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2023 in the United Kingdom

December 15, 2023

Events of the year 2023 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents edit

Events edit

January edit

February edit

  • 1 February – An estimated 475,000 workers go on strike, the single biggest day of industrial action for more than a decade, in disputes over pay and conditions. This includes 200,000 teachers, 100,000 civil servants including border force workers, university lecturers, security guards, and train drivers. The government warns the public to expect "significant disruption".[61]
  • 2 February
  • 3 February
  • 5 February
  • 6 February
    • 2022–2023 National Health Service strikes: Ambulance staff and nurses walk out, with further disruption to follow in the week, in what is expected to be the biggest-ever round of NHS strikes.[69]
    • Foreign Secretary James Cleverly offers his condolences to victims of the 7.8 magnitude Turkey–Syria earthquake and says the UK is deploying emergency response teams, including 76 search and rescue specialists, equipment and rescue dogs. The government issues an urgent warning to British travellers and holidaymakers who may be in or planning to visit the region.[70][71]
  • 7 February
  • 8 February
  • 9 February
  • 10 February
    • Chancellor Jeremy Hunt tells the BBC households are unlikely to receive extra help with their energy bills from April 2023, as he does not think the government has the "headroom to make a major new initiative to help people".[81]
    • Data released by the Office for National Statistics indicates the UK narrowly avoided a recession at the end of 2022 following zero per cent growth during October to December. This is also despite a fall in output of 0.5% during December due to strike action being staged prior to Christmas.[82]
    • Coronation of Charles III and Camilla
      • Buckingham Palace unveils the official Coronation logo, designed by Sir Jony Ive.[83]
      • A ballot offering 10,000 free tickets to the Coronation concert at Windsor Castle on 7 May opens.[84]
    • COVID-19 in the UK: Data from the Office for National Statistics for the week ending 31 January indicates COVID-19 cases have risen in England for the first time in 2023, with 1.02 million cases, an increase of 8% from 941,800 the previous week. Data for Scotland and Wales is less clear.[85]
  • 11 February – Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old teenage transgender girl is found dead in Warrington Park in Cheshire, England. Two teenagers, a boy and a girl, both 15-years-old are arrested on suspicion of her murder.[86]
  • 13 February – Former Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens pleads guilty to three counts of indecent exposure during a hearing at the Old Bailey, including one committed four days before he killed Sarah Everard in 2021.[87]
  • 14 February – The Welsh government cancels all major road building projects in Wales, including the proposed Third Menai Crossing, amid concerns about the environment.[88]
  • 15 February
    • Inflation falls for the third month in a row, from 10.5% to 10.1%. This is mainly due to a decrease in fuel, restaurant, and hotel prices, according to the ONS. Food inflation remains at 16.7%.[89] Pay, excluding bonuses, rose at an annual pace of 6.7% from October to December 2022, and when inflation is taken into account, regular pay fell by 2.5%.[90]
    • Nicola Sturgeon announces her resignation as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party after eight years in the role; she will stay on until her successor has been elected.[91]
    • Two teenagers are charged with murder in relation to the death of Brianna Ghey.[92]
  • 16 February – The RMT announce four new days of train strikes for 16, 18 and 30 March, and 1 April.[93]
  • 17 February
    • David Ballantyne Smith, a former security guard at the British embassy in Berlin who attempted to sell confidential information to the Russians, is sentenced to 13 years imprisonment following a trial at the Old Bailey.[94]
    • Storm Otto strikes Scotland and parts of northern England, leaving around 30,000 homes without power and forcing a number of schools to close.[95]
