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 501 - 550 of 5082

Per page:
File name File title Begins Ends Release date Any docs withheld? Classification Pages
PREM19/419 Economic policy (Public Spending) (Part 14) Begins: 1981 Feb 17 Ends: 1981 Sep 16 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 173
PREM19/420 Economic policy (Public Spending) (Part 15) Begins: 1981 Oct 9 Ends: 1981 Oct 23 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 166
PREM19/421 Economic policy (Public Spending) (Part 16) Begins: 1981 Oct 26 Ends: 1981 Nov 12 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 99
PREM19/422 Economic policy (Public Spending) (Part 17) Begins: 1981 Nov 13 Ends: 1981 Dec 8 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 229
PREM19/423 Economic policy (Strategy) (Part 8) Begins: 1981 Jan 2 Ends: 1981 Jun 10 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 256
PREM19/424 Economic policy (Strategy) (Part 9) Begins: 1981 Jun 11 Ends: 1981 Oct 9 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 272
PREM19/425 Economic policy (Strategy) (Part 10) Begins: 1981 Oct 12 Ends: 1981 Dec 3 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 169
PREM19/426 Economic policy (Top Salaries Review Body (TSRB): future role; resignation of Lord Boyle of Handsworth as chairman; appointment of Lord Plowden) Begins: 1980 Jun 25 Ends: 1981 Mar 4 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 96
PREM19/427 Economic policy (Policy towards the pay review bodies: Top Salaries Review Body (TSRB), Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB), Doctors and Dentists Review Body (DDRB)) (Part 2) Begins: 1980 Jul 1 Ends: 1981 Jan 30 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 161
PREM19/428 Economic policy (Policy towards the pay review bodies: Top Salaries Review Body (TSRB), Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB), Doctors and Dentists Review Body (DDRB)) (Part 3) Begins: 1981 Feb 2 Ends: 1981 Nov 9 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 175
PREM19/429 Economic policy (Meetings of National Economic Development Council (NEDC); ministerial membership; Prime Minister's attendance) (Part 2) Begins: 1979 Dec 14 Ends: 1981 Dec 29 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 187
PREM19/430 Economic policy (Inland Revenue computer project: computerisation of PAYE; future of International Computers Limited (ICL)) Begins: 1979 Dec 4 Ends: 1981 Mar 9 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 241
PREM19/431 Economic policy (Policy towards small firms) (Part 2) Begins: 1980 Jul 8 Ends: 1981 Apr 7 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 233
PREM19/432 Economic policy (Standing Commission on Pay Comparability; abolition of the Commission; future of Pay Review Bodies) (Part 3) Begins: 1980 Jul 4 Ends: 1981 Aug 5 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 117
PREM19/433 Economic policy (Inquiry into Value of Pensions (chairman: Sir Bernard Scott); index linked public sector pensions) (Part 2) Begins: 1980 Nov 28 Ends: 1981 Jun 4 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 246
PREM19/434 Economic policy (Correspondence with Armand Hammer, chairman of Occidental Petroleum; meetings with Prime Minister; proposals for a polyethylene plant in Scotland; export licence for Leicester Codex) Begins: 1980 Sep 2 Ends: 1981 Aug 4 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 157
PREM19/435 Economic policy (Brandt Commission; relations with developing countries; North/South Dialogue; Cancun Summit, Mexico) (Part 2) Begins: 1980 Nov 12 Ends: 1981 Sep 24 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 263
PREM19/436 Economic policy (Correspondence from John Sparrow on financial and economic policy; meetings with Prime Minister) Begins: 1979 May 25 Ends: 1982 Apr 16 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Unclassified Pages: 170
PREM19/437 Economic policy (Exchange rate; exchange control policy; inflow controls) (Part 1) Begins: 1979 May 4 Ends: 1981 Oct 23 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 267
PREM19/438 Economic policy (Budget) (Part 4) Begins: 1980 Oct 31 Ends: 1981 Feb 17 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 244
PREM19/439 Economic policy (Budget) (Part 5) Begins: 1981 Feb 18 Ends: 1981 Jul 10 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 227
PREM19/440 Economic policy (Domestic monetary policy) (Part 7) Begins: 1980 Dec 1 Ends: 1981 Mar 12 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 244
PREM19/441 Economic policy (Domestic monetary policy) (Part 8) Begins: 1981 Mar 18 Ends: 1981 Aug 17 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 337
PREM19/442 Economic policy (Public sector pay policy; arbitration arrangements; Treasury monitoring reports) (Part 3) Begins: 1980 Oct 31 Ends: 1981 Mar 11 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 186
