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 451 - 500 of 5082

Per page:

File name	File title	Begins	Ends	Release date	Any docs withheld?	Classification	Pages
PREM19/368	Social Services (Action on child abuse; death of Lucy Gates) (Part 3)	Begins: 1980 Nov 5	Ends: 1980 Dec 31	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 16
PREM19/369	Social Services (Prime Minister’s meeting with representatives of the Community Service Volunteers to discuss youth unemployment)	Begins: 1980 Jul 2	Ends: 1980 Nov 11	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 78
PREM19/370	South Africa (Visit to UK by Dr Van Zyl Slabbert, leader of opposition, September 1980: call on Prime Minister)	Begins: 1980 Sep 9	Ends: 1980 Oct 1	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 32
PREM19/371	South Africa (Internal situation; relations with UK) Part 1	Begins: 1979 Jun 18	Ends: 1980 Aug 27	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 235
PREM19/373	Spain (EEC fishing licences for Spanish fishermen)	Begins: 1980 Jan 28	Ends: 1980 Feb 8	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Unclassified	Pages: 18
PREM19/374	Sport (UK participation in Moscow Olympic Games following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan) (Part 1)	Begins: 1980 Jan 8	Ends: 1980 Mar 6	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 251
PREM19/375	Sport (UK participation in Moscow Olympic Games following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan) (Part 2)	Begins: 1980 Mar 6	Ends: 1980 Apr 30	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 201
PREM19/376	Sport (UK participation in Moscow Olympic Games following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan) (Part 3)	Begins: 1980 May 9	Ends: 1980 Jul 30	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 142
PREM19/377	Sport (Sporting relations with South Africa)	Begins: 1979 Aug 30	Ends: 1980 Feb 28	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 173
PREM19/378	Trade (Visit by David Howell, Secretary of State for Energy, to Mexico and Venezuela, September 1980; proposed seminar)	Begins: 1980 Oct 24	Ends: 1980 Dec 9	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 21
PREM19/379	Trade (United States synthetic fibre exports to UK; problems of the UK clothing and textile industry) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 Oct 12	Ends: 1980 Jun 27	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 165
PREM19/380	Tunisia (Call on Prime Minister by Habib Bourguiba, son of Tunisian President, March 1980)	Begins: 1980 Feb 29	Ends: 1980 Mar 21	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 18
PREM19/381	USA (Visit to UK by Dr Harold Brown, US Secretary of Defense, June 1980: meeting with Prime Minister)	Begins: 1980 May 28	Ends: 1980 Aug 15	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 74
PREM19/382	USA (Visit to UK by Major General George J Keegan Jr, US Air Force (retired), March 1980: call on Prime Minister)	Begins: 1980 Feb 20	Ends: 1980 Jun 9	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 27
PREM19/383	USA (Visits to UK by Cyrus Vance, US Secretary of State: meetings with Prime Minister)	Begins: 1979 May 14	Ends: 1980 Feb 22	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 173
PREM19/384	Yemen Arab Republic (Visit to UK by Prime Minister Abdul Aziz Abdul Ghani, November 1980: meeting with Prime Minister)	Begins: 1979 Aug 13	Ends: 1980 Jan 4	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 69
PREM19/385	Ireland (Prime Minister’s visit to Northern Ireland, December 1979)	Begins: 1979 Aug 27	Ends: 1980 Jan 16	Date of release: 2010 Dec 30		Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 137
PREM19/386	Aerospace (British Aerospace’s bid for Arab Communications Satellite)	Begins: 1981 Apr 7	Ends: 1981 May 18	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 29
PREM19/387	Afghanistan (Soviet invasion) (Part 5)	Begins: 1980 Apr 10	Ends: 1981 Sep 14	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 333
PREM19/388	Agriculture (Proposed energy subsidies to horticulture and fisheries industries to combat 'unfair' foreign competition)	Begins: 1980 Mar 21	Ends: 1981 Apr 28	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 21
PREM19/389	Agriculture (Liquid milk prices) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 May 16	Ends: 1981 Mar 11	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 168
PREM19/390	Arts and amenities (Export licence for Leicester Codex by Leonardo da Vinci, following purchase by Dr Armand Hammer)	Begins: 1980 Oct 22	Ends: 1981 Feb 11	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 39
PREM19/391	Arts and amenities (Future of the Wernher Collection at Luton Hoo)	Begins: 1980 May 20	Ends: 1981 Feb 2	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 31
PREM19/392	Australia (Transfer of uranium enrichment technology to Australia)	Begins: 1980 Jul 3	Ends: 1981 Apr 29	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 27
PREM19/393	Brazil (Visit to UK by Foreign Minister, Ramiro Saraiva Guerreiro, December 1981: meeting with Prime Minister)	Begins: 1981 Sep 9	Ends: 1981 Dec 1	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 15
PREM19/394	Broadcasting (BBC External Services)	Begins: 1979 May 25	Ends: 1981 Oct 22	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 203