    • COVID-19 in the UK: Office for National Statistics data for the week up to 7 February indicates that COVID-19 cases continued to increase in England, Wales and Scotland, but decreased in Northern Ireland. In England, In England it is estimated that 1,054,200 people had COVID-19, equating to 1.88% of the population, or around 1 in 55 people.[96]
  • 18 February – Coronation of Charles III and Camilla: Twelve new pieces of music are commissioned by the King for his coronation, including a composition by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Part of the service will also be in Welsh, it is confirmed.[97]
  • 19 February – Police searching for Nicola Bulley, missing since 27 January, announce they have found a body in the River Wyre.[98]
  • 20 February
    • Lancashire Police confirm the body found in the River Wyre the previous day is that of Nicola Bulley.[99]
    • Prime Minister Rishi Sunak criticises the rewriting of Roald Dahl's books after they were updated to remove references that could be considered offensive, such as characters being fat.[100]
    • Junior doctors in England vote to strike in their ongoing dispute for a 26% pay rise, and will stage a 72-hour walkout. The BMA maintains junior doctors' pay has been cut by 26% since 2008 after inflation is considered.[101]
    • Coronation of Charles III and Camilla: The Crown Dependency of the Isle of Man announce a special collection of commemorative 50 pence coins that will be issued from March.[102]
  • 21 February
    • The UK Government announces that it had a budget surplus in January, with £5bn more in revenue than predicted.[103]
    • A planned 48-hour strike by nurses in England is called off to allow the Royal College of Nursing and Department of Health and Social Care to enter into renewed negotiations.[104]
    • The broadcasting regulator Ofcom writes to both ITV News and Sky News to ask them for an explanation of their actions following complaints made by the family of Nicola Bulley. Her family had been contacted by both outlets despite asking for privacy.[105]
    • Asda and Morrisons announce they are limiting the sale of some fruit and vegetable products, such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers, because of a shortage caused by severe weather in Spain and North Africa which has affected harvests.[106]
    • The UK Government recommends a 3.5% pay rise for public sector workers in England, below the rate of inflation.[107]
  • 22 February
  • 23 February
    • Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer outlines the five key issues that his party will focus on during the run up to the next general election: higher economic growth, clean energy, improving the NHS, reforming the justice system, and raising education standards.[112]
    • Environment Secretary Therese Coffey, commenting on the vegetable shortage, tells MPs "we anticipate the situation will last about another two to four weeks".[113]
    • Three men are arrested in relation to the previous evening's shooting of DCI John Caldwell.[114]
  • 24 February
    • The British Medical Association announces that junior doctors in England will begin a three-day strike on 13 March.[115]
    • An earthquake measuring 3.7 magnitude strikes Brynmawr, Blaenau Gwent at 11.59pm.[116]
    • COVID-19 in the UK: Office for National Statistics data for the week up to 14 February indicates COVID-19 cases continued to rise in England, Scotland and Wales, but remained uncertain in Northern Ireland. In England, the estimated number of people testing positive for COVID-19 was 1,223,000 (or 2.18% of the population and around 1 in 45 people).[117]
  • 27 February
    • Ofgem announces a 23% decrease in the quarterly price cap on the amount suppliers can charge for household energy bills, from £4,279 to £3,280 – a £999 drop, to apply from April 2023.[118]
    • Sunak and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announce a new agreement concerning movement of goods to/from Northern Ireland, named the Windsor Framework.[119]
    • Lidl becomes the latest UK food retailer to limit the sale of some fruit and vegetables due to an ongoing shortage.[120]
    • New regulations come into force in England and Wales banning transgender women who still have male genitalia, or those who are sex offenders, from being sent to women's prisons.[121]
  • 28 February

