UK Government announces landmark NI Troubles archives projects

The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Hilary Benn MP, has today set out the details of two landmark archival projects relating to the Troubles.

The first is a project to digitise and publish open UK Government records relating to the NI Troubles in collaboration with The National Archives. This will broaden access by publishing digital copies of paper records that have previously only been available by visiting The National Archives at Kew, making them free to view online.

The second is an archival research project, which will see official historians appointed, following a transparent and independent recruitment process, to research UK Government policy towards Northern Ireland during the Troubles. They will be given full access to UK state archives. 

These projects will provide a unique resource for anyone interested in the history of the Troubles and government policy. They will seek to build public confidence through greater accessibility and transparency, and provide a deeper understanding of UK Government policy and decision making on Northern Ireland during the Troubles.

Speaking during a visit to The National Archives at Kew, the Secretary of State said

I am pleased to support work by The National Archives to digitise and publish key records relating to this complex period in our history. I have seen today examples of the records digitisation process and look forward to the first records in this project being published in the autumn.

I am also grateful to members of the academic advisory panel for lending their expertise to the important archival research project, and I have every confidence that they will ensure it is conducted to the highest academic standards. Their first task will be to identify highly qualified and independently-minded historians via open competition, and I would encourage anyone interested in this project to find out more on their website. 

Taken together, these projects will provide an invaluable resource for the public, journalists, educational institutions, researchers, and academics, making information about this period in Northern Ireland’s history more accessible, and so making government decision-making more transparent.

Saul Nassé, Chief Executive of The National Archives, said

The National Archives’ documents provide a valuable perspective on the Troubles.

This project will mean the widest possible audience will be able view the records online to grow their understanding of this significant period in modern history.

Co-chairs of the independent advisory panel, Professor Caoimhe Nic Dháibhéid and Lord Bew, said

We welcome the Government’s strong commitment to increasing access to state archives, which has been an important part of dealing with the past in many other countries.  

The Government has rightly recognised the need for work of this nature to be conducted transparently and independently, and as co-chairs of the expert advisory panel we look forward to engaging with colleagues across the academic community as we collectively seek to further understanding of this important period in our history.

Notes to Editors

1. The previous Government originally announced these two non-legislative Northern Ireland Legacy initiatives – an Official History granting independent historians privileged access to state archives and a Digitisation Project, making open Government records relating to the Northern Ireland Troubles readily available to all, virtually and free of charge.
2. An initial phase of the digitisation project took place in May 2023 with the launch of a stand-alone digital resource hosted on the The National Archives website, which brought together a selection of key documents from the Major and Blair Governments to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
3. As part of the Government’s commitment to support efforts to address the legacy of the Troubles, these projects will now be taken forward to the implementation stage. Further updates on both projects will be provided as they progress. There will be a phased approach to the digitisation project, and we expect the first tranche of records to be available on The National Archives’ website by autumn 2025.
4. The Government’s Official History series began in 1908, and involves independent historians appointed by the Prime Minister granted privileged access to closed files beyond the normal provisions of the Public Records Act. Previous examples of official histories include the Official History of the Falklands Campaign (published in 2007)  and the Official History of the Royal Navy in World War II (published in volumes between 1954 and 1961). 
5. In 2008, the previous Labour Government commissioned Sir Joseph Pilling to review the Official History series. Sir Joseph made a number of recommendations to increase the transparency and relevance of the programme, and the report is published here. 
6. The Government has appointed an independent expert advisory panel to make recommendations on key details of this project. The panel consists of Lord Paul Bew (Emeritus Professor of Politics at Queen’s University Belfast); Professor Caoimhe Nic Dháibhéid (Senior Lecturer in Modern History at University of Sheffield); Professor Henry Patterson (Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Ulster); Dr Edward Burke (Assistant Professor in the History of War, University College Dublin); Professor Richard Bourke (Professor of the History of Political Thought, University of Cambridge); Professor Helen Parr (Professor of Modern and Contemporary History, Keele University); Professor Ian McBride (Foster Professor of Irish History, Oxford University).
7. A website with further information about the project is at www.niofficialhistory.org.uk. The advisory panel is overseeing an independent recruitment process for up to five official historians. The panel is currently seeking expressions of interest for these posts, and further information can be found here.