PREM19/395	Broadcasting (Legislation on broadcasting; fourth TV channel; Welsh language broadcasting (threatened hunger strike by former Plaid Cymru MP Gwynfor Evans); renewal of BBC Charter) (Part 1)	Begins: 1979 Jul 16	Ends: 1981 Jun 16	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 172
PREM19/396	Cabinet (Questions of Procedure for Ministers: revision and reissue; disclosure of structure and details of Cabinet committees)	Begins: 1979 May 4	Ends: 1981 Sep 23	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 171
PREM19/397	Canada (UK/Canadian relations: patriation of the Canadian constitution) (Part 2)	Begins: 1980 Nov 11	Ends: 1981 Feb 27	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30	Any docs withheld? 4	Classification: Secret	Pages: 252
PREM19/398	Canada (UK/Canadian relations: patriation of the Canadian constitution) (Part 3)	Begins: 1981 Mar 2	Ends: 1981 Oct 23	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 386
PREM19/399	Civil service (Pay and pensions: public sector pay policy; review of pay research system; staffing problems in London) (Part 2)	Begins: 1980 May 16	Ends: 1981 Feb 25	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 178
PREM19/400	Civil service (Pay and pensions: public sector pay policy; Civil Service pay dispute; industrial action) (Part 3)	Begins: 1981 Mar 2	Ends: 1981 Apr 15	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 211
PREM19/401	Civil service (Pay and pensions: public sector pay policy; Civil Service pay dispute; industrial action; proposal for independent inquiry) (Part 4)	Begins: 1981 Apr 16	Ends: 1981 May 18	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 252
PREM19/402	Civil service (Pay and pensions: public sector pay policy; Civil Service pay dispute; industrial action; revised terms of reference for proposed independent inquiry) (Part 5)	Begins: 1981 May 19	Ends: 1981 Jun 8	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 189
PREM19/403	Civil service (Pay and pensions: public sector pay policy; Civil Service pay dispute; industrial action; membership of independent inquiry;) (Part 6)	Begins: 1981 Jun 9	Ends: 1981 Jul 9	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 235
PREM19/404	Civil service (Pay and pensions: public sector pay policy; Civil Service pay dispute; industrial action; establishment of independent inquiry) (Part 7)	Begins: 1981 Jul 10	Ends: 1981 Nov 5	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 347
PREM19/405	Civil service (Cynon Valley Borough Council dispute with Welsh Office over allocation of funds for highway maintenance)	Begins: 1981 Feb 9	Ends: 1981 Jun 10	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 24
PREM19/406	Civil service (Annual scrutiny of departmental running costs) (Part 1)	Begins: 1980 Feb 8	Ends: 1981 Jul 14	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 288
PREM19/407	Civil service (Pay of professional, technological and scientific grades: possibility of industrial action; review of Scientific Civil Service)	Begins: 1979 Jun 15	Ends: 1981 Jul 9	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 282
PREM19/408	Civil service (Long term management and manpower policy; Sir Derek Rayner's recommendations for reforms; Civil Service numbers and costs; performance related pay) (Part 7)	Begins: 1980 Nov 18	Ends: 1981 Mar 6	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 224
PREM19/409	Civil service (Long term management and manpower policy; Sir Derek Rayner's recommendations for reforms; Civil Service numbers and costs; chain of command review; efficiency) (Part 8)	Begins: 1981 Mar 9	Ends: 1981 Sep 28	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 288
PREM19/410	Commonwealth (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Melbourne, September-October 1981: procedure; attendance; agenda) (Part 3)	Begins: 1981 May 19	Ends: 1981 Sep 14	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 200
PREM19/411	Defence (Sale of tanks to Jordan; future tank policy; future of Vickers Ltd Elswick works)	Begins: 1979 May 31	Ends: 1981 Apr 1	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 159
PREM19/412	Defence (Modernisation of Theatre Nuclear Forces (TNF) in Europe; proposed basing of United States Ground Launched Cruise Missiles (GLCM) in the UK) (Part 2)	Begins: 1979 Dec 3	Ends: 1981 Mar 10	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 106
PREM19/413	Defence (Defence sales) (Part 1)	Begins: 1980 Sep 2	Ends: 1981 Dec 15	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 176
PREM19/414	Defence (Defence budget) (Part 4)	Begins: 1980 Oct 17	Ends: 1981 Mar 6	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 240
PREM19/415	Defence (Defence budget) (Part 5)	Begins: 1981 Mar 11	Ends: 1981 May 17	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 397
PREM19/416	Defence (Defence budget) (Part 6)	Begins: 1981 May 18	Ends: 1981 Jun 30	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Secret	Pages: 227
PREM19/417	Defence (UK Strategic Nuclear Deterrent) (Part 3)	Begins: 1980 Jun 10	Ends: 1981 Nov 12	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Top Secret	Pages: 276
PREM19/418	Economic policy (Public Spending) (Part 13)	Begins: 1980 Nov 25	Ends: 1981 Feb 16	Date of release: 2011 Dec 30		Classification: Confidential	Pages: 575

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