March edit

  • 1 March
    • COVID-19 in the UK
      • Lockdown Files: WhatsApp messages leaked to the Daily Telegraph are reported as suggesting former Health Secretary Matt Hancock chose to ignore advice from experts in April 2020 that there should be "testing of all going into care homes".[128] A spokesman for Hancock says "These stolen messages have been doctored to create a false story that Matt rejected clinical advice on care home testing".[129]
    • A Freedom of Information request by BBC News reveals that 729 sex offenders who were under supervision disappeared off the radar in a three year period from 2019 to the end of 2021.[130]
  • 2 March
    • COVID-19 in the UK:
      • Lockdown Files: The Daily Telegraph publishes more of Matt Hancock's WhatsApp exchanges, this time with former Education Secretary Gavin Williamson in December 2020, when a debate into whether schools should reopen following the Christmas holiday was taking place. The leaked messages suggest Hancock favoured school closures, while Williamson was more hesitant.[131] Hancock, who worked alongside journalist Isabel Oakeshott to co-author a book, describes the release of the messages as a "massive betrayal and breach of trust".[132] In response, Oakeshott says she released the messages because she believed doing so was in the "public interest".[133]
    • Sir Keir Starmer unveils Sue Gray, who led the investigation into the Partygate scandal, as Labour's new Chief of Staff, sparking concern among some Conservative MPs about her impartiality.[134][135]
    • The public inquiry into the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing finds that MI5 missed a significant chance to take action that might have stopped the attack when they failed to obtain intelligence that would have led them to follow Salman Abedi to the car where he was storing explosives. Ken McCallum, the director-general of MI5, says he regrets that the intelligence was missed.[136]
  • 3 March
    • COVID-19 in the UK:
      • Lockdown Files: The latest leaked WhatsApp messages published by the Daily Telegraph are reported as appearing to show former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case joking about locking people in quarantine hotels.[137]
      • Office for National Statistics data for the week up to 21 February indicates that COVID-19 infections were increasing in England and Wales, but decreasing in Northern Ireland, while the situation in Scotland was uncertain. In England, the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 was estimated to be 1,298,600 (roughly 2.31% of the population around 1 in 45).[138]
    • The Commons Select Committee of Privileges finds that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson may have misled Parliament over the Partygate scandal after evidence suggested breaches of COVID-19 rules would have been "obvious" to him. In response Johnson says that none of the evidence shows he "knowingly" misled parliament, and that "it is clear from this report that I have not committed any contempt of parliament".[139]
    • Buckingham Palace announces the first state visit to be made by Charles III and Camilla as King and Queen Consort; they will travel to France and Germany from 26–31 March.[140]
  • 4 March
    • COVID-19 in the UK:
      • Lockdown Files: The latest leaked WhatsApp messages published by the Daily Telegraph indicate, according to BBC News who have not seen or verified the messages, that Matt Hancock and his staff deliberated over whether or not he had broken COVID-19 regulations after pictures of him kissing his aide, Gina Coladangelo, were published by The Sun newspaper. Other messages also show Hancock criticising the Eat Out to Help Out scheme for "causing problems" in areas where there were a high number of COVID-19 cases.[141]
    • Typhoon jets are scrambled from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire to help escort a civilian plane en route from Iceland to Kenya following a loss of communication caused by an equipment malfunction. A sonic boom is heard over parts of England after the jets are allowed to fly at supersonic speed.[142]
  • 5 March
    • Train fares in England and Wales are increased by up to 5.9%, representing the largest increase in more than a decade.[143]
    • COVID-19 in the UK:
      • Lockdown Files: News outlets including BBC News, Sky News and The Independent — who have not verified the messages — report that further WhatsApp messages published by The Telegraph appear to show discussions about how and when the government should reveal details of the Kent variant in order to ensure people would comply with COVID-19 regulations. The news outlets also say Hancock appears to suggest they should "frighten the pants off everyone", while in another conversation, head of the civil service Simon Case suggests the "fear/guilt factor" is an important element of the government's messaging.[144][145][146] The Telegraph also reports messages showing ministers and civil servants discussing "[getting] heavy with the police" to enforce lockdown measures with senior police officers being brought into Number 10 to be told to be stricter with the public.[147]
    • Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Sunak says that migrants arriving in the UK on small boats will be prevented from seeking asylum under proposed new legislation to be brought before Parliament.[148]
    • In the Premier League, Liverpool beat Manchester United 7–0, the biggest margin in their historic rivalry and surpassing the previous margin of Liverpool FC 7–1 Newton Heath on 12 October 1895.[149]
  • 6 March
    • Media regulator Ofcom finds that a GB News programme which aired on 21 April 2022 was in breach of broadcasting rules, as it presented misinformation on COVID-19 and vaccines.[150][151]
    • Members of the Fire Brigades Union vote to accept a 7% pay rise backdated to July 2022, and worth 5% from July 2023, meaning they will not strike.[152]
    • Wayne Couzens is sentenced to 19 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to three counts of indecent exposure in the months prior to the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard.[153]
