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 251 - 300 of 3726

Per page:
File name File title Begins Ends Release date Any docs withheld? Classification Pages
PREM19/251 Greece (Sale of coal fired power station) Begins: 1980 Sep 12 Ends: 1980 Dec 29 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 128
PREM19/252 Home Affairs (Pay of magistrates court staff; industrial action) (Part 1) Begins: 1979 Jun 11 Ends: 1980 Oct 13 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 157
PREM19/253 Home Affairs (Increase in incidence of leukaemia in Lancashire; correspondence with Stan Thorne MP) Begins: 1979 Oct 4 Ends: 1980 Feb 25 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Unclassified Pages: 69
PREM19/254 Home Affairs (Use of immigration rules to prevent scientologists entering UK; lifting of the ban) Begins: 1979 Nov 14 Ends: 1980 Jul 2 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 14
PREM19/255 Hong Kong (UK trade with China; power projects in Hong Kong involving UK companies) (Part 1) Begins: 1979 May 14 Ends: 1980 Dec 31 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 142
PREM19/256 Housing (Housing policy; the Housing Bill; council house sales) (Part 1) Begins: 1979 May 22 Ends: 1980 Jul 31 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 117
PREM19/257 India (Call on Prime Minister by Swraj Paul, Vice Chairman, Indo/British Association, July 1980; Indo-British exchange conference) Begins: 1980 Jun 18 Ends: 1980 Jul 16 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 26
PREM19/258 Industrial policy (Future of British Leyland (BL)) (Part 2) Begins: 1979 Dec 14 Ends: 1980 Mar 10 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 161
PREM19/259 Industrial policy (Future of British Leyland (BL)) Part 3 Begins: 1980 Mar 11 Ends: 1980 Apr 17 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 245
PREM19/260 Industrial policy (Future of National Enterprise Board (NEB); disposal of shareholdings; Ferranti) (Part 1) Begins: 1979 May 4 Ends: 1980 Jun 30 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 150
PREM19/261 Industrial policy (Industrial relations law) (Part 2) Begins: 1979 Oct 1 Ends: 1980 Feb 1 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 221
PREM19/262 Industrial policy (Industrial relations law) (Part 3) Begins: 1980 Feb 3 Ends: 1980 Feb 14 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 232
PREM19/263 Industrial policy (Industrial relations law) (Part 4) Begins: 1980 Feb 14 Ends: 1980 Apr 11 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 215
PREM19/264 Industrial policy (Industrial relations law) (Part 5) Begins: 1980 Apr 14 Ends: 1980 Jul 16 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 192
PREM19/265 Industrial policy (Industrial relations law) (Part 6) Begins: 1980 Jul 17 Ends: 1980 Nov 28 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 251
PREM19/266 Industrial policy (Prime Minister’s meetings with Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on economic strategy) (Part 1) Begins: 1979 May 29 Ends: 1980 Sep 15 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 235
PREM19/267 Industrial policy (Consultations with Trades Union Congress (TUC) on economic strategy; Prime Minister’s meetings with TUC representatives) (Part 2) Begins: 1980 Jan 23 Ends: 1980 Aug 18 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 266
PREM19/268 Industrial policy (Consultations with Trades Union Congress (TUC) on economic strategy; Prime Minister’s meetings with TUC representatives) (Part 3) Begins: 1980 Aug 20 Ends: 1980 Oct 16 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 227
PREM19/269 Industrial policy (Micro-electronics industry; support for Inmos Ltd (INMOS)) (Part 1) Begins: 1979 May 24 Ends: 1980 Apr 30 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 137
PREM19/270 Industrial policy (Resource Centre in Wales: Welsh Office contribution to feasibility study by Wales Trades Union Congress) (Part 1) Begins: 1980 Nov 19 Ends: 1980 Nov 25 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 9
PREM19/271 Industrial policy (Industrial support) (Part 1) Begins: 1980 Aug 8 Ends: 1980 Oct 15 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 84
PREM19/272 Information and Publicity (Public attitudes on pay determination; presentation of Government’s economic policy) (Part 1) Begins: 1979 Jul 23 Ends: 1980 Jun 30 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 173
PREM19/273 Iran (Internal situation: relations with USA and UK following hostage taking at US embassy, Tehran; sanctions) (Part 3) Begins: 1979 Dec 23 Ends: 1980 Jan 8 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 265
PREM19/274 Iran (Internal situation: relations with USA and UK following hostage taking at US embassy, Tehran; sanctions) (Part 4) Begins: 1980 Jan 9 Ends: 1980 Jan 30 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 3 Classification: Secret Pages: 213
PREM19/275 Iran (Internal situation: relations with USA and UK following hostage taking at US embassy, Tehran; negotiations for release of hostages; sanctions) (Part 5) Begins: 1980 Feb 1 Ends: 1980 Apr 8 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 203
