2009 in the United Kingdom
Encyclopedia
Events from the year 2009 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents

  • Monarch - HM Queen Elizabeth II
    Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
    Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...

  • Prime Minister - Gordon Brown
    Gordon Brown
    James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...

    , Labour Party
    Labour Party (UK)
    The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...


January

  • 1 January - A British Soldier from 6th Battalion The Rifles
    The Rifles
    The Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...

    , later named by the Ministry of Defence
    Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
    The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....

     as Serjeant Christopher Reed, is killed in an explosion in Southern Afghanistan
    Afghanistan
    Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

    . It takes the total number of British forces to die in the conflict to 138.
  • 2 January -
    • A light aircraft crashes into overhead power cables on the West Coast Main Line
      West Coast Main Line
      The West Coast Main Line is the busiest mixed-traffic railway route in Britain, being the country's most important rail backbone in terms of population served. Fast, long-distance inter-city passenger services are provided between London, the West Midlands, the North West, North Wales and the...

       near the village of Little Haywood
      Little Haywood
      Little Haywood is a village in Staffordshire, England. It lies beside a main arterial highway, the A51 but traffic through the village is mainly light, owing to this bypass. Nearby also is the West Coast Main Line railway, the Trent and Mersey Canal and beside it, the river Trent...

       in Staffordshire
      Staffordshire
      Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

      , causing widespread disruption to train services, and reportedly killing the three occupants of the aircraft.
    • Celebrity Big Brother returns to Channel 4
      Channel 4
      Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...

       for the first time since 2007 following the racism controversy
      Celebrity Big Brother racism controversy
      The Celebrity Big Brother racism controversy was a series of events related to incidents of perceived racist behaviour by contestants on the television series Celebrity Big Brother 2007 shown on British television station Channel 4...

       that dominated that year's show. Participants include Latoya Jackson, Verne Troyer
      Verne Troyer
      Verne J. Troyer is an American stand-up comedian, actor, stuntman and performer, best known for playing Mini-Me in the Austin Powers series...

       and Ulrika Jonsson
      Ulrika Jonsson
      Eva Ulrika Jonsson is a Swedish television presenter in the UK, who became famous as a TV-am weather presenter and moved on to present Gladiators and became a team captain of the show Shooting Stars.-Early life:...

      .
  • 5 January -
    • Cold weather consisting of snow and freezing temperatures causes widespread disruption across the UK. Travel routes are severely affected including roads and railways, in addition to Luton
      London Luton Airport
      London Luton Airport is an international airport located east of the town centre in the Borough of Luton in Bedfordshire, England and is north of Central London. The airport is from Junction 10a of the M1 motorway...

       and Birmingham airports respectively. The weather also leads to the closure of many schools who were due to return after the Christmas break.
    • Waterford Wedgwood
      Waterford Wedgwood
      Waterford Wedgwood plc is the former holding entity for a group of companies headquartered in Ireland, which specialised in the manufacture of high quality china, porcelain and glass. The group was dominated by Tony O'Reilly and his immediate family, and the family of Mr. O'Reilly's second wife,...

      , makers of the famous Wedgwood pottery
      Wedgwood
      Wedgwood, strictly speaking Josiah Wedgwood and Sons, is a pottery firm owned by KPS Capital Partners, a private equity company based in New York City, USA. Wedgwood was founded on May 1, 1759 by Josiah Wedgwood and in 1987 merged with Waterford Crystal to create Waterford Wedgwood, an...

      , enters administration.
  • 6 January -
    • The cold weather affecting the UK continues to cause widespread disruption across the country. The continued freezing temperatures leads to millions of people becoming eligible for cold weather payments from the government.
    • The closure of Woolworths
      Woolworths Group
      Woolworths Group plc was a listed British company that owned the high-street retail chain, Woolworths, as well as other brands such as the entertainment distributor Entertainment UK and book and resource distributor Bertram Books...

       is completed across the UK, having started at the end of December, and spells an end to 100 years of the retail chain. The company was placed into administration
      Administration (insolvency)
      As a legal concept, administration is a procedure under the insolvency laws of a number of common law jurisdictions. It functions as a rescue mechanism for insolvent entities and allows them to carry on running their business. The process – an alternative to liquidation – is often known as going...

       in November 2008, with its 813 stores gradually being phased out. More than 27,000 jobs have been lost as a result of the company's collapse.
  • 7 January -
    • Marks and Spencers announce they are to close 25 of their Simply Food stores and cut 1,230 jobs, after they announce pre-Christmas like-for-like sales fell by 7.1%.
    • England Cricket Captain, Kevin Pietersen
      Kevin Pietersen
      Kevin Peter Pietersen, MBE is a South African-born English cricketer. He is a right-handed batsman and occasional off spin bowler who plays for England and Surrey...

       resigns after months of rows with England Manager, Peter Moores
      Peter Moores (cricketer)
      Peter Moores is a former English county cricketer. He played as a wicketkeeper for Worcestershire and Sussex He became the coach of Lancashire County Cricket Club, on 11 February 2009....

      . Moores is sacked from his job by the England and Wales Cricket Board. Andrew Strauss
      Andrew Strauss
      Andrew John Strauss, OBE is an English cricketer who plays county cricket for Middlesex County Cricket Club and is the captain of England's Test cricket team. A fluent left-handed opening batsman, Strauss favours scoring off the back foot, mostly playing cut and pull shots...

       is named as the new Captain.
    • There is more bad news for the economy as new car sales for 2008 are reported to have fallen to a 12-year low of just over 2,100,000.
  • 8 January - The Bank of England
    Bank of England
    The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...

     cuts its base interest rate to 1.5% amid the global economic downturn, the lowest it has been in the bank's 300 year history.
  • 11 January -
    • The News of the World
      News of the World
      The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...

       reports that HRH
      Royal Highness
      Royal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...

       Prince Harry of Wales
      Prince Harry of Wales
      Prince Henry of Wales , commonly known as Prince Harry, is the younger son of Charles, Prince of Wales and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and fourth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...

       had been filmed using racist language towards a Pakistani member of his army platoon. Prince Harry swiftly apologised amid widespread condemnation.
    • A Royal Marine from 45 Commando
      45 Commando
      45 Commando Royal Marines is a battalion sized unit of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....

      , later named by the Ministry of Defence
      Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
      The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....

       as Marine Travis Mackin, is killed in an explosion in Southern Afghanistan
      Afghanistan
      Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

      . It takes the total number of British forces to die in the conflict to 139.
  • 12 January - At the 66th Golden Globe Awards
    66th Golden Globe Awards
    The 66th Golden Globe Awards Ceremony was broadcast on January 11, 2009, from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, United States on the NBC TV network...

    , British actress Kate Winslet
    Kate Winslet
    Kate Elizabeth Winslet is an English actress and occasional singer. She has received multiple awards and nominations. She was the youngest person to accrue six Academy Award nominations, and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Reader...

     wins two awards, Best Actress (Motion Picture Drama)
    Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Drama
    The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture - Drama was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1951...

     and Best Supporting Actress (Motion Picture)
    Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture
    The Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1944 for a performance in a motion picture released in the previous year....

    ; while British film Slumdog Millionaire
    Slumdog Millionaire
    Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...

    wins all four of the awards for which it is nominated.
  • 14 January -
    • The government unveil a £20bn loan guarantee scheme for small and medium sized business amid the global financial crisis. On the same day, Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, appoints former banker Mervyn Davies
      Evan Mervyn Davies
      Evan Mervyn Davies , Baron Davies of Abersoch, CBE is a former banker and was a UK government minister until May 2010....

       as the new Trade and Investment Minister
      Minister of State for Trade
      The Minister of State for Trade is an executive position in the Government of the United Kingdom, in both the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...

      .
    • Two British service personnel, a soldier from 29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery
      29th Commando Regiment Royal Artillery
      29 Commando Regiment is the Commando-trained unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery. The regiment is under the operational control of 3 Commando Brigade providing artillery support and gunnery observation.- History :...

      , later named by the Ministry of Defence as Captain
      Captain (British Army and Royal Marines)
      Captain is a junior officer rank of the British Army and Royal Marines. It ranks above Lieutenant and below Major and has a NATO ranking code of OF-2. The rank is equivalent to a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy and to a Flight Lieutenant in the Royal Air Force...

       Tom Sawyer, and a marine from 45 Commando
      45 Commando
      45 Commando Royal Marines is a battalion sized unit of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....

      , later named as Marine Danny Winter, are killed in an explosion in southern Afghanistan. It takes the total number of British forces to die in the conflict to 141.
  • 15 January -
    • Approval is granted for the building of the controversial third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow Airport. As part of the decision, the Secretary of State for Transport
      Secretary of State for Transport
      The Secretary of State for Transport is the member of the cabinet responsible for the British Department for Transport. The role has had a high turnover as new appointments are blamed for the failures of decades of their predecessors...

      , Geoff Hoon
      Geoff Hoon
      Geoffrey "Geoff" William Hoon is a British politician who served as the Member of Parliament for Ashfield from 1992 to 2010...

      , announces restrictions on aircraft using the third runway that are designed to limit noise pollution and carbon dioxide emissions, alongside proposals for a high-speed rail hub, also located at Heathrow.
    • John McDonnell
      John McDonnell (politician)
      John Martin McDonnell is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Hayes and Harlington since 1997; he serves as Chair of the Socialist Campaign Group, the Labour Representation Committee, and the "Public Services Not Private Profit Group"...

      , Labour
      Labour Party (UK)
      The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

       MP for Hayes and Harlington
      Hayes and Harlington (UK Parliament constituency)
      Hayes and Harlington is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...

      , the constituency which includes Heathrow Airport, is suspended from Parliament
      Parliament of the United Kingdom
      The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...

       after picking up the ceremonial House of Commons mace
      Ceremonial mace
      The ceremonial mace is a highly ornamented staff of metal or wood, carried before a sovereign or other high official in civic ceremonies by a mace-bearer, intended to represent the official's authority. The mace, as used today, derives from the original mace used as a weapon...

       in protest at the government's approval of a third runway.
  • 16 January - The Financial Services Authority
    Financial Services Authority
    The Financial Services Authority is a quasi-judicial body responsible for the regulation of the financial services industry in the United Kingdom. Its board is appointed by the Treasury and the organisation is structured as a company limited by guarantee and owned by the UK government. Its main...

     lifts the ban on the short selling
    Short selling
    In finance, short selling is the practice of selling assets, usually securities, that have been borrowed from a third party with the intention of buying identical assets back at a later date to return to that third party...

     of stocks in UK financial sector companies.
  • 17 January - A British Soldier from 1st Battalion The Rifles
    The Rifles
    The Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...

    , later named as Corporal Richard Robinson, is killed by enemy fire in southern Afghanistan. It takes the total number of British forces to die in the conflict to 142.
  • 19 January -
    • Lloyds TSB
      Lloyds TSB
      Lloyds TSB Bank Plc is a retail bank in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank, established in Birmingham, England in 1765 and traditionally considered one of the Big Four clearing banks, with the TSB Group which traces its origins to 1810...

       completes the acquisition of the Halifax Bank of Scotland group
      HBOS
      HBOS plc is a banking and insurance company in the United Kingdom, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lloyds Banking Group having been taken over in January 2009...

      , to form the Lloyds Banking Group
      Lloyds Banking Group
      Lloyds Banking Group plc is a major British financial institution, formed through the acquisition of HBOS by Lloyds TSB in 2009. As at February 2010, HM Treasury held a 41% shareholding through UK Financial Investments Limited . The Group headquarters is located at 25 Gresham Street in London, with...

      .
    • The government announce further assistance for the banking sector, the second of the current financial crisis. Measures announced include the government insuring bad debts and increasing its stake in Royal Bank of Scotland
      Royal Bank of Scotland
      The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...

      . The measures make little impact on the stock market, with banking stocks falling across the board.
    • Royal Bank of Scotland
      Royal Bank of Scotland
      The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...

       announces it expects to have to write down assets totalling around £20bn, believed to be the biggest lose in British corporate history. The announcement sees RBS' share price plunge 67% on the day.
  • 20 January - The Office of National Statistics announce that the Consumer Price Index (CPI)
    Consumer Price Index (United Kingdom)
    The Consumer Price Index is the official measure of inflation of consumer prices of the United Kingdom. It is also called the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices .-History:...

    , the UK's main measure of inflation, fell by 1% from 4.1% to 3.1% since November 2008. Over the same time period, the Retail Prices Index
    Retail Prices Index (United Kingdom)
    In the United Kingdom, the Retail Prices Index or Retail Price Index is a measure of inflation published monthly by the Office for National Statistics. It measures the change in the cost of a basket of retail goods and services.-History:...

    , an alternative measure of inflation, fell by 2.1% from 3.0% to 0.9%, the biggest fall in 28 years.
  • 21 January - Statistics released by the Office of National Statistics show that the number of unemployed people in the UK has risen to more than 1,900,000, the highest level since late 1996.
  • 22 January - The Disasters Emergency Committee
    Disasters Emergency Committee
    The Disasters Emergency Committee is an umbrella group comprising fourteen UK charities. These charities are all associated with disaster related issues such as providing clean water, humanitarian aid and medical care....

     launches its Gaza Crisis Appeal following the recent conflict
    2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict
    The Gaza War, known as Operation Cast Lead in Israel and as the Gaza Massacre in the Arab world, was a three-week bombing and invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israel, and hundreds of rocket attacks on south of Israel which...

     in the region. The BBC causes controversy by saying it will not be broadcasting the appeal as it would compromise its impartiality.
  • 23 January -
    • The Office of National Statistics announce that the United Kingdom's economy is officially in recession for the first time since 1991. The economy has now suffered three successive quarters of conraction, with the final quarter of last year seeing the economy shrink by 1.8% - one of the worst quarterly detractions since records began.
    • Jonathan Ross
      Jonathan Ross
      Jonathan Ross may refer to:* Jonathan Ross , English television and radio personality* Jonathan Ross , United States Senator, Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court* Jonathon Ross , former Australian rules footballer...

       returns to television after serving a three month suspension from the BBC following the row over prank telephone calls made to
      Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row
      The Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row concerned a series of voice messages that English entertainers Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross left on the answering machine of actor Andrew Sachs, which were labelled obscene by many media commentators and politicians...

