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 651 - 700 of 5082

Per page:

File name	File title	Begins	Ends	Release date	Any docs withheld?	Classification	Pages
PREM19/569	Prime Minister (Meeting with Peter Fry MP to discuss closure of Wellingborough Foundry; UK footwear and clothing industries)	Begins: 1981 May 15	Ends: 1981 Dec 14	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 37
PREM19/570	Prime Minister (Meetings with William McKelvey MP to discuss closure of Armitage Shanks and Blackwood Morton and Sons (BMK) factories in Kilmarnock)	Begins: 1981 Apr 30	Ends: 1981 Nov 5	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 61
PREM19/571	Prime Minister (Meeting with John Carlisle MP to discuss sporting contacts with South Africa)	Begins: 1981 Sep 7	Ends: 1981 Sep 17	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 19
PREM19/572	Prime Minister (Meeting with Dr Walter Marshall, Chairman of UKAEA, Ted Stern of Westinghouse Power Systems and Harry Reinsch, President of Bechtel Power Corporation, to discuss the Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR) programme)	Begins: 1981 Sep 10	Ends: 1981 Sep 17	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 14
PREM19/573	Prime Minister (Meeting with Lawrence Cunliffe MP about possible closure of David Brown Tractors Ltd and unemployment in Leigh)	Begins: 1981 Oct 28	Ends: 1981 Nov 18	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 26
PREM19/574	Prime Minister (Meeting with Dale Campbell-Savours MP regarding closure of Distington Foundry)	Begins: 1981 Feb 9	Ends: 1981 Apr 6	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 198
PREM19/575	Qatar (North West Dome gas field; pipeline problems; role of World Bank)	Begins: 1980 Dec 29	Ends: 1981 Jun 25	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 48
PREM19/576	Regional policy (Creation of Enterprise Zones; possible measures to assist Merseyside; Central Policy Review Staff report) (Part 3)	Begins: 1980 Jul 4	Ends: 1981 Jun 29	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 309
PREM19/577	Regional policy (Inner city policy: creation of urban development corporations to assist in regeneration of Liverpool and London Docklands) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 Jul 30	Ends: 1981 Aug 7	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 170
PREM19/578	Regional policy (Inner city policy: creation of urban development corporations to assist in regeneration of Liverpool and London Docklands) (Part 2)	Begins: 1981 Aug 11	Ends: 1981 Oct 20	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 312
PREM19/579	Romania (Visit to UK by Foreign Minister Stefan Andrei, October 1981: meeting with Prime Minister)	Begins: 1981 Mar 13	Ends: 1981 Oct 20	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 17
PREM19/580	Romania (Visit to UK by Prime Minister Ilie Verdets of Romania, April 1981: meeting with Prime Minister)	Begins: 1980 Apr 1	Ends: 1981 Apr 16	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 121
PREM19/581	Royal family (Visits to Northern Ireland by Princess Alexandra, June 1979 and June 1981)	Begins: 1979 May 14	Ends: 1981 May 29	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 3	Classification: Secret	Pages: 9
PREM19/582	Royal family (Duke of Edinburgh's statement on nuclear war: correspondence between the Duke and Fenner Brockway, Lord Brockway)	Begins: 1981 Feb 12	Ends: 1981 Apr 9	Date of release: 2015 Apr 22	Any docs withheld? 16	Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 34
PREM19/583	Royal family (Form of memorial to Lord Mountbatten; erection of a statue) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 Sep 19	Ends: 1981 May 29	Date of release: Closed till 2022		Classification: Unknown
PREM19/584	Royal family (Future career of Prince of Wales)	Begins: 1979 May 31	Ends: 1981 Dec 21	Date of release: Closed till 2022		Classification: Unknown
PREM19/585	Science and technology (Exploiting invention; problems faced by inventors in securing commercial exploitation; Prime Minister's reception for innovators and financiers, January 1981)	Begins: 1980 Aug 22	Ends: 1981 Jan 31	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 241
PREM19/586	Security (Case of Howard Marks)	Begins: 1979 Jul 4	Ends: 1981 Nov 24	Date of release: Retained		Classification: Retained Sec 3.4
PREM19/587	Security (Proposed BBC Panorama programme on British intelligence services)	Begins: 1980 Jun 18	Ends: 1981 Feb 3	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 58
PREM19/588	Security (Sir Peter Hayman: allegations against former public official of unnatural sexual proclivities; security aspects)	Begins: 1980 Oct 27	Ends: 1981 Mar 20	Date of release: 2015 Jan 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 38
PREM19/589	Security (Lord Kagan)	Begins: 1980 Dec 15	Ends: 1981 Apr 16	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 2	Classification: Secret	Pages: 19
PREM19/590	Security (Policy on interception) (Part 3)	Begins: 1980 Apr 18	Ends: 1981 Oct 9	Date of release: Retained		Classification: Retained Sec 3.4
PREM19/591	Security (Security of the Secret Services; Chapman Pincher's book on penetration of security and intelligence services, 'Their Trade is Treachery'; Prime Minister's statement in Parliament) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 May 8	Ends: 1981 Aug 12	Date of release: 2023 Dec 29	Any docs withheld? 17	Classification: Top Secret - Cab Two	Pages: 207
