Archive

1989 Nov 16 - 1990 Apr 30
Prime Ministerial Private Office files

PREM19/2982
European Policy (European Monetary System (EMS): economic and monetary union) (Part 6) [part 5 is PREM19/3741]

Document type: File list item
Source: TNA, PREM19 series
Release date: 2016 Dec 30
Classification: Secret
Page count: 393
Any docs withheld?

Selections from this file

Showing items 1 - 20 of 44

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Date Valuesort descending Title
90 Apr 17 Tue European Policy: Powell briefing for MT ("EMU") [meeting with the Chancellor; our evolutionary approach has run out of steam; options for handling EMU] [declassified Dec 2016]
89 Dec 1 Fri European Policy: Charles Powell minute for MT (Howe tv interviews on ERM) ["offensive passages ... bound to be taken up and exploited by the press"] [declassified Dec 2016]
89 Dec 1 Fri European Policy: Charles Powell minute for MT ("ERM and EMU") [attaches Nick Ridley paper written as you requested, "useful summary but does not ... have any new insights"] [declassified Dec 2016]
89 Nov 27 Mon European Policy: Nick Ridley minute for MT ("ERM and EMU") [EC proposals, their consequences, best UK response - help chart European integration, find alternative to EMU; joining the ERM "a relatively minor question" depending on conditions being met] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 9 Mon European Policy: John Major minute for MT ("Economic and Monetary Union") ["very startled at the attitude of our European partners...all of them were determined to agree a Treaty for full EMU"] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Apr 4 Wed European Policy: No.10 record of conversation ("European Monetary Issues") [MT bilateral with Major; MT - "if other member states decide to take such steps that is their concern, but the UK should make clear that it is not prepared to participate in the process"] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Mar 29 Thu European Policy: No.10 record of conversation ("Exchange Rate Mechanism") [MT, Major bilateral - timetable for membership of ERM; interest rates expected to rise; MT: "we cannot contemplate joining the mechanism in these circumstances"; JM: agrees but "important to consider carefully in the near future the options for the date of joining"] [declassified Dec 2016]
89 Dec 4 Mon European Policy: Treasury letter to FCO ("Economic and Monetary Union: Beyond Strasbourg") [how to carry forward campaign for Chancellor's hard ecu proposals after upcoming European Council] [declassified Dec 2016]
89 Dec 11 Mon European Policy: FCO minute to No.10 ("Economic and Monetary Union (EMU)") [useful quote supportive of our approach from Governor of the Swiss National Bank] [declassified Dec 2016]
89 Dec 18 Mon European Policy: UKE Rome telegram to FCO ("Meeting with Andreotti") [IGC would need to last longer than a year; would not be drawn on Delors idea of a second IGC; MT -"very helpful"] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Jan 5 Fri European Policy: No.10 minute for MT ("ERM Realignment") [Italians moving to narrow bands at bottom of existing range, effectively a minor devaluation; no German revaluation considered; minor impact on UK] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Jan 8 Mon European Policy: Treasury letter to No.10 ("ERM: Lira Realignment") [Italy moves to narrower bands, precipitated sooner than intended owing to market pressure] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Feb 2 Fri European Policy: FCO letter to Powell ("EMU") [procedural discussion of formalities consequent on Strasbourg IGC decision; Powell: "no point in raising objections"] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Feb 2 Fri European Policy: Policy Unit minute for MT ("Ratio of Government Spending to GDP: UK/EC Comparisons") [attached article by Tim Congdon rebuts claim Britain would be marginalised if it did not sign up to EMU; "We're doing better than Europe"] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Feb 9 Fri European Policy: UKE Paris telegram to FCO ("Sterling and the ERM") [Bérégovoy at press conference calls for British entry to ERM and says "work on EMU should be accelerated in the face of German unification"] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Feb 12 Mon European Policy: Treasury letter to Powell ("EMU (Economic and Monetary Union)") [MT approves four points for British officials to make in Monetary Committee discussions] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Mar 2 Fri European Policy: FCO letter to Treasury ("British Membership of the ERM: Spanish Views") [Hurd reports President of Central Bank of Spain making "fervent appeal" to UK to join ERM] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Mar 8 Thu European Policy: Powell letter to Alan Walters ("The Next Stage in an Evolutionary Approach to Monetary Union") [asks his views on Michael Butler proposal for a European Monetary Fund] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Mar 9 Fri European Policy: Gray minute for Powell ("Financial Counsellor at the French Embassy") [Gray asks should he grant request to see the Counsellor? Powell suggests he direct the man to the Treasury] [declassified Dec 2016]
90 Mar 12 Mon European Policy: Michael Butler memorandum for No.10 ("Stage 2 of Economic and Monetary Union") [asks Powell's comments on enclosed draft paper] [declassified Dec 2016]