       Andrew Sachs
      Andrew Sachs
      Andrew Sachs is a German-born British actor. He made his name on British television and is best known for his portrayals of Manuel in Fawlty Towers, a role for which he was BAFTA-nominated, and Ramsay Clegg in Coronation Street.-Early life:Sachs was born in Berlin, Germany, the son of Katharina , a...

      .
    • Karen Matthews and Michael Donavon are sentenced to eight years in prison for the kidnap of Shannon Matthews, the former's daughter, having held her captive in Donvon's flat in Dewsbury
      Dewsbury
      Dewsbury is a minster town in the Metropolitan Borough of Kirklees, in West Yorkshire, England. It is to the west of Wakefield, east of Huddersfield and south of Leeds...

       last year as part of a bid to claim £50,000 for her "safe return" after reporting her missing to the police.
  • 24 January - Three climbers are killed in an avalanche
    2009 Buachaille Etive Mòr avalanche
    The Buachaille Etive Mòr avalanche occurred on Buachaille Etive Mòr in Glen Coe in the Scottish Highlands, UK on 24 January 2009. Three mountain climbers were killed and one sustained a serious shoulder injury. Two of the dead were from Northern Ireland and the other was from Scotland...

     on Buachaille Etive Mòr
    Buachaille Etive Mòr
    Buachaille Etive Mòr , generally known to climbers simply as The Buachaille or The Beuckle, is a mountain at the head of Glen Etive in the Highlands of Scotland...

     in the Highlands of Scotland. Five others walk away uninjured, whilst another suffers a shoulder injury.
  • 25 January - The Sunday Times publishes allegations that four Labour
    Labour Party (UK)
    The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

     members of the House of Lords
    House of Lords
    The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....

     were willing to accept money to table amendments to legislation.
  • 26 January - Possession of 'extreme pornography' becomes illegal under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008
    Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008
    The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which makes significant changes in many areas of the criminal justice system in England and Wales and, to a lesser extent, in Scotland and Northern Ireland...

    .
  • 28 January -
    • The International Monetary Fund
      International Monetary Fund
      The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...

       projects that the UK economy will shrink by 2.8% in the forthcoming year, the biggest drop in any advanced nation.
    • Hundreds of workers go on strike at the Lindsay Oil Refinery in Lincolnshire
      Lincolnshire
      Lincolnshire is a county in the east of England. It borders Norfolk to the south east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south west, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire to the west, South Yorkshire to the north west, and the East Riding of Yorkshire to the north. It also borders...

       in protest at the hiring of foreign construction workers at the site, despite rising unemployment in the UK.
  • 30 January -
    • Anti Posted Workers Directive strikes - Workers at around a dozen energy sites across the UK walk out in support of the workers at the Lindsey refinery, who walked out two days ago over the hiring of foreign workers.
    • A British Soldier from 1st Battalion The Rifles
      The Rifles
      The Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...

      , later named as Corporal Daniel Nield, is killed in a firefight in Southern Afghanistan. It takes the total number of British forces to die in the conflict to 143.

February

  • 2 February -
    • Heavy snow falls overnight across large parts of the country, causing widespread disruption to transport and education.
      • Many roads are blocked in the morning rush hour, whilst train services are disrupted and many airport runways closed. Transport for London
        Transport for London
        Transport for London is the local government body responsible for most aspects of the transport system in Greater London in England. Its role is to implement the transport strategy and to manage transport services across London...

         suspends all London Buses and the London Underground
        London Underground
        The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...

         is also severely disrupted.
      • Meanwhile, hundreds of schools are forced to close due to the adverse weather conditions.
    • Contractors at the Sellafield
      Sellafield
      Sellafield is a nuclear reprocessing site, close to the village of Seascale on the coast of the Irish Sea in Cumbria, England. The site is served by Sellafield railway station. Sellafield is an off-shoot from the original nuclear reactor site at Windscale which is currently undergoing...

       and Heysham
      Heysham Power Station
      Heysham Power Station is a nuclear power station located in Heysham, Lancashire, England, operated by British Energy. The site is divided into two separately-managed stations, Heysham 1 and Heysham 2, both of the advanced gas-cooled reactor type, with two reactors each...

       nuclear plants walk out in the ongoing unofficial strike action over foreign workers.
  • 3 February - Adverse weather conditions continues to cause widespread disruption to education and transport in large parts of England.
  • 5 February -
    • Further heavy snow in parts of England and Wales causes fresh school closures and travel disruption.
    • The Halifax reports a rise in house prices of 1.9% in January. However, it also reports that, on average, the price of a house fell by 17.2% in the 12 months since January 2008.
    • Workers participating in unofficial strikes over the use of foreign workers agree to return to work after a compromise deal is struck by Acas
      Acas
      The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service is a Crown non-departmental public body of the Government of the United Kingdom. Its purpose is to improve organisations and working life through the promotion and facilitation of strong industrial relations practice...

      .
    • The Bank of England reduces the base rate of interest by 0.5% to 1.0%, the fifth reduction since October 2008.
    • Undefeated boxing
      Boxing
      Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

       champion Joe Calzaghe
      Joe Calzaghe
      Joseph William Calzaghe, CBE, MBE is a Welsh former professional boxer. He is the former WBO, WBA, WBC, IBF, The Ring & British super middleweight champion and The Ring light heavyweight champion....

       announces his retirement from the sport after 46 fights over more than 15 years.
  • 8 February - At the 62nd British Academy Film Awards
    62nd British Academy Film Awards
    The 62nd British Academy Film Awards, hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, took place on 8 February 2009, and honoured the best films of 2008.-Best Actor:Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler*Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon...

    , the 'BAFTAs', British drama Slumdog Millionaire
    Slumdog Millionaire
    Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...

    wins seven awards, including Best Film
    BAFTA Award for Best Film
    This page lists the winners and nominees for the BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Film not in the English Language and Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film for each year, in addition to the retired earlier versions of those awards...

     and Best Director
    BAFTA Award for Best Direction
    Winners of the BAFTA Award for Best Direction presented by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.-2010s:* 2010 - David Fincher – The Social Network** Tom Hooper – The King's Speech** Danny Boyle – 127 Hours...

     for Danny Boyle
    Danny Boyle
    Daniel "Danny" Boyle is an English filmmaker and producer. He is best known for his work on films such as Slumdog Millionaire, 127 Hours, 28 Days Later, Sunshine and Trainspotting. For Slumdog Millionaire, Boyle won numerous awards in 2008, including the Academy Award for Best Director...

    . British actress Kate Winslet
    Kate Winslet
    Kate Elizabeth Winslet is an English actress and occasional singer. She has received multiple awards and nominations. She was the youngest person to accrue six Academy Award nominations, and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Reader...

     also wins the award for Best Leading Actress
    BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role
    Best Actress in a Leading Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognise an actress who has delivered an outstanding leading performance in a film.- Winners and nominees :...

     for her performance in The Reader.
  • 9 February - Chelsea F.C.
    Chelsea F.C.
    Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

     manager Luiz Felipe Scolari
    Luiz Felipe Scolari
    Luiz Felipe Scolari , ComIH , also known as Felipão in Brazil and Phil Scolari in the United Kingdom, is a World Cup-winning Brazilian football manager. He is currently the manager of Palmeiras. He served as the manager of the Portuguese national team from July 12, 2003 to June 30, 2008...

     is sacked by the club's board after results deteriorate "at a key time in the season". It comes just hours after fellow Premier League manager, Tony Adams
    Tony Adams (footballer)
    Tony Alexander Adams, MBE is an English football manager and former player.Adams spent his entire playing career of 22 years as a defender at Arsenal. He is considered one of the greatest Arsenal players of all time by the club's own fans and was included in the Football League 100 Legends...

     of Portsmouth F.C.
    Portsmouth F.C.
    Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...

    , is sacked, again after a poor run of results.
  • 10 February - The former chief executives of the two British banks hit hardest by the recent banking crisis, Sir Fred Goodwin
    Fred Goodwin
    Sir Frederick Anderson Goodwin CA, FCIBS is a Scottish chartered accountant and former banker who was chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group between 2001 and 2009....

     of Royal Bank of Scotland
    Royal Bank of Scotland
    The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...

     and Andy Hornby
    Andy Hornby
    Andy Hornby is an English businessman, notable for having been the Group Chief Executive of HBOS at the time of its government-facilitated rescue by Lloyds TSB...

     of HBOS
    HBOS
    HBOS plc is a banking and insurance company in the United Kingdom, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lloyds Banking Group having been taken over in January 2009...

    , apologise "profoundly and unreservedly" for their respective banks' failure in an evidence session with the Treasury Select Committee.
  • 11 February -
    • The Office for National Statistics announces that UK unemployment has risen to 1.97 million, an increase of 146,000 in the last three months.
    • The Metropolitan Police
      Metropolitan police
      Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...

       announce they will not launch an investigation into the recent Cash for Influence
      Cash for Influence
      Cash for Influence is the name given by some in the media to a political scandal in the United Kingdom in 2009 concerning four Labour Party Life Peers offering to help make amendments to legislation for up to £120,000...

       scandal in the House of Lords.
    • The Deputy Chairman of the Financial Services Authority
      Financial Services Authority
      The Financial Services Authority is a quasi-judicial body responsible for the regulation of the financial services industry in the United Kingdom. Its board is appointed by the Treasury and the organisation is structured as a company limited by guarantee and owned by the UK government. Its main...

      , Sir James Crosby, resigns amid allegations that, whilst chief executive of HBOS, he sacked a senior manager who raised concerns that the bank was exposed to too much risk.
    • Four people, including two teenage air cadets
      Air Training Corps
      The Air Training Corps , commonly known as the Air Cadets, is a cadet organisation based in the United Kingdom. It is a voluntary youth group which is part of the Air Cadet Organisation and the Royal Air Force . It is supported by the Ministry of Defence, with a regular RAF Officer, currently Air...

      , are killed in a mid-air collision between two light aircraft over the Welsh coast.
  • 12 February - A British soldier serving in Iraq
    Iraq
    Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

    , later named as Private Ryan Wrathall, dies in what the Ministry of Defence describes as a 'shooting incident'. It takes the total number of British forces to die in the conflict to 179, and marks the first British death in Iraq in 2009.
  • 13 February -
    • Shares in the Lloyds Banking Group
      Lloyds Banking Group
      Lloyds Banking Group plc is a major British financial institution, formed through the acquisition of HBOS by Lloyds TSB in 2009. As at February 2010, HM Treasury held a 41% shareholding through UK Financial Investments Limited . The Group headquarters is located at 25 Gresham Street in London, with...

       close down over 30% after they suggests that one of its subsidiaries, HBOS
      HBOS
      HBOS plc is a banking and insurance company in the United Kingdom, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lloyds Banking Group having been taken over in January 2009...

      , will post annual losses of nearly £11 billion. In response, the Chancellor of the Exchequer
      Chancellor of the Exchequer
      The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...

      , Alistair Darling
      Alistair Darling
      Alistair Maclean Darling is a Scottish Labour Party politician who has been a Member of Parliament since 1987, currently for Edinburgh South West. He served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010...

      , said that a 'range of options' remained in place in order to assist the banking system, but refused to rule out full nationalisation.
    • A BA CityFlyer
      BA CityFlyer
      BA CityFlyer is a wholly owned subsidiary airline of British Airways based in Didsbury, Manchester, England. It operates a network of domestic and European services from London City Airport...

       flight from Amsterdam loses its nosewheel
      Undercarriage
      The undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...

       on arrival at London City Airport
      London City Airport
      London City Airport is a single-runway airport. It principally serves the financial district of London and is located on a former Docklands site, east of the City of London, opposite the London Regatta Centre, in the London Borough of Newham in east London. It was developed by the engineering...

       due to a 'hard landing'. One passenger is hospitalised with minor injuries.
  • 14 February - A Royal Marine from 45 Commando
    45 Commando
    45 Commando Royal Marines is a battalion sized unit of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....

    , later named by the Ministry of Defence as Marine Darren Smith, is killed by enemy gunfire in Southern Afghanistan. It takes the total number of British forces to die in the conflict to 144.
  • 16 February - A British soldier from 1st Battalion The Rifles
    The Rifles
    The Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...

    , later named as Lance Corporal Stephen Kingscott, is killed by enemy fire in Southern Afghanistan. It increases the total number of British forces to die in the conflict to 145.
  • 17 February -
    • Official figures show that the UK's CPI
      Consumer Price Index (United Kingdom)
      The Consumer Price Index is the official measure of inflation of consumer prices of the United Kingdom. It is also called the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices .-History:...

      , the official measure of inflation, fell by 0.1% in January to 3.1%. The alternative measure of inflation, the Retail Prices Index
      Retail Prices Index (United Kingdom)
      In the United Kingdom, the Retail Prices Index or Retail Price Index is a measure of inflation published monthly by the Office for National Statistics. It measures the change in the cost of a basket of retail goods and services.-History:...

      , fell by 0.8% to 0.1% in the same monthly period.
    • Amid growing public and political pressure, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, announces a reduction in the payment of bonuses to senior staff at RBS
      Royal Bank of Scotland
      The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...

       and that these reduced bonuses would be paid in shares, rather than cash.
  • 18 February - The Yorkshire Ripper is released from Broadmoor Hospital
    Broadmoor Hospital
    Broadmoor Hospital is a high-security psychiatric hospital at Crowthorne in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It is the best known of the three high-security psychiatric hospitals in England, the other two being Ashworth and Rampton...

     to face a life sentence, for killing 13 women and attempting to kill 7 more, after doctors claim he has been treated for schizophrenia
    Schizophrenia
    Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...

    .
  • 22 February -
    • At the 81st Academy Awards
      81st Academy Awards
      The 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2008 and took place February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST...

      , British film Slumdog Millionaire
      Slumdog Millionaire
      Slumdog Millionaire is a 2008 British epic romantic drama adventure film directed by Danny Boyle, written by Simon Beaufoy, and co-directed in India by Loveleen Tandan. It is an adaptation of the novel Q & A by Indian author and diplomat Vikas Swarup...

      wins 8 awards including Best Picture
      Academy Award for Best Picture
      The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...

       and Best Director. British actress Kate Winslet
      Kate Winslet
      Kate Elizabeth Winslet is an English actress and occasional singer. She has received multiple awards and nominations. She was the youngest person to accrue six Academy Award nominations, and won the Academy Award for Best Actress for The Reader...

       wins the Best Actress
      Academy Award for Best Actress
      Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Awards of merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry...

       award for her role in The Reader.
    • TV personality, Jade Goody
      Jade Goody
      Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody was an English celebrity. She came into the public spotlight while appearing on the third series of the Channel 4 reality TV programme Big Brother in 2002, an appearance which led to her own television programmes and the launch of her own products after her eviction from...

       and her boyfriend, Jack Tweed
      Jack Tweed
      Jack Andrew Tweed is Jade Goody's widower and was a contestant in the 2007 series of Celebrity Big Brother.- Big Brother :...

