Archive

Archive (Thatcher MSS)
Personal and party papers, Cambridge

Europe/Bruges speech: Charles Powell minute for MT ("European speech") [revised second draft, following 4 hour speechwriting session, with MT annotations] [released Jul 2018]

Document type: Declassified documents
Source: Thatcher MSS, Churchill Archive Centre: THCR 5/1/5/569 f274
Editorial comments:

The exact chronology of this item is hard to establish. Powell met with MT 1150-1600 on 13 September to work on the speech and this minute clearly postdates the meeting. The speech draft that follows his minute is marked "As at 14/9/88" and MT clearly worked through it with some care, Her revisions were then incorporated into a freshly typed text marked "Version III" which was sent to departments on 14 September for comment by 1500 on 16 September.

Importance ranking: Major
Word count: 72pp
Themes: European Union (general), Economic, monetary & political union, European Union Single Market, Conservatism, Famous statements by MT, Charles Powell minutes