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Browse PM’s files

Showing items 1 - 50 of 51.
PDF 84 Jan 16 Mo Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: MT letter to Prime Minister González ('RAPIER' system: British Aerospace consortium with Spanish industry) ["I know that Michael Heseltine has written very recently to Sr Narcis Serra... But I wish to add my own support to the British Aerospace proposals"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Feb 20 Mo Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Prime Minister González letter to MT ('RAPIER' system: British Aerospace consortium with Spanish industry) [four competing bids from UK, US, West Germany/France and Italy: "we hope to be able to make a final decision soon"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Mar 2 Fr Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Heseltine PS letter to No.10 ("Credit for Defence sales to India") ["Although the ECGD system appeared to be acceptable, clearly the normal terms applicable were not... Credit terms are clearly going to play an important part in our efforts to secure a major piece of the Indian defence market"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Mar 16 Fr Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: No.10 minute to MT ("Export credit support for Vosper Thorneycroft") [MT advised to call OD or EX committee meeting in order to decide between two potential Vosper Thorneycroft contracts: frigates for Pakistan or fast patrol craft for Kenya] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Mar 26 Mo Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Heseltine PS letter to No.10 ("Rapier") [MT "has... agreed... to send a message to Sr Moran on the subject of Gibraltar. In light of this... we do not envisage any further action at the moment"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Mar 27 Tu Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: No.10 Policy Unit minute to MT ("Export credit for Pakistan") ["Given Pakistan's financial position, this proposal comes very close to aid, in military form. Pakistan is a poor risk... The prime object of exporting is to get paid, not to win prestige, or cement friendships"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Apr 11 We Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Howe PS letter to No.10 ("Spain: Rapier") ["You asked for background on the Spanish Government's recent decision to buy the Franco-German Roland missile system in preference to Rapier"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 May 1 Tu Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Tebbit minute to MT ("Tornado for Turkey") ["When you meet Chancellor Kohl on Wednesday I think it would be useful if you could raise [this] with him"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 May 11 Fr Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Chancellor of the Exchequer minute to Howe ("Western European Union (WEU)") ["It is difficult to believe that yet another forum is needed to discuss defence matters"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 May 11 Fr Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Chancellor of the Exchequer letter to Tebbit ("Tornados for Turkey") [MT "did not in fact raise this issue [at the Anglo-German Summit]... I am however seriously concerned about the way this proposal was put forward at the last minute without proper consultation"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 May 14 Mo Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Heseltine PS letter to No.10 ("Helicopters for RAN Frigates: support for Westlands") ["Mr Hayden's visit to London provides an excellent opportunity to give the Westlands case timely support"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 May 16 We Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Heseltine PS letter to Howe PS ("Sale of Tornado to Saudi Arabia") [need for ongoing confidentiality, with deal nearly clinched] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Jun 6 We Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Heseltine minute to Howe ("Libya - current Defence sales business") [results of review undertaken "with the aim of terminating any contracts... of potential benefit to terrorist activity"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Jun 6 We Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Heseltine minute to MT ("Quarterly Report on Defence Sales and Prospects 1st January 1984 - 31st March 1984") ["disappointing following our highly successful achievements in 1983"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Jun 15 Fr Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: No.10 minute to MT ("Libya: Defence Sales") ["contracts of potential benefit to terrorists... Martello Surveillance Radars... The Lord Chancellor... thinks that we should try to get other countries to undertake not to supply the radars. Only if they refuse should the contract for Martellos be allowed to stand"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Jun 25 Mo Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Managing Director of British Aerospace PLC letter to Tebbit ("Tornados for Turkey") ["as a result of my visit to Turkey... they have indicated an intention to proceed... subject to confirmation of the terms offered in my letter... I would like to outline the importance of this decision so that all the factors concerned may be taken into account"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Jul 5 Th Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: No.10 minute to MT ("Libya - current Defence sales business") [Marconi contract for supply of Martello Surveillance Radars: "should be allowed to go ahead only if... France and Italy would not supply... if we cancelled the contract"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Jul 5 Th Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: President Zia ul Haq letter to MT (sale of Frigates to Pakistan) ["I have asked Admiral Khan that he should, at the conclusion of the official phase of his