      , are married at Down Hall
      Down Hall
      Down Hall is a Victorian country house and estate near Hatfield Heath in the English county of Essex, close to its border with Hertfordshire.- History :...

      , Essex
      Essex
      Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

      . Goody, 27, has been suffering from cervical cancer
      Cervical cancer
      Cervical cancer is malignant neoplasm of the cervix uteri or cervical area. One of the most common symptoms is abnormal vaginal bleeding, but in some cases there may be no obvious symptoms until the cancer is in its advanced stages...

       for six months and was told earlier this month that she may only have weeks to live after the cancer
      Cancer
      Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

       spread to her bowel, liver
      Liver
      The liver is a vital organ present in vertebrates and some other animals. It has a wide range of functions, including detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of biochemicals necessary for digestion...

       and groin
      Groin
      In human anatomy, the groin areas are the two creases at the junction of the torso with the legs, on either side of the pubic area. This is also known as the medial compartment of the thigh. A pulled groin muscle usually refers to a painful injury sustained by straining the hip adductor muscles...

      . Tweed is free on license following imprisonment for assault.
  • 23 February - Binyam Mohammed, a British national suspected of involvement in terrorist activities, is returned to the United Kingdom after being held at Guantanamo Bay Detention Centre for more than four years. Mohammed alleges that he was subject to extraordinary rendition
    Extraordinary rendition
    Extraordinary rendition is the abduction and illegal transfer of a person from one nation to another. "Torture by proxy" is used by some critics to describe situations in which the United States and the United Kingdom have transferred suspected terrorists to other countries in order to torture the...

     and that UK agents were complicit
    Complicit
    An individual is complicit in a crime if he/she is aware of its occurrence and has the ability to report the crime, but fails to do so. As such, the individual effectively allows criminals to carry out a crime despite possibly being able to stop them, either directly or by contacting the...

     in his torture.
  • 25 February -
    • Three British soldiers from 1st Battalion The Rifles
      The Rifles
      The Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...

      , later named as Corporal Tom Gaden, Lance Corporal Paul Upton and Rifleman
      Rifleman
      Although ultimately originating with the 16th century handgunners and the 17th century musketeers and streltsy, the term rifleman originated from the 18th century. It would later become the term for the archetypal common soldier.-History:...

       Jamie Gunn, are killed in an explosion in Southern Afghanistan. In a separate incident, a Royal Marine from 45 Commando
      45 Commando
      45 Commando Royal Marines is a battalion sized unit of the British Royal Marines and subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade Royal Marines, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....

      , Signaller
      Signaller
      In the armed forces, a signaller or signaleer is a specialist soldier or seaman or airman responsible for military communications. Signallers, aka Combat Signallers or signalmen or women, are commonly employed as radio or telephone operators, relaying messages for field commanders at the front line...

       Michael Laski, dies in a British hospital after sustaining injuries in the Aghan conflict on Monday 23 February. The four deaths take the total number of British forces to die in the Afghan conflict to 149.
    • Prime Minister's Questions
      Prime Minister's Questions
      Prime minister's questions is a constitutional convention in the United Kingdom that takes place every Wednesday during which the prime minister spends half an hour answering questions from members of parliament...

       is suspended by the House of Commons Speaker
      Speaker of the British House of Commons
      The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...

       Michael Martin
      Michael Martin (politician)
      Michael John Martin, Baron Martin of Springburn, PC is a British politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Glasgow Springburn from 1979 to 2005, and then for Glasgow North East until 2009...

       following a request from Prime Minister
      Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
      The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...

       Gordon Brown
      Gordon Brown
      James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...

       as a mark of respect following the death of the six year old son of the Leader of the Opposition David Cameron
      David Cameron
      David William Donald Cameron is the current Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, First Lord of the Treasury, Minister for the Civil Service and Leader of the Conservative Party. Cameron represents Witney as its Member of Parliament ....

      . It is the first time that PMQs has been suspended since the death of the then Labour Party
      Labour Party (UK)
      The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

       leader John Smith
      John Smith (UK politician)
      John Smith was a British Labour Party politician who served as Leader of the Labour Party from July 1992 until his sudden death from a heart attack in May 1994...

       in 1994.
  • 26 February -
    • The Royal Bank of Scotland, as expected, announces annual losses totalling £24.1 billion, the biggest loss in British corporate history. It is also confirmed that the bank is to receive a further £13 billion from the government in return for an increased stake in the company.
    • Alongside the announcement of its results, the Royal Bank of Scotland Group announces that its former Chief Executive, Sir Fred Goodwin, is to receive a £693,000-a-year pension for life. The announcement leads to widespread condemnation, whilst the government threaten legal action to claw back the payments.
  • 27 February - Lloyds Banking Group
    Lloyds Banking Group
    Lloyds Banking Group plc is a major British financial institution, formed through the acquisition of HBOS by Lloyds TSB in 2009. As at February 2010, HM Treasury held a 41% shareholding through UK Financial Investments Limited . The Group headquarters is located at 25 Gresham Street in London, with...

     announces that their HBOS
    HBOS
    HBOS plc is a banking and insurance company in the United Kingdom, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lloyds Banking Group having been taken over in January 2009...

     subsidiary made annual losses of £10.8 billion in 2008. The Lloyds TSB
    Lloyds TSB
    Lloyds TSB Bank Plc is a retail bank in the United Kingdom. It was established in 1995 by the merger of Lloyds Bank, established in Birmingham, England in 1765 and traditionally considered one of the Big Four clearing banks, with the TSB Group which traces its origins to 1810...

     division of the group made a profit of £807 million, down 80% on 2007.
  • 28 February- The Government launches an inquiry into a Sir Fred Goodwin's pension and massive losses by HBOS
    HBOS
    HBOS plc is a banking and insurance company in the United Kingdom, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lloyds Banking Group having been taken over in January 2009...

     in 2008.

March

  • 1 March - Manchester United F.C.
    Manchester United F.C.
    Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

     win the 2009 Carling Cup
    Football League Cup 2008-09
    The 2008–09 Football League Cup, known as the Carling Cup due to the competition's sponsorship by lager brand Carling, was the 49th season of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs...

    , beating Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
    Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
    Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....

     4-1 on penalties in the final
    2009 Football League Cup Final
    The 2009 Football League Cup Final was the final match of the 2008–09 Football League Cup, the 49th season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in the Premier League and The Football League...

    . The scores stood level at 0-0 after 90 minutes and extra time.
  • 4 March -
    • Gordon Brown
      Gordon Brown
      James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...

       becomes the fifth British Prime Minister to address the United States Congress
      United States Congress
      The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

       following talks with US President
      President of the United States
      The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

       Barack Obama
      Barack Obama
      Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

       in Washington D.C.
    • ITV
      ITV
      ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

       announces it is cutting 600 jobs after it reported a loss of £2.6 billion for 2008. The jobs will go from the company's Yorkshire
      Yorkshire
      Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...

       studios in Leeds
      Leeds
      Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...

       and from their headquarters in London.
  • 5 March - The Bank of England
    Bank of England
    The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...

     reduces the base interest rate to 0.5%, its lowest ever level. It also announces plans to begin quantitative easing
    Quantitative easing
    Quantitative easing is an unconventional monetary policy used by central banks to stimulate the national economy when conventional monetary policy has become ineffective. A central bank buys financial assets to inject a pre-determined quantity of money into the economy...

     by injecting £75 billion into the British economy.
  • 6 March - Police launch an investigation after a protester throws green custard at the Business and Enterprise Secretary, Lord Mandleson, in protest at the government's decision to approve the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.
  • 7 March -
    • The government
      HM Treasury
      HM Treasury, in full Her Majesty's Treasury, informally The Treasury, is the United Kingdom government department responsible for developing and executing the British government's public finance policy and economic policy...

       takes a controlling stake, reported to be 65%, in the troubled Lloyds Banking Group
      Lloyds Banking Group
      Lloyds Banking Group plc is a major British financial institution, formed through the acquisition of HBOS by Lloyds TSB in 2009. As at February 2010, HM Treasury held a 41% shareholding through UK Financial Investments Limited . The Group headquarters is located at 25 Gresham Street in London, with...

      . Toxic loans totalling £260 billion will be insured by the government as part of the deal.
    • 2009 Massereene Barracks shooting
      2009 Massereene Barracks shooting
      The 2009 Massereene Barracks shooting occurred on 7 March 2009, when two off-duty soldiers of the 38 Engineer Regiment were shot dead outside Massereene Barracks in Antrim town, Northern Ireland. Two other soldiers and two civilian delivery men, one Polish and one Northern Irish, were also shot and...

       - Two soldiers from 38 Engineer Regiment are killed in a shooting attack at the Massereene Barracks in Antrim
      Antrim, County Antrim
      Antrim is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council...

      , Northern Ireland
      Northern Ireland
      Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

      . The Real IRA claim responsibility for the attack which is met with widespread condemnation across the community.
  • 9 March - A police officer is shot dead in Craigavon
    Craigavon
    Craigavon is a settlement in north County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It was a planned settlement that was begun in 1965 and named after Northern Ireland's first Prime Minister — James Craig, 1st Viscount Craigavon. It was intended to be a linear city incorporating Lurgan and Portadown, but this plan...

    , County Antrim
    County Antrim
    County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...

    . A dissident republican
    Irish Republicanism
    Irish republicanism is an ideology based on the belief that all of Ireland should be an independent republic.In 1801, under the Act of Union, the Kingdom of Great Britain and the Kingdom of Ireland merged to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...

     group, the Continuity IRA, claim responsibility for the attack, the second of its kind
    2009 Massereene Barracks shooting
    The 2009 Massereene Barracks shooting occurred on 7 March 2009, when two off-duty soldiers of the 38 Engineer Regiment were shot dead outside Massereene Barracks in Antrim town, Northern Ireland. Two other soldiers and two civilian delivery men, one Polish and one Northern Irish, were also shot and...

     in two days.
  • 13 March - Comic Relief 2009
    Comic Relief
    Comic Relief is an operating British charity, founded in 1985 by the comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry in response to famine in Ethiopia. The highlight of Comic Relief's appeal is Red Nose Day, a biennial telethon held in March, alternating with sister project Sport Relief...

     raises a record total in excess of £57 million at the climax of their telethon, surpassing the amount raised during the 2007 telethon by over £17 million.
  • 14 March - A British soldier from Royal Welsh Regiment, 2nd Battalion
    Royal Welsh
    The Royal Welsh was formed on St David's Day, 1 March 2006. It is one of the new large infantry regiments of the British Army, and the regiment's formation was announced on 16 December 2004 by Geoff Hoon and General Sir Mike Jackson as part of the restructuring of the infantry.-Formation:The...

    , later named as Lance Corporal Christopher Harkett, is killed in an explosion in Southern Afghanistan. It takes the total number of British forces to die in the conflict to 150.
  • 16 March - Two British soldiers from Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, 1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
    1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards
    1st The Queen's Dragoon Guards is a cavalry regiment of the British Army. Nicknamed The Welsh Cavalry, the regiment recruits from Wales, Herefordshire, and Shropshire, and is the senior cavalry regiment, and therefore senior regiment, of the line of the British Army...

    , later named as Corporals Graeme Stiff and Dean John, are killed in an explosion in Southern Afghanistan. The deaths take the total number of British forces to die in the Afghan conflict to 152.
  • 18 March -
    • The Office of National Statistics announce that UK unemployment rose to 2.03 million in the three months to January. It takes unemployment above 2,000,000 for the first time since 1997.
    • Sean Hodgson, who has served 27 years in prison since being convicted of murder in 1982, is acquitted at the Court of Appeal
      Court of Appeal of England and Wales
      The Court of Appeal of England and Wales is the second most senior court in the English legal system, with only the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom above it...

       in London.
  • 22 March - Jade Goody
    Jade Goody
    Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody was an English celebrity. She came into the public spotlight while appearing on the third series of the Channel 4 reality TV programme Big Brother in 2002, an appearance which led to her own television programmes and the launch of her own products after her eviction from...

    , the reality TV star, dies at her home in Essex
    Essex
    Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...

     after a seven-month battle against cancer.
  • 24 March - The Consumer Price Index
    Consumer Price Index (United Kingdom)
    The Consumer Price Index is the official measure of inflation of consumer prices of the United Kingdom. It is also called the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices .-History:...

    , the government's preferred measure of inflation, unexpectedly rises to 3.2% in February, a rise of 0.2% on the previous month. The alternative measure of inflation, the Retail Prices Index
    Retail Prices Index (United Kingdom)
    In the United Kingdom, the Retail Prices Index or Retail Price Index is a measure of inflation published monthly by the Office for National Statistics. It measures the change in the cost of a basket of retail goods and services.-History:...

     falls to 0.0% for the first time in nearly 50 years.
  • 27 March - Official figures confirm that the United Kingdom is still in recession, with the economy shrinking by 1.6% in the final quarter of 2008 compared to the third quarter.

April

  • April - The economy continues to decline dramatically, with statistics showing a 2.4% rate of contraction for the first quarter of this year.
  • 1 April -
    • A Super Puma helicopter crashes in the North Sea whilst transporting oil-rig workers. All 16 people on board, 14 passengers and 2 crew, are killed.
    • Protests are held across London ahead of the following day's G-20 summit
      2009 G-20 London summit
      The 2009 G-20 London Summit is the second meeting of the G-20 heads of state in discussion of financial markets and the world economy, which was held in London on 2 April 2009 at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre. It followed the first G-20 Leaders Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy, which...