PREM19/276 Iran (Internal situation: relations with USA and UK following hostage taking at US embassy, Tehran; US mission to release hostages; sanctions) (Part 6) Begins: 1980 Apr 9 Ends: 1980 Apr 30 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 244
PREM19/277 Iran (Internal situation: relations with USA and UK following hostage taking at US embassy, Tehran; sanctions) (Part 7) Begins: 1980 May 1 Ends: 1980 May 27 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 257
PREM19/278 Iraq (Internal situation: relations with Iran; escalation of conflict; impact of Iraq/Iran hostilities on oil market) (Part 1) Begins: 1979 Sep 27 Ends: 1980 Sep 30 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 361
PREM19/279 Ireland (Northern Ireland situation) (Part 5) Begins: 1979 Dec 5 Ends: 1980 Mar 7 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 198
PREM19/280 Ireland (Situation in Northern Ireland; Northern Ireland Conference, Belfast) (Part 6) Begins: 1980 Mar 12 Ends: 1980 May 30 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 139
PREM19/281 Ireland (Situation in Northern Ireland) (Part 7) Begins: 1980 Jun 5 Ends: 1980 Aug 5 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 1 Classification: Secret Pages: 156
PREM19/282 Ireland (Hunger strike at Maze Prison, Northern Ireland; the ‘Dirty Protest’) (Part 1) Begins: 1979 Nov 15 Ends: 1980 Dec 10 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Any docs withheld? 2 Classification: Secret Pages: 245
PREM19/283 Ireland (Prime Minister’s meetings with the Taoiseach, Charles Haughey) (Part 2) Begins: 1980 Mar 3 Ends: 1980 Aug 8 Date of release: 2011 Feb 23 Classification: Secret Pages: 164
PREM19/284 Ireland (Intelligence on Irish terrorists in the Republic) Begins: 1979 Oct 10 Ends: 1980 Apr 15 Date of release: Retained Sec 3.4 Classification: Unknown
PREM19/285 Israel (Visit to UK by Yigael Yadin, Deputy Prime Minister, March 1980: call on Prime Minister) Begins: 1980 Mar 3 Ends: 1980 Apr 3 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 19
PREM19/286 Italy (Visit to UK by Emilio Colombo, Foreign Minister, May 1980) Begins: 1980 May 27 Ends: 1980 May 29 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 22
PREM19/287 Legal Procedure (Proposed amendment to Act of Settlement 1701) Begins: 1980 Jul 8 Ends: 1980 Oct 31 Date of release: Temporarily Retained by Department
PREM19/288 Liberia (Visit to UK by President Tolbert, December 1979: meeting with Prime Minister) Begins: 1979 Jun 13 Ends: 1980 Mar 5 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 141
PREM19/289 Local Government (Relations with central government, organisation & finance) (Part 2) Begins: 1979 Nov 15 Ends: 1980 Feb 26 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 110
PREM19/290 Local Government (Relations with central government, organisation & finance) (Part 3) Begins: 1980 Feb 28 Ends: 1980 Sep 27 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 205
PREM19/291 Local Government (Waste in local authority expenditure) Begins: 1979 May 8 Ends: 1980 May 9 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 248
PREM19/292 Local Government (Ministerial responsibility for the Welsh rate support grant; administration of unitary grant in Wales) Begins: 1979 May 17 Ends: 1980 Sep 22 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 16
PREM19/293 Manpower (Special employment measures; youth unemployment; education, training and industrial performance; industrial training) (Part 1) Begins: 1980 Jan 10 Ends: 1980 Oct 15 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 107
PREM19/294 Memoirs (BBC programmes based on Lord Mountbatten’s memoirs) Begins: 1980 Jan 16 Ends: 1980 Nov 11 Date of release: 2015 Jun 23 Any docs withheld? 2 Classification: Confidential Pages: 79
PREM19/295 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East) (Part 2) Begins: 1979 Sep 21 Ends: 1980 May 9 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Secret Pages: 250
PREM19/296 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East) (Part 3) Begins: 1980 May 13 Ends: 1980 Jun 30 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 275
PREM19/297 Middle East (Situation in the Middle East) (Part 4) Begins: 1980 Jul 2 Ends: 1980 Aug 29 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 297
PREM19/298 Morocco (Visit to UK by former Prime Minister, Ahmed Osman, March 1980: meeting with Prime Minister) Begins: 1980 Feb 13 Ends: 1980 Mar 12 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 20
PREM19/299 National Health (Fluoridation of water supplies; correspondence with Sir Emmanuel Kaye) Begins: 1979 Aug 9 Ends: 1980 Mar 27 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Unclassified Pages: 69
PREM19/300 National Health (Pneumoconiosis compensation schemes) Begins: 1979 Oct 25 Ends: 1980 Feb 8 Date of release: 2010 Dec 30 Classification: Confidential Pages: 24
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