PREM19/592	Security (Panorama programme on the KGB (Soviet Committee for State Security))	Begins: 1981 Apr 14	Ends: 1981 Oct 20	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 8
PREM19/593	Security (Leaks about Civil Contingencies Unit (CCU) to Peter Hennessy of 'The Times'; investigation)	Begins: 1980 Jul 17	Ends: 1981 Feb 19	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 36
PREM19/594	Security (Prosecution of John Wagstaff under Official Secrets Act; investigation by Security Commission)	Begins: 1980 May 13	Ends: 1981 May 8	Date of release: 2012 Feb 22		Classification: Secret	Pages: 123
PREM19/595	Security (Leak to 'The Times' of Cabinet proceedings on public expenditure)	Begins: 1981 Oct 21	Ends: 1981 Oct 28	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 18
PREM19/596	Social services (Rayner Study on arrangements for paying social security benefits) (Part 2)	Begins: 1980 Oct 8	Ends: 1981 May 12	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 76
PREM19/597	South Africa (Situation in Namibia) (Part 2)	Begins: 1980 Jul 1	Ends: 1981 Jul 20	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 344
PREM19/598	Trade (Britain's international trading policies; non-tariff barriers; effects on UK industry of open trading system) (Part 1)	Begins: 1980 Apr 2	Ends: 1981 Oct 30	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 167
PREM19/599	Transport (Railway policy: rail fares; reference of London commuter services to Monopolies and Mergers Commission; British Rail finances; services to Gatwick airport; pay negotiations; industrial action by National Union of Railwaymen) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 Aug 24	Ends: 1981 Aug 3	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 177
PREM19/600	USA (Prime Minister's visit to Washington, February 1981: meeting with President Reagan) (Part 1)	Begins: 1981 Jan 2	Ends: 1981 Feb 28	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 311
PREM19/601	USA (Arrangements for Prime Minister's visit to USA, February 1981) (Part 2)	Begins: 1981 Feb 25	Ends: 1981 Sep 3	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 152
PREM19/602	Vatican (Possible visit to UK by the Pope in 1982) (Part 1)	Begins: 1980 Jun 26	Ends: 1981 Nov 9	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 23	Classification: Confidential	Pages: 187
PREM19/603	Venezuela (Visit to UK by Foreign Minister, Dr Zambrano Valesco, June 1981)	Begins: 1981 May 8	Ends: 1981 Jun 26	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 26
PREM19/604	Vietnam (Vietnamese refugees; resettlement in the UK) (Part 3)	Begins: 1979 Jul 17	Ends: 1981 Feb 28	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 244
PREM19/605	Zimbabwe (Request from Bishop Muzorewa for financial help with his security and education costs)	Begins: 1981 Nov 3	Ends: 1981 Dec 18	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 1	Classification: Top Secret - Cab Two	Pages: 13
PREM19/606	Zimbabwe (Internal situation; aid; relations with South Africa)	Begins: 1980 Apr 17	Ends: 1981 Nov 2	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 258
PREM19/608	Italy (Prime Minister's visit to Italy, November 1980: Anglo/Italian Summit)	Begins: 1980 Jul 25	Ends: 1981 Feb 24	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 86
PREM19/609	Vatican (Visit to UK by the Pope, May-June 1982) (Part 2)	Begins: 1981 Nov 10	Ends: 1982 Jun 9	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 19	Classification: Secret	Pages: 153
PREM19/610	Aerospace (British Midland Airways: services to Glasgow and Edinburgh)	Begins: 1982 Mar 1	Ends: 1982 Jul 23	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 20
PREM19/611	Argentina (Frederick Forsyth's proposed book on the Falklands crisis)	Begins: 1982 Jun 15	Ends: 1982 Aug 4	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 25
PREM19/612	Argentina (Falklands) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 Sep 21	Ends: 1981 Dec 15	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 94
PREM19/613	Argentina (Falklands) (Part 2)	Begins: 1982 Jan 1	Ends: 1982 Mar 30	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 129
PREM19/614	Argentina (Falklands) (Part 3)	Begins: 1982 Apr 1	Ends: 1982 Apr 5	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28	Any docs withheld? 1	Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 236
PREM19/615	Argentina (Falklands) (Part 4)	Begins: 1982 Apr 6	Ends: 1982 Apr 8	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 233
PREM19/616	Argentina (Falklands) (Part 5)	Begins: 1982 Apr 8	Ends: 1982 Apr 11	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 216
PREM19/617	Argentina (Falklands) (Part 6)	Begins: 1982 Apr 12	Ends: 1982 Apr 15	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Secret	Pages: 278
PREM19/618	Argentina (Falklands) (Part 7)	Begins: 1982 Apr 14	Ends: 1982 Apr 17	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28		Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 273
PREM19/619	Argentina (Falklands) (Part 8)	Begins: 1982 Apr 18	Ends: 1982 Apr 19	Date of release: 2012 Dec 28	Any docs withheld? 1	Classification: Secret	Pages: 174

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