      . Police report 63 arrests across the city, where a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland
      Royal Bank of Scotland
      The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...

       is targeted by protesters, believed to be as a result of the ongoing anger at the pension of former Chief Executive, Sir Fred Goodwin. The Metropolitan Police
      Metropolitan police
      Metropolitan Police is a generic title for the municipal police force for a major metropolitan area, and it may be part of the official title of the force...

       later announce that one protester died of a heart-attack during the protests.
  • 2 April - The 2009 G-20 London summit
    2009 G-20 London summit
    The 2009 G-20 London Summit is the second meeting of the G-20 heads of state in discussion of financial markets and the world economy, which was held in London on 2 April 2009 at the ExCeL Exhibition Centre. It followed the first G-20 Leaders Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy, which...

     is held in response to the ongoing global financial crisis. The summit ends in the leaders announcing various measures, including a $1.1 trillion investment in the International Monetary Fund (IMF)
    International Monetary Fund
    The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...

     and World Bank
    World Bank
    The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...

    .
  • 8 April - Analogue television signals begin to be switched off in the Westcountry Television
    Westcountry Television
    Westcountry Television, is the ITV franchise holder in the South West of England, replacing its predecessor, TSW , from the 1 January 1993...

     area as part of the UK's ongoing process of digital switchover.
  • 11 April - Gordon Brown
    Gordon Brown
    James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...

    's special adviser Damian McBride
    Damian McBride
    Damian McBride is a former civil servant and former special advisor to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. McBride began his civil service career at HM Customs and Excise...

     resigns his position after it emerges that he and another prominent Labour Party
    Labour Party (UK)
    The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

     operative, blogger Derek Draper
    Derek Draper
    Derek William Draper is a former lobbyist, former editor of the LabourList website, and psychotherapist. As a political advisor during the 1990s he became widely known for his role in two political scandals, "Lobbygate" and "Smeargate".-Biography:Draper was educated at Southlands High School in...

    , had exchanged a series of emails in which they discussed plans to smear Conservative Party
    Conservative Party (UK)
    The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

     politicians with a series of false stories about their private lives.
  • 22 April -
    • Alistair Darling
      Alistair Darling
      Alistair Maclean Darling is a Scottish Labour Party politician who has been a Member of Parliament since 1987, currently for Edinburgh South West. He served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010...

      , the Chancellor of the Exchequer
      Chancellor of the Exchequer
      The Chancellor of the Exchequer is the title held by the British Cabinet minister who is responsible for all economic and financial matters. Often simply called the Chancellor, the office-holder controls HM Treasury and plays a role akin to the posts of Minister of Finance or Secretary of the...

       delivers the government's budget to the House of Commons. It includes the introduction of a 50% tax rate for those earning in excess of £150,000 and the announcement that Britain's debt level will rise to 79% of GDP
      Gross domestic product
      Gross domestic product refers to the market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given period. GDP per capita is often considered an indicator of a country's standard of living....

       by 2013.
    • Figures show unemployment has now risen to more than 2,100,000, the highest level seen under the current government.
  • 27 April - 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak: The outbreak of Swine Flu originating in Mexico spreads to the UK, with 2 cases confirmed in Scotland.
  • 29 April -
    • Three cases of Swine Flu are confirmed in England. One adult is diagnosed in Redditch
      Redditch
      Redditch is a town and local government district in north-east Worcestershire, England, approximately south of Birmingham. The district had a population of 79,216 in 2005. In the 19th century it became the international centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry...

      , another in South London
      South London
      South London is the southern part of London, England, United Kingdom.According to the 2011 official Boundary Commission for England definition, South London includes the London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Croydon, Greenwich, Kingston, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Southwark, Sutton and...

      , whilst a 12 year old girl is diagnosed in Torbay
      Torbay
      Torbay is an east-facing bay and natural harbour, at the western most end of Lyme Bay in the south-west of England, situated roughly midway between the cities of Exeter and Plymouth. Part of the ceremonial county of Devon, Torbay was made a unitary authority on 1 April 1998...

      . Meanwhile, the Scottish Health Secretary
      Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing
      The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, commonly referred to as the Health Secretary, is a cabinet position in the Scottish Government...

      , Nicola Sturgeon
      Nicola Sturgeon
      Nicola Sturgeon is the Deputy First Minister of Scotland, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy, Deputy Leader of the Scottish National Party and Member for Glasgow Southside....

       announces that 15 suspected cases in Scotland are negative.
    • The government is defeated on an opposition day motion in the House of Commons by 267 votes to 246 over their policy on Gurkha
      Gurkha
      Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the Gorkha District. Gurkhas are best known for their history in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments, the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Nepalese Army. Gurkha units are closely associated with the kukri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife...

       settlement rights.
  • 30 April -
    • A further three cases of swine flu are confirmed by the Department of Health
      Department of Health (United Kingdom)
      The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...

      . Two of the cases are located in London, with the third being in Newcastle
      Newcastle upon Tyne
      Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

      .
    • The British Military's operation in Iraq officially ends after six years of combat. The Basra Province is handed over to American forces in a special ceremony, ahead of the withdrawal of British troops in the summer.

May

  • 1 May - The number of confirmed Swine Flu cases in the UK reaches 13. Notably, the first cases of human to human transmission of the virus are confirmed in Scotland and South Gloucestershire.
  • 8 May - The Daily Telegraph obtains a full copy of MPs' expenses claims, and begin publishing them prior to the official parliamentary publication date of 1 July, reigniting the MPs' expenses controversy.
  • 16 May - Manchester United
    Manchester United F.C.
    Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

     win the Premier League championship for the third consecutive year after a 0-0 draw against Arsenal F.C.
    Arsenal F.C.
    Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

     at their home ground, Old Trafford
    Old Trafford
    Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...

    . They have now equalled Liverpool's record tally of 18 top division titles.
  • 19 May - The Speaker of the House of Commons
    Speaker of the British House of Commons
    The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...

    , Michael Martin
    Michael Martin (politician)
    Michael John Martin, Baron Martin of Springburn, PC is a British politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Glasgow Springburn from 1979 to 2005, and then for Glasgow North East until 2009...

    , announces his resignation from the office after coming under criticism for his handling of the ongoing expenses row.
  • 21 May - After a long campaign
    Gurkha Justice Campaign
    The Gurkha Justice Campaign is a campaign group in the United Kingdom fighting for the rights of the Gurkhas.It wants the Gurkhas who fought for the UK to gain the same rights as their British and Commonwealth counterparts...

     by Gurkha
    Gurkha
    Gurkha are people from Nepal who take their name from the Gorkha District. Gurkhas are best known for their history in the Indian Army's Gorkha regiments, the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas and the Nepalese Army. Gurkha units are closely associated with the kukri, a forward-curving Nepalese knife...

     veterans who served in the British Armed Forces
    British Armed Forces
    The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...

     before 1997, Home Secretary
    Home Secretary
    The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...

     Jacqui Smith
    Jacqui Smith
    Jacqueline Jill "Jacqui" Smith is a member of the British Labour Party. She served as the Member of Parliament for Redditch from 1997 until 2010 and was the first ever female Home Secretary, thus making her the third woman to hold one of the Great Offices of State — after Margaret Thatcher and...

     announces that all Gurkha veterans who have served four years or more in the British Army before 1997 will be allowed to settle in Britain.
  • 22 May - Whitelee Wind Farm
    Whitelee Wind Farm
    Whitelee Wind Farm is the largest wind farm in Europe, with 140 Siemens wind turbines and a total capacity of 322 megawatts . Whitelee was developed and is operated by ScottishPower Renewables, which is part of the Spanish company Iberdrola. Whitelee Wind Farm has a 75 turbine extension under...

    , the largest onshore wind farm
    Wind farm
    A wind farm is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electric power. A large wind farm may consist of several hundred individual wind turbines, and cover an extended area of hundreds of square miles, but the land between the turbines may be used for agricultural or other...

     in Europe, officially opens in Scotland.
  • 27 May - Manchester United lose 2-0 to FC Barcelona
    FC Barcelona
    Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....

     of Spain in the European Cup final at Rome's
    Rome
    Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

     Olympic Stadium
    Olympic Stadium
    The Olympic Stadium is the name usually given to the big centrepiece stadium of the Summer Olympic Games. Traditionally, the opening and closing ceremonies and the track and field competitions are held in the Olympic Stadium. Many, though not all, of these venues actually contain the words Olympic...

    .
  • 30 May - Chelsea
    Chelsea F.C.
    Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...

     win the FA Cup
    FA Cup
    The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...

     for the fifth time after beating Everton
    Everton F.C.
    Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...

     2-1 in the final at Wembley Stadium
    Wembley Stadium
    The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

    . Everton French striker Louis Saha scores the fastest ever FA Cup FInal goal, after 23 seconds

June

  • 1 June - An Ipsos MORI opinion poll
    Opinion poll
    An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...

     suggests the Conservatives
    Conservative Party (UK)
    The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

     are on course for a landslide election victory, with 40% of those polled saying they would vote for the party. Labour
    Labour Party (UK)
    The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

     and the Liberal Democrats
    Liberal Democrats
    The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...

     stand 22% behind the Conservatives, both being supported by 18% of respondents. Minority parties, including the British National Party
    British National Party
    The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...

     and UK Independence Party appear to be enjoying a surge in support, alongside the Scottish
    Scottish National Party
    The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....

     and Welsh
    Plaid Cymru
    ' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...

     nationalists.
  • 2 June - The Home Secretary
    Home Secretary
    The Secretary of State for the Home Department, commonly known as the Home Secretary, is the minister in charge of the Home Office of the United Kingdom, and one of the country's four Great Offices of State...

    , Jacqui Smith
    Jacqui Smith
    Jacqueline Jill "Jacqui" Smith is a member of the British Labour Party. She served as the Member of Parliament for Redditch from 1997 until 2010 and was the first ever female Home Secretary, thus making her the third woman to hold one of the Great Offices of State — after Margaret Thatcher and...

    , confirms she will leave the Cabinet
    Cabinet of the United Kingdom
    The Cabinet of the United Kingdom is the collective decision-making body of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom, composed of the Prime Minister and some 22 Cabinet Ministers, the most senior of the government ministers....

     in the next reshuffle, expected after the forthcoming local and European elections
    European Parliament election, 2009
    Elections to the European Parliament were held in the 27 member states of the European Union between 4 and 7 June 2009. A total of 736 Members of the European Parliament were elected to represent some 500 million Europeans, making these the biggest trans-national elections in history...

    . It is also announced that the Cabinet Office Minister
    Cabinet Office
    The Cabinet Office is a department of the Government of the United Kingdom responsible for supporting the Prime Minister and Cabinet of the United Kingdom....

    , Tom Watson
    Tom Watson (politician)
    Thomas Anthony Watson is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for West Bromwich East since 2001. Watson was a Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office from 2008 to 2009...

     and the Minister for Children
    Department for Children, Schools and Families
    The Department for Children, Schools and Families was a department of the UK government, between 2007 and 2010, responsible for issues affecting people in England up to the age of 19, including child protection and education...

    , Beverley Hughes
    Beverley Hughes
    Beverley June Hughes, Baroness Hughes of Stretford is a British Labour Party politician who was the Member of Parliament for Stretford and Urmston from 1997 to 2010. In 2004, she was appointed to the Privy Council...

     are to leave government.
  • 3 June - The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
    Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
    The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, is a Cabinet position heading the UK's Department for Communities and Local Government....

    , Hazel Blears
    Hazel Blears
    Hazel Anne Blears is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Salford and Eccles since 2010 and was previously the MP for Salford since 1997...

    , resigns from the Cabinet, placing increased pressure on the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown.
  • 4 June - Elections
    European Parliament election, 2009 (United Kingdom)
    The European Parliament election was the United Kingdom's component of the 2009 European Parliament election, the voting for which was held on Thursday 4 June 2009, coinciding with the 2009 local elections in England. Most of the results of the election were announced on Sunday 7 June, after...

     are held across the United Kingdom to the European Parliament
    European Parliament
    The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...

    , alongside local council elections
    United Kingdom local elections, 2009
    The 2009 United Kingdom local elections were elections held to all 27 County Councils, three existing Unitary Authorities and five new Unitary Authorities, all in England, on 4 June 2009...

     in England.
  • 5 June -
    • The results of the local elections
      United Kingdom local elections, 2009
      The 2009 United Kingdom local elections were elections held to all 27 County Councils, three existing Unitary Authorities and five new Unitary Authorities, all in England, on 4 June 2009...

       are announced, with the remaining councils under Labour Party
      Labour Party (UK)
      The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

       control all falling to the Conservative Party's
      Conservative Party (UK)
      The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

       control. The projected national vote shares suggests that the Conservatives achieved 38% of the vote, the Liberal Democrats
      Liberal Democrats
      The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...

       28% and Labour 23%.
    • In the aftermath of these results, the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, reshuffles his cabinet amidst some pressure on his leadership of the Labour Party.
  • 7 June - The results of the European parliamentary elections, held on 4 June, are announced, and show large declines in the vote of the Labour Party. The far-right British National Party
    British National Party
    The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...

     also win their first ever seats in a national election, being elected in North West England
    North West England (European Parliament constituency)
    North West England is a constituency of the European Parliament. For the 2009 elections it elects 8 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.-Boundaries:...

     and Yorkshire and the Humber
    Yorkshire and the Humber (European Parliament constituency)
    Yorkshire and the Humber is a constituency of the European Parliament. It currently elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...

    .
  • 9 June - Unemployment in Britain is now standing at a 14-year high of 2,220,000 and the quarterly rise in unemployment is the highest for 28 years.
  • 14 June -
    • The first Swine Flu
      Swine flu
      Swine influenza, also called pig influenza, swine flu, hog flu and pig flu, is an infection by any one of several types of swine influenza virus. Swine influenza virus or S-OIV is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs...

       related death in the United Kingdom is confirmed by the Scottish Government at 20:30BST.
    • The Big Top 40 Show
      The Big Top 40 Show
      The Vodafone Big Top 40 is a chart show broadcast on 140 radio stations in the UK. The chart is based on music download figures provided by iTunes.-Format:...

       is the first real-time chart show ever to be broadcast in the United Kingdom, consisting of downloads and airplay. The show is broadcast on 142 stations - the largest number of stations that a radio show is broadcast on in the UK.
  • 15 June -
    • Prime Minister Gordon Brown
      Gordon Brown
      James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...

       announces an independent inquiry into events surrounding the Iraq War
      2003 invasion of Iraq
      The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...

