure and efficiency in the National Health Service (NHS): implementation of NHS reforms) (Part 23) Begins: 1989 Nov 1 Ends: 1990 Mar 30 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Any docs withheld? 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 210
PREM19/3094 National Health (Expenditure and efficiency in the National Health Service (NHS): implementation of NHS reforms) (Part 24) Begins: 1990 Apr 2 Ends: 1990 May 31 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Secret Pages: 276
PREM19/3095 National Health (The Cyclotron Trust) (Part 1) Begins: 1989 Jan 4 Ends: 1990 May 31 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Confidential Pages: 322
PREM19/3096 National Health (The Cyclotron Trust) (Part 2) Begins: 1990 Jun 1 Ends: 1990 Sep 7 Date of release: 2017 Jul 20 Classification: Confidential Pages: 111
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