visit, carry out detailed discussions with MOD... Several other West European shipyards have expressed a keen interest... on extremely competitive and attractive terms"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Jul 19 Th Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Ministry of Defence record of conversation (sale of frigates to Pakistan) [Geoffrey Pattie, Admiral Khan] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Jul 20 Fr Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Geoffrey Pattie letter to Tebbit ("Frigates for Pakistan") ["I am writing to seek your agreement to an increase in the level of UK credit to £200m"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Jul 26 Th Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Richard Luce letter to Heseltine ("Libya: current Defence sales business") ["Marconi's contract for the sale to Libya of Martello Surveillance Radar... undertakings from France and Italy that they would not supply if we were to cancel the contract... inconclusive... [I] consider that we should place no further impediment in the way of this sale"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Aug 1 We Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Rees minute to MT ("ECDG cover for Pakistan") [Treasury case against OD committee proposal of credit cover for sale of frigates: "on an exceptional basis and without prejudice to the Government's general policy of reducing ECGD's exposure in countries whose creditworthiness was in doubt"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Aug 6 Mo Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Heseltine letter to Tebbit ("Frigates for Pakistan") ["to seek your agreement to a way forward that would allow... [MT] to write in positive terms in reply to President Zia's most recent letter... it seems clear that the only way... would be for ECGD to provide increased indemnity"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Aug 21 Tu Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Chancellor of the Exchequer minute to MT ("Tornados for Turkey") ["I do not think [Tebbit's proposed] course could be justified in terms of our policy of limiting ECGD's exposure in the most risky markets or in the light of ECGD's own precarious financial position... Recent developments in Turkey confirm the need for a cautious approach"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Aug 29 We Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: MT letter to President of the Society of British Aerospace Companies Ltd (sale of Tornado aircraft to Turkey) ["in terms of our risk exposure... It will need careful consideration to determine where the balance of national advantage lies"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Aug 30 Th Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Heseltine minute to MT ("Quarterly Report on Defence Sales and Prospects 1st April - 30th June 1984") ["disappointing... with sales in the first half of 1984 now some 18 percent less in cash terms than for the same period in 1983"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Sep 4 Tu Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Heseltine letter to Chancellor of the Exchequer ("Mobile Subscriber Equipment") [problems Plessey face in bidding for US Army battlefield communications system ... "The potential size of the contract is enormous ... an MOD scheme, as proposed by Plessey, under which we would agree to buy from them, at predetermined rates, all the dollars they received under the contract"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Sep 26 We Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Tebbit minute to MT ("Tornados for Turkey") [export credit support: arguments for and against HMG support] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Sep 27 Th Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Heseltine PS letter to No.10 ("Frigates to Pakistan") [draft MT reply to President Zia-ul-Haq; "there have been long consultations... in an attempt to make an improved credit offer without increasing ECGD's commitment"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Sep 30 Su Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: MT letter to President Zia-ul-Haq (sale of Type 21 Frigates to Pakistan) [contract negotiations; Memorandum of Understanding] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Oct 3 We Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Tebbit PS letter to No.10 ("Hawk Order") [press release: "an American gloss on what has properly in this country been represented as a considerable British achievement"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Oct 15 Mo Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Channon minute to MT ("ECGD cover: Turkey and Pakistan") ["I would hope that we could review the whole position of cover in cases like this at the OD meeting on 22 October so that we do not lose other good potential business"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Oct 19 Fr Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Cabinet Office briefing for MT ("OD: Tornados for Turkey") [export credit support proposals: "dramatic increase in both the total contract value of the order... and the resulting... [UK] credit exposure"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Oct 31 We Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Cabinet Office briefing for MT ("Tornados for Turkey") ["whether the revised BAe proposals are acceptable and what the division of credit exposure should be between public and private sector sources"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Nov 2 Fr Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Cabinet Office minute to No.10 ("Attribution in Cabinet and Cabinet Committee minutes") [Lawson query regarding individual attributions in minutes of OD meeting on sale of Tornado to Turkey] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Nov 9 Fr Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: MT letter to King Fahd (sale of Tornado and Hawk aircraft to Saudi Arabia) ["I trust that