      .
    • The Calman Commission
      Commission on Scottish Devolution
      The Commission on Scottish Devolution, also referred to as the Calman Commission, Scottish Parliament Commission or Review was established by an opposition Labour Party motion passed by the Scottish Parliament on 6 December 2007, with the support of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats...

       recommends that the Scottish Parliament
      Scottish Parliament
      The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...

       be given greater control over tax and legislation such as setting speed limits.
  • 16 June - The long-awaited Digital Britain
    Digital Britain
    The Digital Britain report was a policy document published in 2009, which outlined the United Kingdom Government's strategic vision for ensuring that the country is at the leading edge of the global digital economy....

     report is published. It makes a number of recommendations with regard to Broadband access, Internet
    Internet
    The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

     use and Public Service Broadcasting.
  • 18 June - MPs expenses are published online by Parliamentary authorities, but the decision to black out many of the details leads to criticism.
  • 21 June - The final British Grand Prix
    2009 British Grand Prix
    The 2009 Santander British Grand Prix was the eighth race of the 2009 Formula One season. It was held on 21 June 2009 at Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, England. This was scheduled to be the last British Grand Prix to be held at Silverstone, before the event moved to Donington Park for the...

     (providing Donington Park
    Donington Park
    Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...

     is prepared on time) to be held at the Silverstone Circuit
    Silverstone Circuit
    Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...

     is won by Sebastian Vettel
    Sebastian Vettel
    Sebastian Vettel is a German Formula One racing driver, currently driving for Red Bull Racing. He is the current World Champion, having won the championship in and ....

    . Britain's Jenson Button
    Jenson Button
    Jenson Alexander Lyons Button MBE is a British Formula One driver currently signed to McLaren. He was the 2009 World Drivers' Champion.Button began karting at the age of eight and achieved early success, before progressing to car racing in the British Formula Ford Championship and the British...

     and Lewis Hamilton
    Lewis Hamilton
    Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton, MBE is a British Formula One racing driver from England, currently racing for the McLaren team. He was the Formula One World Champion.Hamilton was born in Stevenage, Hertfordshire...

     finish 6th and 16th respectively.
  • 22 June - Conservative MP John Bercow
    John Bercow
    John Simon Bercow is a British politician who has been the Speaker of the House of Commons in the United Kingdom since June 2009. Prior to his election to Speaker he was a member of the Conservative party....

     is elected
    Speaker of the British House of Commons election, 2009
    The 2009 election of the Speaker of the British House of Commons occurred on 22 June 2009 after the resignation of Michael Martin as Speaker following the MPs' expenses scandal. Martin was the first Speaker since Sir John Trevor in 1695 to be forced from office...

     as the 157th Speaker of the House of Commons
    Speaker of the British House of Commons
    The Speaker of the House of Commons is the presiding officer of the House of Commons, the United Kingdom's lower chamber of Parliament. The current Speaker is John Bercow, who was elected on 22 June 2009, following the resignation of Michael Martin...

    .
  • 25 June - The BBC
    BBC
    The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

     publishes the expenses of some of its top executives. Among the information to be revealed is that the corporation's Director General
    Director-General of the BBC
    The Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation is chief executive and editor-in-chief of the BBC.The position was formerly appointed by the Board of Governors of the BBC and is now appointed by the BBC Trust....

     Mark Thompson
    Mark Thompson
    Mark John Thompson is Director-General of the BBC, a post he has held since 2004, and a former chief executive of Channel 4...

     claimed over £2,000 after cutting short his holiday in October 2008 to deal with the row over the Russell Brand Show phone calls controversy
    Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row
    The Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row concerned a series of voice messages that English entertainers Russell Brand and Jonathan Ross left on the answering machine of actor Andrew Sachs, which were labelled obscene by many media commentators and politicians...

    .

July

  • 1 July -
    • Two British soldiers are killed in an explosion in Afghanistan. It is later confirmed that one of the casualties was Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe
      Rupert Thorneloe
      Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Stuart Michael Thorneloe MBE was a British Army officer who was killed in action on 1 July 2009 near Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan. , Thorneloe is the highest-ranking British Army officer to be killed in action since Lt Col 'H'...

      , the most senior ranking officer to be killed in action since Colonel H. Jones during the Fallands campaign.
    • The government announces that it is taking the InterCity East Coast franchise into a period of public ownership, after the incumbent operator, National Express East Coast
      National Express East Coast
      National Express East Coast was a train operating company in the United Kingdom, running high speed passenger services on the East Coast Main Line between London and Scotland, as part of the East Coast passenger franchise...

      , said it planned to default
      Default (finance)
      In finance, default occurs when a debtor has not met his or her legal obligations according to the debt contract, e.g. has not made a scheduled payment, or has violated a loan covenant of the debt contract. A default is the failure to pay back a loan. Default may occur if the debtor is either...

       on its franchise agreement.
  • 5 July - The Staffordshire Hoard
    Staffordshire Hoard
    The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold and silver metalwork . Discovered in a field near the village of Hammerwich, near Lichfield, in Staffordshire, England on 5 July 2009, it consists of some 3,500 items that are nearly all martial in character...

    , the largest haul of Anglo-Saxon
    Anglo-Saxon
    Anglo-Saxon may refer to:* Anglo-Saxons, a group that invaded Britain** Old English, their language** Anglo-Saxon England, their history, one of various ships* White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, an ethnicity* Anglo-Saxon economy, modern macroeconomic term...

     treasure ever found, is uncovered. The 1,500 gold and silver pieces are discovered buried beneath a field in Staffordshire
    Staffordshire
    Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

     by metal detecting
    Metal detector
    A metal detector is a device which responds to metal that may not be readily apparent.The simplest form of a metal detector consists of an oscillator producing an alternating current that passes through a coil producing an alternating magnetic field...

     enthusiast Terry Herbert. This is made public on 24 September.
  • 8 July -
    • The Guardian
      The Guardian
      The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...

      claims that rival English newspaper, the Rupert Murdoch
      Rupert Murdoch
      Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....

      -owned News of the World
      News of the World
      The News of the World was a national red top newspaper published in the United Kingdom from 1843 to 2011. It was at one time the biggest selling English language newspaper in the world, and at closure still had one of the highest English language circulations...

      tabloid, paid £1 million in court costs after its journalists were accused of involvement in phone tapping celebrities and politicians.
    • The First Test of the 2009 Ashes series
      Australian cricket team in England in 2009
      The Australia national cricket team toured Great Britain to play a series of cricket matches during the 2009 English cricket season. The team played five Test matches – one in Wales – seven one-day internationals and two Twenty20 internationals against England. The Australians also...

       takes place in Cardiff
      Cardiff
      Cardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...

      's SWALEC Stadium
  • 11 July - The UK announces that 8 British soldiers are killed in Afghanistan
    Afghanistan
    Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...

    , the country's worst death toll in a 24-hour period.
  • 14 July - BBC Trust
    BBC Trust
    The BBC Trust is the governing body of the British Broadcasting Corporation. It is operationally independent of BBC management and external bodies, and aims to act in the best interests of licence fee payers....

     chairman Sir Michael Lyons announces that bonuses for the 10 most senior BBC
    BBC
    The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

     executives will be suspended indefinitely.
  • 15 July - Unemployment figures show the jobless total in Britain now stands at 2,380,000, a level not seen since 1995.
  • 16 July - ITV
    ITV
    ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

     announces that its news and information Teletext
    Teletext
    Teletext is a television information retrieval service developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. It offers a range of text-based information, typically including national, international and sporting news, weather and TV schedules...

     service will be discontinued within the next six months as a result of mounting losses and the inability to find a viable business model to continue.http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jul/16/teletext-to-be-pulled-tv
  • 18 July - Henry Allingham
    Henry Allingham
    Henry William Allingham was a British supercentenarian, First World War veteran and, for one month, the verified oldest living man in the world...

    , the world's oldest man and one of the last surviving First World War servicemen, dies at the age of 113.
  • 21 July - The first race meeting is held at Ffos Las racecourse
    Ffos Las racecourse
    The Ffos Las racecourse is a horse racing, equestrian sports and conferencing venue situated just off the B4317 road, opposite the Glyn Abbey Golf Club, in a rural area called Ffos Las between Trimsaran and Carway and is about north of Llanelli...

     in South Wales
    South Wales
    South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west. The most densely populated region in the south-west of the United Kingdom, it is home to around 2.1 million people and includes the capital city of...

    , the first new National Hunt racing
    National Hunt racing
    National Hunt racing is the official name given to the sport of horse racing in the United Kingdom, France and Ireland in which the horses are required to jump over obstacles called hurdles or fences...

     course to be built in the UK for eighty years.
  • 23 July - The Government launches the National Pandemic Flu Service
    2009 flu pandemic in the United Kingdom
    The 2009 flu pandemic is a global outbreak of a new strain of influenza A virus subtype H1N1, first identified in April 2009, termed Pandemic H1N1/09 virus by the World Health Organization and colloquially called swine flu. The outbreak was first observed in Mexico, and quickly spread globally. On...

     across England, a website and phoneline allowing people who think they have the H1N1 virus
    2009 flu pandemic
    The 2009 flu pandemic was an influenza pandemic, and the second of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus , albeit in a new version...

     to bypass the NHS to obtain antiviral drugs. The website crashes within hours of its launch due to the overwhelming demand.
  • 24 July - The results of the previous day's Norwich North by-election
    Norwich North by-election, 2009
    The 2009 Norwich North by-election was a by-election for the United Kingdom Parliament's House of Commons constituency of Norwich North. The by-election took place due to the resignation of Ian Gibson after being banned from standing as a Labour candidate for the next general election...

     are announced. The Conservatives
    Conservative Party (UK)
    The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

     win with a majority of more than 7,000, making their candidate, 27-year-old Chloe Smith
    Chloe Smith
    Chloe Rebecca Smith is a British politician and the Conservative Member of Parliament for Norwich North. She was elected to the seat in a by-election on 23 July 2009 following the resignation of Labour MP Ian Gibson after the MPs' expenses scandal.-Early life:Born in Ashford, Kent, she was aged 3...

     the youngest MP in the UK. The election was held following the resignation of Labour
    Labour Party (UK)
    The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

    's Ian Gibson
    Ian Gibson (politician)
    Ian Gibson is a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Norwich North from 1997 to 2009...

     over the MPs expenses row earlier in the year.
  • 25 July - Harry Patch
    Harry Patch
    Henry John "Harry" Patch , known in his latter years as "the Last Fighting Tommy", was a British supercentenarian, briefly the oldest man in Europe, and the last surviving soldier to have fought in the trenches of the First World War...

    , the last British survivor of the First World War trenches and briefly the oldest man in the United Kingdom, dies at the age of 111. Claude Choules
    Claude Choules
    Claude Stanley Choules was the last World War I combat veteran, and was the last military witness to the scuttling of the German fleet in Scapa Flow. He was also the last veteran to have served in both world wars, and the last seaman from the First World War...

    , a 108-year-old former Royal Navy
    Royal Navy
    The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

     serviceman who was born in Worcestershire
    Worcestershire
    Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...

     but now lives in Australia, is the last surviving British veteran of the war and one of just three surviving of any nationality.
  • 28 July - The International Rugby Board
    International Rugby Board
    The International Rugby Board is the governing body for the sport of rugby union. It was founded in 1886 as the International Rugby Football Board by the unions of Scotland, Wales and Ireland. England refused to join until 1890. The International Rugby Football Board changed its name to the...

     confirms that the United Kingdom has won the rights to stage both the 2013 Rugby League and the 2015 Rugby Union
    2015 Rugby World Cup
    The 2015 Rugby World Cup is scheduled to be the eighth Rugby World Cup, the quadrennial rugby union world championship. The tournament is scheduled to be hosted by England from 4 September to 17 October 2015. In addition, Cardiff's 74,500-seater Millennium Stadium in Wales will also be used...

     World Cups.
  • 30 July - Multiple sclerosis
    Multiple sclerosis
    Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...

     sufferer Debbie Purdy
    Debbie Purdy
    Debbie Purdy is a British political activist from Bradford, West Yorkshire, with multiple sclerosis, notable for her challenge to the law in England and Wales as relates to assisted suicide. On 20 September 2009, it was announced that guidelines on assisted suicide law will be published by the UK...

     makes legal history by winning her battle to have the law on assisted suicide
    Assisted suicide
    Assisted suicide is the common term for actions by which an individual helps another person voluntarily bring about his or her own death. "Assistance" may mean providing one with the means to end one's own life, but may extend to other actions. It differs to euthanasia where another person ends...

     in England and Wales clarified after the Law Lords
    Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
    Lords of Appeal in Ordinary, commonly known as Law Lords, were appointed under the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876 to the House of Lords of the United Kingdom in order to exercise its judicial functions, which included acting as the highest court of appeal for most domestic matters...

     rule in her favour.
  • 31 July -
    • British Airways
      British Airways
      British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...

       losses £148m in the last three months, the company's first loss since privatisation in 1987.
    • Gary McKinnon
      Gary McKinnon
      Gary McKinnon is a Scottish systems administrator and hacker who has been accused of what one U.S. prosecutor claims is the "biggest military computer hack of all time," although McKinnon himself states that he was merely looking for evidence of free energy suppression and a cover-up of UFO...

      , a British man with Asperger syndrome
      Asperger syndrome
      Asperger's syndrome that is characterized by significant difficulties in social interaction, alongside restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development...

       loses his latest High Court bid to avoid extradition to the United States to face charges of hacking into US Government computers.

August

  • 6 August - Great Train Robber
    Great Train Robbery (1963)
    The Great Train Robbery is the name given to a £2.6 million train robbery committed on 8 August 1963 at Bridego Railway Bridge, Ledburn near Mentmore in Buckinghamshire, England. The bulk of the stolen money was not recovered...

     Ronnie Biggs
    Ronnie Biggs
    Ronald Arthur "Ronnie" Biggs is an English criminal, known for his role in the Great Train Robbery of 1963, for his escape from prison in 1965, for living as a fugitive for 36 years and for his various publicity stunts while in exile. In 2001, he voluntarily returned to the United Kingdom and...