PREM19/443 Economic policy (Public sector pay policy; arbitration arrangements; Treasury monitoring reports) (Part 4) Begins: 1981 Mar 16 Ends: 1981 Aug 6 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 197
PREM19/444 Economic policy (Disposal of public sector assets) (Part 4) Begins: 1980 Oct 31 Ends: 1981 Oct 21 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 255
PREM19/445 Economic policy (G7 Summit - Ottawa) (Part 6) [Part 5 of this file has been destroyed] Begins: 1981 Feb 2 Ends: 1981 Jul 15 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 225
PREM19/446 Economic policy (G7 Summit - Ottawa) (Part 7) Begins: 1981 Jul 16 Ends: 1981 Nov 10 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 252
PREM19/447 Economic policy (Report by Central Policy Review Staff (CPRS) on pay: ministerial consideration) Begins: 1981 Jun 19 Ends: 1981 Sep 22 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 106
PREM19/448 Economic policy (Economic effects of industrial action: machinery of government aspects) Begins: 1981 Feb 25 Ends: 1981 Mar 25 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 18
PREM19/449 Economic policy (Operation Enterprise campaign: organisation of government to assist small firms) Begins: 1981 Mar 3 Ends: 1981 Mar 9 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 18
PREM19/450 Egypt (Visit to UK by President Sadat, August 1981: meeting with Prime Minister) Begins: 1981 Feb 25 Ends: 1981 Aug 10 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 2 Classification: Secret Pages: 107
PREM19/451 Egypt (Visits to UK by Vice President Mubarak in June 1979, May 1980 and September 1980: calls on the Prime Minister) Begins: 1979 May 29 Ends: 1980 Sep 8 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 156
PREM19/452 Energy (Mossmorran ethylene cracker project: possibility of Government assistance) Begins: 1981 May 21 Ends: 1981 Aug 17 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 21
PREM19/453 Energy (Future of British National Oil Corporation (BNOC); Petroleum and Continental Shelf Bill; Clyde oil field development) (Part 4) Begins: 1980 Jul 4 Ends: 1981 Dec 22 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 214
PREM19/454 Energy (Proposal for North Sea gas gathering pipeline) Begins: 1979 Jul 2 Ends: 1981 Sep 14 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 243
PREM19/455 European policy (Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)) (Part 7) Begins: 1980 Dec 2 Ends: 1981 Mar 31 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 161
PREM19/456 European policy (Common Agricultural Policy (CAP)) (Part 8) Begins: 1981 Apr 1 Ends: 1981 Nov 19 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 248
PREM19/457 European policy (European Community budget) (Part 10) Begins: 1980 Sep 23 Ends: 1981 Feb 27 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 191
PREM19/458 European policy (European Community budget) (Part 11) Begins: 1981 Mar 4 Ends: 1981 Sep 24 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 114
PREM19/459 European policy (European Community budget) (Part 12) Begins: 1981 Oct 9 Ends: 1981 Dec 1 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 188
PREM19/460 European policy (Report by the 'Three Wise Men' on European Community institutions) Begins: 1979 Mar 13 Ends: 1981 Jun 30 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 184
PREM19/461 European policy (European Council meeting in Maastricht, Netherlands, March 1981) (Part 6) Begins: 1981 Feb 24 Ends: 1981 Apr 2 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 85
PREM19/462 European policy (European Council meeting in Luxembourg, June 1981) (Part 7) Begins: 1981 May 21 Ends: 1981 Jul 6 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 216
PREM19/463 European policy (European Council meeting in London, November 1981) (Part 8) Begins: 1981 Oct 13 Ends: 1981 Nov 24 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 250
PREM19/464 European policy (European Council meeting in London, November 1981) (Part 9) Begins: 1981 Nov 25 Ends: 1981 Dec 6 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Confidential Pages: 171
PREM19/465 European policy (Prime Minister's address to European Parliament, December 1981) Begins: 1980 Nov 3 Ends: 1981 Dec 16 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 134
PREM19/466 Fishing industry (EEC Common Fisheries Policy) (Part 4) Begins: 1980 Sep 4 Ends: 1981 Sep 15 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 256
PREM19/467 Foreign policy (Prime Minister's visit to Saudi Arabia & the Gulf States, April 1981) (Part 1) Begins: 1981 Feb 8 Ends: 1981 Apr 13 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 3 Classification: Confidential Pages: 201
PREM19/468 France (Visit to UK by Jacques Chaban-Delmas, President of National Assembly, March 1981: meeting with Prime Minister) Begins: 1981 Mar 2 Ends: 1981 Mar 20 Date of release: 2011 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 13
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