the final negotiations... may now proceed... As a mark of my desire to bring this message directly to Your Majesty's attention, I have asked Michael Heseltine to bring it in person"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Nov 12 Mo Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Adam Butler PS letter to No.10 ("Overhaul Contract for Phantom Engines") [MT approves awarding the contract to Greece following resolution of the question over sale of Tornado to Turkey] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Nov 19 Mo Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Heseltine minute to MT ("Sale of Tornado and Hawk to Saudi Arabia") [report on visit to Saudi Arabia/talks with King Fahd & Prince Sultan; criticism of Saudi royal family in British press; "I do not believe that the deal is necessarily lost, but I am not optimistic about the outcome"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Nov 21 We Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: MT letter to President of the Society of British Aerospace Companies Ltd (sale of Tornado to Turkey) [credit support: "we have concluded that the financial risks for the Government are unacceptably high"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Nov 21 We Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: MT letter to Chairman of British Aerospace PLC (sale of Tornado to Turkey) [credit support: "the financial risks for the Government... are unacceptably high"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Dec 6 Th Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Channon PS letter to No.10 ("Sale of Airbus to Turkey") ["we suspect a degree of brinkmanship by Sir Ray Lygo - BAe are unwilling themselves to carry any share of the exposure... and their bankers have still not decided whether they will carry on their own account the risk on the £36 million loan amount not covered by ECGD"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Dec 10 Mo Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: No.10 minute to MT ("Frigates for Pakistan") ["The problem of credit... has re-emerged, with the Pakistanis pressing us to find an extra £30 million... MOD and the FCO want to [comply]... DTI... are prepared to go along... Treasury are firmly opposed"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Dec 10 Mo Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Heseltine minute to MT ("Quarterly Report on Defence Sales and Prospects 1st July to 30th September 1984") ["very disappointing... sales in the first three quarters of 1984 some 29% lower than for the same period in 1983"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Dec 11 Tu Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: MT letter to Kenneth Warren MP (sale of Tornado to Turkey) ["There is no question of our using double standards for ECGD exposure in any given market"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Dec 14 Fr Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Defence briefing for MT ("Call by Prince Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi Ambassador in Washington, on the Prime Minister - 17th December 1984") [sale of Tornado to Saudi Arabia; Arab/Israeli conflict; MT forthcoming talks with Reagan] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Dec 16 Su Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: UKE Jedda telegram to FCO ("Call by Prince Bandar bin Sultan on the Prime Minister") ["this meeting... could play a crucial role in recovering our chances on Tornado.... I hope that... [MT] can show... that we recognize that the main Saudi external preoccupation... [is] the Arab-Israel problem... [and the] need for the European Community to work on the Americans"] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Dec 17 Mo Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: No.10 record of conversation (MT, Heseltine, Prince Bandar, Stephen Egerton) [British media; MT forthcoming talks with Reagan; Arab/Israeli dispute/Middle East peace process; international financial stability; terrorism; sale of Tornado to Saudi Arabia] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Dec 21 Fr Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Chancellor of the Exchequer PS letter to No.10 ("Tornados for Turkey") [cover note for UKE Ankara telegram indicating that the Turkish army does not have the de facto autonomy over military expenditure that British Aerospace believes it to have] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Dec 21 Fr Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: FCO telegram 2180 to UKE Washington (1800Z) ("Saudi Arabia: Tornado") [need to show Saudis that UK emphasising concern to US government about Arab/Israeli dispute, if Tornado deal to be saved; Howe advising MT message to King Fahd, and Ambassador Wright call Prince Bandar after MT talks with Reagan] [declassified Jan 2014]
PDF 84 Dec 28 Fr Declassified documents Major Archive (TNA) Defence: Baroness Young letter to Rees ("ECGD cover for Turkey") [sale of seven Airbus aircraft; second Bosphorus bridge contract] [declassified Jan 2014]

Documents lie at the core of this website, each one dated and sorted chronologically (by default) in search results. Most are images in PDF format of original paper documents scanned or filmed for the site. There also transcripts of speeches and interviews, press articles, photos, videos, and more. The document database contains tens of thousands of items and permits complex searching.

Files are multi-page PDFs from which most of the documents on the site are selected. All of Mrs Thatcher’s official files from No.10 are available in full on this site (paper copies are stored at the National Archives in the series PREM19), as well as most of those of Geoffrey Howe and Nigel Lawson as Chancellor (stored at TNA as series T639 and T640).

Guides are articles about key events and topics. Many were written to accompany annual releases of Mrs Thatcher’s private and party papers at the Churchill Archive Centre in Cambridge.

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