    , who is gravely ill, is granted release from prison on compassionate grounds.
  • 8 August - The Conservatives are reported to be studying plans for VAT
    Vat
    Vat or VAT may refer to:* A type of container such as a barrel, storage tank, or tub, often constructed of welded sheet stainless steel, and used for holding, storing, and processing liquids such as milk, wine, and beer...

     to be increased to 20% if they win the general election, as part of an emergency package to cut national debt.
  • 12 August -
    • Wales begins the process of digital switchover with the turning off of parts of the analogue signal from the Kilvey Hill transmitter.
    • New figures show unemployment now stands at 2,440,000, the highest level for almost 15 years.
  • 14 August - Britain imposes direct rule
    Direct Rule
    Direct rule was the term given, during the late 20th and early 21st centuries, to the administration of Northern Ireland directly from Westminster, seat of United Kingdom government...

     on the Turks and Caicos Islands
    Turks and Caicos Islands
    The Turks and Caicos Islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union consisting of two groups of tropical islands in the Caribbean, the larger Caicos Islands and the smaller Turks Islands, known for tourism and as an offshore financial centre.The Turks and...

     after an inquiry found evidence of government
    Politics of the Turks and Caicos Islands
    Politics of the Turks and Caicos Islands takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic dependency, whereby as of August 9, 2006 the Premier is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. The islands are an internally self-governing overseas territory of the...

     corruption.
  • 15 August - The number of British Forces personnel killed in Afghanistan since operations began in 2001 reaches 200 after the Ministry of Defence
    Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
    The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....

     announces the death of a trooper who had been wounded in a roadside attack two days earlier.
  • 20 August - The Scottish justice secretary Kenny MacAskill
    Kenny MacAskill
    Kenneth "Kenny" Wright MacAskill is the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Eastern, formerly Edinburgh East and Musselburgh since 2007...

     grants release to the convicted Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds, stating that Megrahi is in the final stages of terminal prostate cancer
    Prostate cancer
    Prostate cancer is a form of cancer that develops in the prostate, a gland in the male reproductive system. Most prostate cancers are slow growing; however, there are cases of aggressive prostate cancers. The cancer cells may metastasize from the prostate to other parts of the body, particularly...

    .
  • 23 August -
    • - In cricket
      Cricket
      Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

      , the Ashes series
      2009 Ashes series
      The 2009 Ashes series was that year's edition of the long-standing and storied cricket rivalry between England and Australia, and was part of the Australian cricket tour of England in 2009. Starting on 8 July 2009, England and Australia played five Tests, with England winning the series 2–1...

       concludes with England defeating Australia 2–1.
    • - David Cameron vows to abolish child benefit for families with incomes exceeding £50,000 a year if the Tories win the forthcoming general election.
  • August - A metal detectorist discovers the Shrewsbury Hoard
    Shrewsbury Hoard
    The Shrewsbury Hoard is a hoard of 9,315 bronze Roman coins discovered by a metal detectorist in a field near Shrewsbury, Shropshire in August 2009...

    , about 10,000 Roman coins.

September

  • 7 September - Convictions and acquittals in the trial for those charged over the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot
    2006 transatlantic aircraft plot
    The 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot was a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives carried on board at least 10 airliners travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada...

    .
  • 8 September - The Police Service of Northern Ireland
    Police Service of Northern Ireland
    The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....

     find and defuse a 600llb bomb
    Bomb
    A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...

     in South Armagh
    County Armagh
    -History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...

     after searching the area for almost a week.
  • 9 September - Westcountry Television completes the digital switchover process with the turning off of all analogue signals from the Caradon Hill transmitter.
  • 14 September - Those convicted for their role in the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot
    2006 transatlantic aircraft plot
    The 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot was a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives carried on board at least 10 airliners travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada...

     are sentenced.
  • 17 September - Three members of the CIRA
    Continuity Irish Republican Army
    The Continuity Irish Republican Army, otherwise known as the Continuity IRA and styling itself as Óglaigh na hÉireann, is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation that aims to bring about a united Ireland. It emerged from a split in the Provisional IRA in 1986 but did not become active until...

     are jailed in Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

     for 15 years each for having a live Mortar Bomb
    Mortar (weapon)
    A mortar is an indirect fire weapon that fires explosive projectiles known as bombs at low velocities, short ranges, and high-arcing ballistic trajectories. It is typically muzzle-loading and has a barrel length less than 15 times its caliber....

    . Riots break out in Lurgan
    Lurgan
    Lurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Part of the Craigavon Borough Council area, Lurgan is about 18 miles south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway...

    , County Armagh
    County Armagh
    -History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...

     as a consequence. Cars are hijacked and placed on the railway lines disrupting services between Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...

     and the Republic of Ireland
    Republic of Ireland
    Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

    . The riots continued for three days and there were reports of masked gunmen roaming the streets.
  • 29 September - Britain's biggest selling newspaper, The Sun
    The Sun (newspaper)
    The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...

     withdraws its support for the Labour Party
    Labour Party (UK)
    The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

     and gives its backing to the Conservatives
    Conservative Party (UK)
    The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...

    . The announcement comes shortly after Gordon Brown
    Gordon Brown
    James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...

     delivered his keynote speech to the 2009 Labour Party Conference, and on the same day that Ipsos MORI place Labour in third position, behind both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats
    Liberal Democrats
    The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...

    , in their latest opinion poll
    Opinion poll
    An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...

    .

October

  • 1 October - The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
    Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
    The Supreme Court of the United Kingdom is the supreme court in all matters under English law, Northern Ireland law and Scottish civil law. It is the court of last resort and highest appellate court in the United Kingdom; however the High Court of Justiciary remains the supreme court for criminal...

     officially opens, taking over various powers, including those of the Law Lords.
  • 6 October - Shadow Chancellor George Osborne
    George Osborne
    George Gideon Oliver Osborne, MP is a British Conservative politician. He is the Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom, a role to which he was appointed in May 2010, and has been the Member of Parliament for Tatton since 2001.Osborne is part of the old Anglo-Irish aristocracy, known in...

     unveils plans for cutting national debt if the Conservatives win the forthcoming general election. These include increasing the retirement age for men to 66 from 2016, a decade sooner than planned by the current Labour government, as well as increasing the retirement age for women to 65 by 2020.
  • 8 October - Postal workers vote three to one in favour of taking strike action
    2009 Royal Mail industrial disputes
    The 2009 Royal Mail industrial disputes is an industrial dispute in the United Kingdom involving Royal Mail and members of the Communication Workers Union , which began in the summer of 2009...

     over job security and working conditions.
  • 12 October -
    • The government announces a £16bn assets sale in an attempt to raise funds to reduce the budget deficit. The Dartford Crossing
      Dartford Crossing
      The Dartford - Thurrock River Crossing, Dartford River Crossing is a major road crossing of the River Thames in England, connecting Dartford in the south to Thurrock in the north, via two road tunnels and the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge. It opened in stages, the west tunnel in 1963, the east tunnel...

       and the state-owned bookmaker The Tote
      The Tote
      The Tote, formerly the Horserace Totalisator Board, is a British bookmaker with head offices in Wigan. It was owned from its formation in 1928 by the UK Government but was sold to Betfred in July 2011. Under the brand totesport the Tote has 514 high street betting shops, outlets on Britain's 60...

       will be included in the sale.
    • The independent audit of MPs expenses chaired by Sir Thomas Legg
      Thomas Legg
      Sir Thomas Stuart Legg, KCB, QC , is a senior former British civil servant, who was Permanent Secretary of the Lord Chancellor's Department and Clerk of the Crown in Chancery, United Kingdom, 1989-1998.-Biography:...

       is completed. Among those who must repay claimed expenses is Prime Minister Gordon Brown
      Gordon Brown
      James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...

       who claimed £12,415 for cleaning and gardening costs.
    • Reports state that United Kingdom has the worst quality of life in Europe, due to long hours, bad weather, low life expectancy and the high price of many consumer goods (as a result of the recession).
    • The Evening Standard
      Evening Standard
      The Evening Standard, now styled the London Evening Standard, is a free local daily newspaper, published Monday–Friday in tabloid format in London. It is the dominant regional evening paper for London and the surrounding area, with coverage of national and international news and City of London...

      becomes a free newspaper in central London.
  • 16 October - A bomb
    Bomb
    A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...

     detonates under the car belonging to a Police officer's
    Police Service of Northern Ireland
    The Police Service of Northern Ireland is the police force that serves Northern Ireland. It is the successor to the Royal Ulster Constabulary which, in turn, was the successor to the Royal Irish Constabulary in Northern Ireland....

     wife in the large Unionist
    Unionism in Ireland
    Unionism in Ireland is an ideology that favours the continuation of some form of political union between the islands of Ireland and Great Britain...

     area of East Belfast
    Belfast
    Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

    . The woman was taken to hospital with minor injuries as the bomb was set to go off in the passenger side where her husband usually sits but was not present that day. The Real IRA
    Real Irish Republican Army
    The Real Irish Republican Army, otherwise known as the Real IRA , and styling itself as Óglaigh na hÉireann , is an Irish republican paramilitary organisation which aims to bring about a united Ireland...

     later claim responsibility
  • 18 October - Great Britain's Jenson Button
    Jenson Button
    Jenson Alexander Lyons Button MBE is a British Formula One driver currently signed to McLaren. He was the 2009 World Drivers' Champion.Button began karting at the age of eight and achieved early success, before progressing to car racing in the British Formula Ford Championship and the British...

     wins the 2009 Formula One Drivers' Championship
    2009 Formula One season
    The 2009 Formula One season was the 60th FIA Formula One World Championship season. The season took place over 17 rounds, and started with the on 29 March 2009. It ended on 1 November 2009 with the inaugural ....

     after finishing in 5th place at the Brazilian Grand Prix
    2009 Brazilian Grand Prix
    The 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race which was held on October 18, 2009 at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo, Brazil. It was the sixteenth race of the 2009 Formula One season...

    . British based team Brawn GP
    Brawn GP
    Brawn GP Formula One Team, the trading name of Brawn GP Limited, was a Formula One motor racing team and constructor, created by a management buyout of Honda Racing F1 Team. It only competed in the 2009 Formula One World Championship, with drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello. The team...

    , who Button drives for, secures the Constructors' Championship at the same race, in their debut season.
  • 20 October - The latest MORI poll shows Conservative support at 43% - 17 points ahead of Labour. This showing, if translated into votes at an election, would see the Tories form the next government.
  • 22 October - British National Party
    British National Party
    The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...

     leader Nick Griffin
    Nick Griffin
    Nicholas John "Nick" Griffin is a British politician, chairman of the British National Party and Member of the European Parliament for North West England....

     makes a controversial first appearance
    Question Time British National Party controversy
    The Question Time British National Party controversy in early September 2009 followed an invitation by the British Broadcasting Corporation to Nick Griffin, leader of the far-right British National Party , to be a panellist on Question Time, one of its flagship television programmes on current...

     on the BBC One
    BBC One
    BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...

     political debate programme Question Time
    Question Time (TV series)
    Question Time is a topical debate BBC television programme in the United Kingdom, based on Any Questions?. The show typically features politicians from at least the three major political parties as well as other public figures who answer questions put to them by the audience...

    . He later announces his intention to make a formal complaint to the BBC for the way he believed he was treated by the programme's audience, who he described as a "lynch mob" and the show's other guests.
  • 25 October - It is reported that the Crown Office of Scotland has emailed relatives of British victims of the Lockerbie Disaster to inform them that a police review of the case has started now that "appeal proceedings" have ended.

November

  • 4 November -
    • Five British soldiers are shot dead in Afghanistan's Helmand Province while mentoring and training Afghan police. Six other British servicemen and two Aghan police are also injured in the attack which the UK military blames on a "rogue" policeman.
    • General Motors
      General Motors
      General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...

      , the owner of British carmaker Vauxhall
      Vauxhall
      -Demography:Many Vauxhall residents live in social housing. There are several gentrified areas, and areas of terraced townhouses on streets such as Fentiman Road and Heyford Avenue have higher property values in the private market, however by far the most common type of housing stock within...

       and its continental Opel
      Opel
      Adam Opel AG, generally shortened to Opel, is a German automobile company founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Opel has been building automobiles since 1899, and became an Aktiengesellschaft in 1929...

       partner, makes a surprise decision not to sell the carmaker to Canadian organisation Magna
      Magna International
      Magna International Inc. , is an automotive supplier headquartered in Aurora, Ontario, Canada. It is Canada's largest automobile parts manufacturer, and one of the country's largest companies. It owns the Magna Steyr automobile production company of Austria....

      .
    • Granada Television
      Granada Television
      Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....

       begins the process of digital switchover.
  • 12 November - The Glasgow North East by-election
    Glasgow North East by-election, 2009
    The 2009 Glasgow North East by-election was a by-election for the Parliament of the United Kingdom's House of Commons constituency of Glasgow North East. The by-election was held on 12 November 2009 following the resignation of Michael Martin as an MP and as Speaker of the British House of Commons...

     is held following the resignation of MP and former Speaker Michael Martin. It is won by Labour's Willie Bain
    Willie Bain
    William Thomas Bain is a Scottish Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Glasgow North East since 2009....

     with a majority of 8,111.
  • 14 November - Severe gales and heavy rain from an Alantic storm cause floods and damage across southern England and Wales.
  • 19 November - Highest ever UK 24-hour rainfall total, 314.4 mm, recorded at Seathwaite Farm, Cumbria
    Cumbria
    Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...

    .
  • 20 November - Many towns and villages in Cumbria
    Cumbria
    Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...

     and Dumfries and Galloway
    Dumfries and Galloway
    Dumfries and Galloway is one of 32 unitary council areas of Scotland. It was one of the nine administrative 'regions' of mainland Scotland created in 1975 by the Local Government etc. Act 1973...

     are flooded following several days of heavy rain. Three bridges collapse, one of them leading to the death of a police officer, who was standing on the bridge when it collapsed.
  • 22 November - The latest MORI poll shows that the Conservatives are just six points ahead of Labour, their narrowest lead for two years, with 37% of the vote, which, if translated into election results, would force a hung parliament
    Hung parliament
    In a two-party parliamentary system of government, a hung parliament occurs when neither major political party has an absolute majority of seats in the parliament . It is also less commonly known as a balanced parliament or a legislature under no overall control...

    . Nick Clegg
    Nick Clegg
    Nicholas William Peter "Nick" Clegg is a British Liberal Democrat politician who is currently the Deputy Prime Minister, Lord President of the Council and Minister for Constitutional and Political Reform in the coalition government of which David Cameron is the Prime Minister...

    , leader of the Liberal Democrats
    Liberal Democrats
    The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...

    , has suggested his party would support the Tories if the election resulted in no overall majority.

December

  • 2 December - The Winter Hill transmitter has its remaining analogue signals turned off, completing the digital switchover process in the Granada Television region.
  • 7 December - The Ministry of Defence
    Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
    The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....

     announces the death in Afghanistan of a soldier from 1st Battalion The Royal Anglian Regiment, taking the total number of British troops killed there in 2009 to 100 and the total number of British soldiers killed in Afghanistan since the conflict began (October 2001) to 237.
  • 11 December - New Vauxhall Astra
    Vauxhall Astra
    Astra is a model name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors , on their small family car ranges since 1979. Astras are technically essentially identical with similar vehicles offered by GM's German subsidiary Opel in most other European countries...

     hits showrooms after its worldwide debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
  • 14 December - Cabin crew
    Flight attendant
    Flight attendants or cabin crew are members of an aircrew employed by airlines primarily to ensure the safety and comfort of passengers aboard commercial flights, on select business jet aircraft, and on some military aircraft.-History:The role of a flight attendant derives from that of similar...

     at British Airways
    British Airways
    British Airways is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom, based in Waterside, near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport. British Airways is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations...

     vote overwhelmingly in favour of a planned 12 days of strike action over Christmas
    Christmas
    Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...

     and the New Year
    New Year
    The New Year is the day that marks the time of the beginning of a new calendar year, and is the day on which the year count of the specific calendar used is incremented. For many cultures, the event is celebrated in some manner....

     in a dispute over job cuts and changes to staff contracts. On 17 December the High Court rules that Unite, the representing trade union, had not correctly balloted its members on the strike action, meaning that the strikes could not go ahead.
  • 16 December -
    • Scotland's largest airline, Flyglobespan
      Flyglobespan
      Flyglobespan was a British low-cost airline based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It formerly operated scheduled services from 5 airports across the UK and Ireland to destinations in Europe, North America, North Africa and South Africa. Its main bases were Glasgow International Airport, Edinburgh Airport...

      , goes into administration.
    • The latest unemployment figures show that UK unemployment is slowing, but now stands at the highest figure for 15 years - almost 2.5 million, equating to 8% of the workforce. The number of people claiming unemployment benefit, however, fell to 1.63 million in October, the first fall for nearly two years. Youth unemployment has increased to 952,000 - the highest level since records began 17 years ago.
    • ITV
      ITV
      ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...

       closes its news and information service on Teletext
      Teletext
      Teletext is a television information retrieval service developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. It offers a range of text-based information, typically including national, international and sporting news, weather and TV schedules...

      , leaving the ITV channel(s) without such a service for the first time in 35 years.http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/jersey/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_8366000/8366937.stm
    • The England 2018 FIFA World Cup
      2018 FIFA World Cup
      The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups was the process by which the locations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were selected. The process began officially in March 2009; eleven bids from thirteen countries were received, including one which was withdrawn and one that was...

       bidding team announce the 12 cities which will be part of their campaign to host the tournament. Wembley Stadium
      Wembley Stadium
      The original Wembley Stadium, officially known as the Empire Stadium, was a football stadium in Wembley, a suburb of north-west London, standing on the site now occupied by the new Wembley Stadium that opened in 2007...

      , Arsenal's
      Arsenal F.C.
      Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...

       Emirates Stadium
      Emirates Stadium
      Ashburton Grove, currently known as the Emirates Stadium, is a UEFA elite football stadium which is home to Arsenal FC, where they moved from Highbury in 2006. It has an current capacity of 60,361, and there have been rumours of an expansion...

      , Manchester United's
      Manchester United F.C.
      Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...

       Old Trafford
      Old Trafford
      Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...

       and Liverpool's
      Liverpool F.C.
      Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

       Anfield
      Anfield
      Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...

       or proposed new stadium
      Stanley Park Stadium
      Stanley Park is a proposed football stadium in Liverpool that if built, would become home to Liverpool Football Club. The stadium would have a capacity of 60,000 to 72,000 all-seated if built as originally planned...

       are among the venues, as is the Stadium:mk in Milton Keynes
      Milton Keynes
      Milton Keynes , sometimes abbreviated MK, is a large town in Buckinghamshire, in the south east of England, about north-west of London. It is the administrative centre of the Borough of Milton Keynes...

       which only opened in 2007.
  • 18 December -
    • Heavy snowfall causes widespread disruption across large parts of South East England
      South East England
      South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...

      , East Anglia
      East Anglia
      East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...

      , the East Midlands
      East Midlands
      The East Midlands is one of the regions of England, consisting of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. It encompasses the combined area of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Northamptonshire and most of Lincolnshire...

       and Yorkshire and the Humber
      Yorkshire and the Humber
      Yorkshire and the Humber is one of the nine regions of England and formally one of the government office regions. It covers most of the historic county of Yorkshire, along with the part of northern Lincolnshire that was, from 1974 to 1996, within the former shire county of Humberside. The...

      .
    • After 27 years, Sir Terry Wogan
      Terry Wogan
      Sir Michael Terence Wogan, KBE, DL , or also known as Terry Wogan, is a veteran Irish radio and television broadcaster who holds dual Irish and British citizenship. Wogan has worked for the BBC in the United Kingdom for most of his career...

       presents his final breakfast show on BBC Radio 2
      BBC Radio 2
      BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...

      .
  • 20 December - The last MORI poll of the decade shows the Tories 17 points ahead of Labour on 43%, pointing towards a landslide and their first election win since 1992.
  • 21 December - The leaders of the three main UK political parties agree to stage the first ever live televised election debates ahead of the 2010 General Election.
  • 29 December - Akmal Shaikh
    Akmal Shaikh
    Akmal Shaikh was a Pakistan-born British businessman who was convicted and executed in the People's Republic of China for drug trafficking. The trial and execution attracted media attention and strained diplomatic relations between the United Kingdom and China. Shaikh was born in Pakistan and...

     becomes the first EU
    European Union
    The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

     native to be executed in China
    People's Republic of China
    China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...

     in 50 years. Gordon Brown
    Gordon Brown
    James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...

     releases a statement indicating that he is appalled.
  • 30 December -
    • British
      United Kingdom
      The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

       hostage Peter Moore is released alive in Iraq
      Iraq
      Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

       following over two and a half years of captivity in Iraq and Iran
      Iran
      Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

      .
    • Three climbers are killed following three large avalanche
      Avalanche
      An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...

      s in Scotland
      Scotland
      Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

      .

Deaths

  • 9 January - Dave Dee
    Dave Dee
    Dave Dee , was an English singer-songwriter, musician, A&R manager, fundraiser and businessman. He was the frontman for 1960s pop band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Tich.-Early life :...

    , singer/songwriter (b. 1941
    1941 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1941 in the United Kingdom. This year is dominated by World War II.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George VI*Prime Minister - Winston Churchill, coalition-Events:...

    )
  • 10 January - Rob Gauntlett
    Rob Gauntlett
    Rob Gauntlett was an English adventurer, explorer and motivational speaker. In 2006 he became the youngest British climber to summit Everest.-Early life:...

    , record-breaking climber (b. 1987
    1987 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1987 in the United Kingdom. At the beginning of the year, the Archbishop of Canterbury's envoy Terry Waite was kidnapped in Lebanon and remained a hostage until 1991. The major political event of this year was the re-election of Margaret Thatcher in June, making her the longest...

    )
  • 11 January - David Vine
    David Vine
    David Martin Vine was a British television sports presenter. He presented a wide variety of shows from the 1960s onwards.-Early life:...

    , television presenter (b. 1935
    1935 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1935 in the United Kingdom. This royal Silver Jubilee year sees a General Election and changes in the leadership of both the Conservative and Labour parties.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V...

    )
  • 13 January - Dai Llewellyn
    Dai Llewellyn
    Sir David St Vincent "Dai" Llewellyn, 4th Baronet was a Welsh socialite. He was born in Aberdare, the son of 1952 Summer Olympics gold medallist showjumper Sir Harry Llewellyn, 3rd Baronet and the Hon Christine de Saumarez, who was the daughter of the 5th Baron de Saumarez, a family from Guernsey...

    , socialite (b. 1946
    1946 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1946 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - Clement Attlee, Labour-Events:* 1 January** The first international flight from London Heathrow Airport, to Buenos Aires....

    )
  • 16 January - Sir John Mortimer
    John Mortimer
    Sir John Clifford Mortimer, CBE, QC was a British barrister, dramatist, screenwriter and author.-Early life:...

    , barrister, author and dramatist (b. 1923
    1923 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1923 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - Andrew Bonar Law, Conservative Party , Stanley Baldwin, Conservative-Events:...

    )
  • 18 January - Tony Hart
    Tony Hart
    Norman Antony "Tony" Hart was an English artist and children's television presenter. He was famous for television shows such as Vision On, Playbox, Take Hart and Hartbeat.-Early life:...

    , artist and television presenter (b. 1925
    1925 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1925 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - Stanley Baldwin, Conservative-Events:...

    )
  • 24 January - Reg Gutteridge
    Reg Gutteridge
    Reg Gutteridge, OBE was a boxing journalist and television commentator.Gutteridge was born into a boxing family in Islington, London. His grandfather, Arthur, was the first professional boxer to appear at the original National Sporting Club...

    , boxing commentator (b. 1924
    1924 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1924 in the United Kingdom. This is a General Election year.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - Stanley Baldwin, Conservative , Ramsay MacDonald, Labour , Stanley Baldwin, Conservative-Events:* 1 January - Meteorological Office issues its first broadcast...

    )
  • 24 January - Diane Holland
    Diane Holland
    Diane Holland was a British actress.She was unmarried and trained as a dancer before being given the part of Yvonne Stewart-Hargreaves in Hi-de-Hi! by her brother-in-law, Jimmy Perry...

    , actress (b. 1930
    1930 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1930 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:* Monarch - King George V* Prime Minister - Ramsay MacDonald, Labour-Events:* 1 February - The Times publishes its first crossword....

    )
  • 29 January - John Martyn, singer/songwriter (b. 1948
    1948 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1948 in the United Kingdom. The Olympics are held in London and some of the government's key social legislation takes effect.-Incumbents:* Monarch – King George VI* Prime Minister – Clement Attlee, Labour-Events:...

    )
  • 29 January - Bill Frindall
    Bill Frindall
    William Howard Frindall, MBE was an English cricket scorer and statistician. He was familiar to cricket followers from his appearances on the BBC Radio 4 programme Test Match Special, nicknamed the Bearded Wonder by Brian Johnston for his ability to research the most obscure cricketing facts in...

    , cricket statistician (b. 1939
    1939 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1939 in the United Kingdom. This year sees the start of World War II.-Incumbents:*Monarch – King George VI*Prime Minister – Neville Chamberlain, national coalition-Events:...

    )
  • 2 February - Paul Birch
    Paul Birch (footballer)
    Paul Birch was an English footballer who played as a midfielder, making over 150 appearances for both Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers during the 1980s and 1990s.-Career:...

    , footballer (b. 1962
    1962 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1962 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch – Elizabeth II*Prime Minister – Harold Macmillan, Conservative Party-Events:...

    )
  • 14 February - Bernard Ashley, businessman (b. 1926
    1926 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1926 in the United Kingdom. The year is dominated by the General Strike.-Incumbents:*Monarch – King George V*Prime Minister – Stanley Baldwin, Conservative-Events:...

    )
  • 26 February - Wendy Richard
    Wendy Richard
    Wendy Richard, MBE was an English actress best known for playing Miss Brahms in Are You Being Served? and Pauline Fowler in EastEnders...

    , actress (b. 1943
    1943 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1943 in the United Kingdom. This year is dominated by World War II.-Incumbents:*Monarch – King George VI*Prime Minister – Winston Churchill, coalition-Events:* 1 January – Utility furniture first becomes available....

    )
  • 18 March - Natasha Richardson
    Natasha Richardson
    Natasha Jane Richardson was an English actress of stage and screen. A member of the Redgrave family, she was the daughter of actress Vanessa Redgrave and director/producer Tony Richardson and the granddaughter of Michael Redgrave and Rachel Kempson...

    , actress (b. 1963
    1963 in the United Kingdom
    Events of the year 1963 in the United Kingdom. The year sees changes in the leadership of both principal political parties, the Profumo Affair and the rise of The Beatles.-Incumbents:* Monarch – Elizabeth II...

    )
  • 22 March - Jade Goody
    Jade Goody
    Jade Cerisa Lorraine Goody was an English celebrity. She came into the public spotlight while appearing on the third series of the Channel 4 reality TV programme Big Brother in 2002, an appearance which led to her own television programmes and the launch of her own products after her eviction from...

    , celebrity (b. 1981
    1981 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1981 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch – HM Queen Elizabeth II*Prime Minister – Margaret Thatcher, Conservative-Events:* 5 January...

    )
  • 28 March - Hugh Kelly
    Hugh Kelly (footballer)
    Hugh Thomas "Hughie" Kelly was a Scottish professional football player and manager. He played as a defender and spent his entire 14-year professional career with Blackpool.-Club career:...

    , footballer (Blackpool
    Blackpool F.C.
    Blackpool Football Club are an English football club founded in 1887 from the Lancashire seaside town of Blackpool. They are competing in the 2011–12 season of the The Championship, the second tier of professional football in England, having been relegated from the Premier League at the end of the...

    ), pneumonia
    Pneumonia
    Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...

     (b. 1923
    1923 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1923 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - Andrew Bonar Law, Conservative Party , Stanley Baldwin, Conservative-Events:...

    )
  • 8 April - Lennie Bennett
    Lennie Bennett
    Lennie Bennett was an English comedian and game show host.After attending the Palatine Secondary School in Blackpool, Bennett became a journalist for the West Lancashire Evening Gazette before becoming a professional entertainer and appearing on The Good Old Days in 1979. Bennett starred in the...

    , comedian and television presenter (b. 1938
    1938 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1938 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch – King George VI*Prime Minister – Neville Chamberlain, national coalition-Events:...

    )
  • 14 April - Peter Rogers
    Peter Rogers
    Peter Rogers was a British film producer.Rogers began his career as a journalist for his local paper before graduating to scriptwriting religious informational films...

    , film producer (b. 1914
    1914 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1914 in the United Kingdom. This year sees the start of World War I.-Incumbents:* Monarch - King George V* Prime Minister - H. H...

    )
  • 15 April - Sir Clement Freud
    Clement Freud
    Sir Clement Raphael Freud was an English broadcaster, writer, politician and chef.-Early life:Freud was born in Berlin, the son of Jewish parents Ernst Ludwig Freud and Lucie née Brasch. He was the grandson of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud and the brother of artist Lucian Freud...

    , writer, broadcaster, politician and chef (b. 1924
    1924 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1924 in the United Kingdom. This is a General Election year.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - Stanley Baldwin, Conservative , Ramsay MacDonald, Labour , Stanley Baldwin, Conservative-Events:* 1 January - Meteorological Office issues its first broadcast...

    )
  • 18 April - Edward George, Baron George
    Edward George, Baron George
    Edward Alan John George, Baron George, GBE, PC, DL , known as Eddie George, or "Steady Eddie", was Governor of the Bank of England from 1993 to 2003 and sat on the board of Rothschild.-Personal life:...

    , Governor of the Bank of England
    Governor of the Bank of England
    The Governor of the Bank of England is the most senior position in the Bank of England. It is nominally a civil service post, but the appointment tends to be from within the Bank, with the incumbent grooming his or her successor...

     (b. 1938
    1938 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1938 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch – King George VI*Prime Minister – Neville Chamberlain, national coalition-Events:...

    )
  • 19 April - J. G. Ballard
    J. G. Ballard
    James Graham Ballard was an English novelist, short story writer, and prominent member of the New Wave movement in science fiction...

    , author (b. 1930
    1930 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1930 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:* Monarch - King George V* Prime Minister - Ramsay MacDonald, Labour-Events:* 1 February - The Times publishes its first crossword....

    )
  • 21 April - Jack Jones
    Jack Jones (trade union leader)
    James Larkin Jones, CH, MBE , known as Jack Jones, was a British trade union leader and General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union.-Early life:...

    , trade union leader (b. 1913
    1913 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1913 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - H. H. Asquith, Liberal-Events:* 1 January - British Board of Film Censors receives the authority to classify and censor films....

    )
  • 22 April - Jack Cardiff
    Jack Cardiff
    Jack Cardiff, OBE, BSC was a British cinematographer, director and photographer.His career spanned the development of cinema, from silent film, through early experiments in Technicolor to filmmaking in the 21st century...

    , cinematographer and director (b. 1914
    1914 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1914 in the United Kingdom. This year sees the start of World War I.-Incumbents:* Monarch - King George V* Prime Minister - H. H...

    )
  • 22 April - Ken Annakin
    Ken Annakin
    Kenneth Cooper Annakin, OBE was an English film director.- Biography :Annakin grew up in Beverley, Yorkshire where he attended the local school. He began his career in feature films following an early experience making documentaries. His first filmwork was in 1947 with the Rank Organisation...

    , director (b. 1914
    1914 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1914 in the United Kingdom. This year sees the start of World War I.-Incumbents:* Monarch - King George V* Prime Minister - H. H...

    )
  • 20 May - Lucy Gordon
    Lucy Gordon (actress)
    Lucy Gordon was a British actress and model. She became a face of CoverGirl in 1997 before starting an acting career. Her first film was Perfume in 2001 before going on to have small roles in Spider-Man 3, Serendipity and The Four Feathers...

    , actress (b. 1980
    1980 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1980 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - Elizabeth II*Prime Minister - Margaret Thatcher, Conservative-Events:...

    )
  • 28 May - Terence Alexander
    Terence Alexander
    Terence Joseph Alexander was an English film and television actor, best known for his role as Charlie Hungerford in the British TV drama Bergerac.-Early life and career:...

    , actor (b. 1923
    1923 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1923 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - Andrew Bonar Law, Conservative Party , Stanley Baldwin, Conservative-Events:...

    )
  • 31 May - Millvina Dean
    Millvina Dean
    Elizabeth Gladys Millvina Dean was the last remaining survivor of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, which occurred on 15 April 1912. At 2 months and 13 days of age, she was also the youngest passenger on board the ship....

    , last surviving RMS Titanic passenger (b. 1912
    1912 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1912 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - H. H. Asquith, Liberal-Events:* 1 January - Post Office takes over National Telephone Company....

    )
  • 31 May - Danny La Rue
    Danny La Rue
    Danny La Rue, OBE was an Irish-born British entertainer known for his singing and drag impersonations.-Early life:...

    , entertainer (b. 1927
    1927 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1927 in the United Kingdom.1927 saw the renaming of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, recognising in name the Irish free state's independence, it having come into existence with the Anglo-Irish Treaty...

    )
  • 7 June - Hugh Hopper
    Hugh Hopper
    Hugh Colin Hopper was a progressive rock and jazz fusion bass guitarist. He was a prominent member of the Canterbury scene, as a member of Soft Machine and various other related bands.-Early career:...

    , musician (b. 1945
    1945 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1945 in the United Kingdom. This year sees the end of World War II and a landslide General Election victory for the Labour Party.-Incumbents:*Monarch – King George VI...

    )
  • 17 June - Ralf Dahrendorf
    Ralf Dahrendorf
    Ralf Gustav Dahrendorf, Baron Dahrendorf, KBE, FBA was a German-British sociologist, philosopher, political scientist and liberal politician....

    , politician (b. 1929
    1929 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1929 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - Stanley Baldwin, Conservative , Ramsay MacDonald, Labour-Events:...

    )
  • 20 June - Colin Bean
    Colin Bean
    Colin Bean was a British actor best known for his role as Private Sponge in the Second World War sitcom Dad's Army from 1968 to 1977, appearing in76 of Dad’s Army’s 80 episodes....

    , actor (b. 1927
    1927 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1927 in the United Kingdom.1927 saw the renaming of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, recognising in name the Irish free state's independence, it having come into existence with the Anglo-Irish Treaty...

    )
  • 1 July - Mollie Sugden
    Mollie Sugden
    Isobel Mary 'Mollie' Sugden was an English comedy actress best known for portraying the saleswoman Mrs. Slocombe in the British sitcom Are You Being Served? from 1972 to 1985. She later reprised this role in Grace & Favour, which ran from 1992 to 1993...

    , actress (b. 1922
    1922 in the United Kingdom
    The social and political problems of most prominence in the United Kingdom in 1922 showed a further departure from those that chiefly occupied public attention during World War I, and the country had by then almost returned to its normal condition...

    )
  • 10 July - Sir Edward Downes
    Edward Downes
    Sir Edward Thomas "Ted" Downes, CBE was an English conductor, specialising in opera.He was associated with the Royal Opera House from 1952, and with Opera Australia from 1970. He was also well known for his long working relationship with the BBC Philharmonic and for working with the Netherlands...

    , composer (b. 1924
    1924 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1924 in the United Kingdom. This is a General Election year.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - Stanley Baldwin, Conservative , Ramsay MacDonald, Labour , Stanley Baldwin, Conservative-Events:* 1 January - Meteorological Office issues its first broadcast...

    )
  • 17 July - Leszek Kolakowski
    Leszek Kolakowski
    Leszek Kołakowski was a Polish philosopher and historian of ideas. He is best known for his critical analyses of Marxist thought, especially his acclaimed three-volume history, Main Currents of Marxism, which is "considered by some to be one of the most important books on political theory of the...

    , philosopher (b. 1927
    1927 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1927 in the United Kingdom.1927 saw the renaming of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland into the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, recognising in name the Irish free state's independence, it having come into existence with the Anglo-Irish Treaty...

    )
  • 17 July - Gordon Waller
    Gordon Waller
    Gordon Trueman Riviere Waller was a Scottish singer–songwriter–guitarist, best known as "Gordon" of the 1960s duo Peter and Gordon, whose biggest hit was "A World Without Love".-Biography:...

    , musician (b. 1945
    1945 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1945 in the United Kingdom. This year sees the end of World War II and a landslide General Election victory for the Labour Party.-Incumbents:*Monarch – King George VI...

    )
  • 18 July - Henry Allingham
    Henry Allingham
    Henry William Allingham was a British supercentenarian, First World War veteran and, for one month, the verified oldest living man in the world...

    , World War I veteran and world's oldest living man (b. 1896
    1896 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1896 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch — Queen Victoria*Prime Minister — Robert Cecil, Marquess of Salisbury, Conservative-Events:...

    )
  • 19 July - Henry Surtees
    Henry Surtees
    Henry John Surtees was a British racing driver and the son of John Surtees.-Formula BMW UK:Henry Surtees finished his debut season in the championship 7th in the overall points standings, and second in the Rookie Cup...

    , racing driver (b. 1991
    1991 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1991 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - HM Queen Elizabeth II*Prime Minister - John Major, Conservative-Events:...

    )
  • 25 July - Harry Patch
    Harry Patch
    Henry John "Harry" Patch , known in his latter years as "the Last Fighting Tommy", was a British supercentenarian, briefly the oldest man in Europe, and the last surviving soldier to have fought in the trenches of the First World War...

    , World War I veteran and Europe's oldest living man (b. 1898
    1898 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1898 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch — Queen Victoria*Prime Minister — Robert Cecil, Marquess of Salisbury, Conservative-Events:...

    )
  • 31 July - Sir Bobby Robson
    Bobby Robson
    Sir Robert William "Bobby" Robson, CBE was an English footballer and manager, who coached seven European clubs and the England national team during his career....

    , football manager (b. 1933
    1933 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1933 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - Ramsay MacDonald, national coalition-Events:* January - The London Underground diagram designed by Harry Beck is introduced to the public....

    )
  • 29 August - Simon Dee
    Simon Dee
    Cyril Nicholas Henty-Dodd , better known by his stage name Simon Dee, was a British television interviewer and radio disc jockey who hosted a twice-weekly BBC TV chat show, Dee Time in the late 1960s...

    , television interviewer and radio disc jockey (b. 1935
    1935 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1935 in the United Kingdom. This royal Silver Jubilee year sees a General Election and changes in the leadership of both the Conservative and Labour parties.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V...

    )
  • 4 September - Keith Waterhouse
    Keith Waterhouse
    Keith Spencer Waterhouse CBE was a novelist, newspaper columnist, and the writer of many television series.-Biography:Keith Waterhouse was born in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...

    , writer (b. 1929
    1929 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1929 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - Stanley Baldwin, Conservative , Ramsay MacDonald, Labour-Events:...

    )
  • 14 September - Keith Floyd
    Keith Floyd
    Keith Floyd was a British celebrity chef, television personality and restaurateur, who hosted cooking shows for the BBC and published many books combining cookery and travel...

    , chef (b. 1943
    1943 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1943 in the United Kingdom. This year is dominated by World War II.-Incumbents:*Monarch – King George VI*Prime Minister – Winston Churchill, coalition-Events:* 1 January – Utility furniture first becomes available....

    )
  • 18 October - Sir Ludovic Kennedy
    Ludovic Kennedy
    Sir Ludovic Henry Coverley Kennedy was a British journalist, broadcaster, humanist and author best known for re-examining cases such as the Lindbergh kidnapping and the murder convictions of Timothy Evans and Derek Bentley, and for his role in the abolition of the death penalty in the United...

    , writer (b. 1919
    1919 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1919 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - David Lloyd George, coalition-Events:* 1 January - In Scotland, HMS Iolaire is wrecked on rocks: 205 die....

    )
  • 8 November - Malcolm Laycock
    Malcolm Laycock
    Malcolm Richard Laycock was a British radio presenter and producer, best known for his work on programmes related to jazz, dance band and big band music. During his career he presented shows for both BBC Radio 2 and the BBC World Service...

    , radio presenter and producer (b. 1938
    1938 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1938 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch – King George VI*Prime Minister – Neville Chamberlain, national coalition-Events:...

    )
  • 16 November - Edward Woodward
    Edward Woodward
    Edward Albert Arthur Woodward, OBE was an English stage and screen actor and singer. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , Woodward began his career on stage, and throughout his career he appeared in productions in both the West End in London and on Broadway in New York...

    , actor (b. 1930
    1930 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1930 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:* Monarch - King George V* Prime Minister - Ramsay MacDonald, Labour-Events:* 1 February - The Times publishes its first crossword....

    )
  • 2 December - Maggie Jones
    Maggie Jones (actress)
    Margaret "Maggie" Jones was an English actress, best known for playing Blanche Hunt in the British soap opera Coronation Street, a role which she first portrayed in 1974 and played regularly from the late 1990s until shortly before her death.-Career:Jones graduated from the drama school RADA and...

    , actress (b. 1934
    1934 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1934 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - Ramsay MacDonald, national coalition-Events:...

    )
  • 2 December - Eric Woolfson
    Eric Woolfson
    Eric Norman Woolfson was a Scottish songwriter, lyricist, vocalist, executive producer, pianist, and creator of The Alan Parsons Project. He has sold over 50 million albums world-wide....

    , musician (b. 1945
    1945 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1945 in the United Kingdom. This year sees the end of World War II and a landslide General Election victory for the Labour Party.-Incumbents:*Monarch – King George VI...

    )
  • 3 December - Richard Todd
    Richard Todd
    Richard Todd OBE was an Irish-born British stage and film actor and soldier.-Early life:Richard Todd was born as Richard Andrew Palethorpe-Todd in Dublin, Ireland. His father, Andrew William Palethorpe Todd, was an Irish physician and an international Irish rugby player who gained three caps for...

    , actor (b. 1919
    1919 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1919 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - David Lloyd George, coalition-Events:* 1 January - In Scotland, HMS Iolaire is wrecked on rocks: 205 die....

    )
  • 14 December - Alan A'Court
    Alan A'Court
    Alan A'Court was an English footballer who mostly played for Liverpool.- Life and playing career :Born in Rainhill, Lancashire, England, A'Court was a winger who started out at Prescot Cables as an amateur before he was signed by Reds manager Don Welsh...

    , footballer (b. 1934
    1934 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1934 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - Ramsay MacDonald, national coalition-Events:...

    )
  • 26 December - David Taylor
    David Taylor (British politician)
    David Leslie Taylor was an English Labour Co-operative politician, who was the Member of Parliament for North West Leicestershire from 1997 until his death in 2009.-Biography:...

    , Labour Party
    Labour Party (UK)
    The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...

     politician (b. 1946
    1946 in the United Kingdom
    Events from the year 1946 in the United Kingdom.-Incumbents:*Monarch - King George V*Prime Minister - Clement Attlee, Labour-Events:* 1 January** The first international flight from London Heathrow Airport, to Buenos Aires....

    )

External links

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