    • A parole hearing for Charles Bronson, one of the UK's longest serving prisoners, is held at the Royal Courts of Justice. It is the second such hearing to be held in public.[154]
    • COVID-19 in the UK:
      • Lockdown Files: The Telegraph publishes messages that are reported to have been exchanged between Allan Nixon, a parliamentary Advisor and Matt Hancock from November 2020 in which they discuss threatening to cancel projects in MPs' constituencies if MPs do not support the local lockdown tiers legislation. It is also reported that as part of a strategy aimed at trying to stop MPs from rebelling against the legislation, party whips compiled a spreadsheet of 95 MPs who disagreed with this policy and the reasons for them disagreeing; these related to lack of parliamentary scrutiny, economic harm, harms to hospital, absence of cost benefit analysis and the policy being "unconservative".[155]
  • 7 March
    • A cold snap from the Arctic hits the UK, causing snowfall in Scotland and parts of northern England.[156] Two coal fire power stations are also reactivated amid concerns about the strain the cold snap could cause on the National Grid.[157]
    • Home Secretary Suella Braverman introduces the Illegal Migration Bill into the House of Commons, which is designed to stop migrants arriving in the UK by boat. The legislation proposes to detain and remove those from the UK who arrive by illegal means, as well as blocking them from returning.[158]
    • COVID-19 in the UK: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation announces that everyone over 75, care-home residents and anyone considered to be extremely vulnerable aged five and over will be offered a spring COVID-19 booster vaccine. Vaccinations will begin in March in Scotland, early April in England and Wales, and mid-April in Northern Ireland.[159]
    • RMT staff working for Network Rail call off a strike planned for 16 March after being given a fresh pay offer.[160]
  • 8 March
  • 9 March
    • The UK government announces a two-year delay in the construction of the Birmingham to Crewe leg of HS2 in order to save costs.[163]
    • Asda and Morrisons lift their restrictions on the sale of fresh produce.[164]
    • Following a trial at the High Court in Aberdeen, retired research scientist Christopher Harrison, 82, is convicted of the murder of his ex-wife, Brenda Page, in 1978.[165]
  • 10 March
    • The UK economy grew by 0.3% in January 2023, official figures show, much more than the 0.1% that was predicted by economists.[166]
    • The King bestows the title of Duke of Edinburgh on his younger brother, Prince Edward.[167]
    • Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attends a summit in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and announces the UK will give France £500m over three years to help the UK stop the influx of migrants arriving by boat.[168]
    • The BBC tells Gary Lineker he cannot present BBC One's Match of the Day until an agreement can be reached over his social media use.[169]
    • COVID-19 in the UK: Office for National Statistics data for the week ending 28 February indicates COVID-19 cases are rising in Scotland, but the picture is unclear in the rest of the UK. In England, the number of people testing positive for COVID-19 was estimated to be 1,333,400, equating to 2.38% of the population, or around 1 in 40 people. In Scotland, the figure was 128,400, equating to 2.44% of the population or around 1 in 40 people.[170]
  • 11 March
    • The BBC apologises for 'limited' sports broadcasts, as a growing number of TV and radio presenters drop out of key programmes in support of Gary Lineker, amid an ongoing debate over impartiality.[171]
    • The Bank of England announces that the UK arm of Silicon Valley Bank is to enter insolvency, following the demise of its US parent, the largest banking collapse since the 2007–2008 financial crisis. Many UK tech startups are prevented from accessing cash to pay staff.[172][173]
  • 12 March – The UK government announces that charges for prepayment energy meters are to be brought into line with those for customers paying by direct debit from 1 July, saving an average of £45 per year.[174]
  • 13 March
    • HSBC agrees to buy the UK arm of Silicon Valley Bank, allowing UK tech firms and customers to access money and services as normal.[175]
    • Gary Lineker is allowed to return to presenting football, as the BBC announces an independent review of its social media guidelines. Director General Tim Davie acknowledges there are "grey areas" and says enforcing impartiality is a "difficult balancing act."[176]
    • Disgraced former pop star Gary Glitter is recalled to prison after breaching his licence conditions.[177]
    • Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announces an extra £5bn of government spending for UK defence over the coming two years.[178]
  • 14 March
    • Royal Mail unveils its first design of a new set of ten special stamps, featuring garden flowers and a silhouette of King Charles III.[179]
    • Following a trial at Preston Crown Court, Eleanor Williams is sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison after falsely accusing several men of rape and claiming to have been trafficked by an Asian grooming gang.[180]
  • 15 March
  • 16 March
    • NHS staff in England, including nurses and ambulance staff, are offered a 5% pay rise from April along with a one-off payment of £1,655 to cover backdated pay. The offer does not include doctors, who are on a different contract.[184]
    • The government announces that TikTok is to be banned on electronic devices used by ministers and other employees, amid security concerns relating to the Chinese-owned app's handling of user data.[185]
    • Scientists identify a gene variant that is known to increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and trace it to people with Orkney Island heritage, more specifically those with ancestry on the island of Westray.[186]
    • COVID-19 in the UK: Office for National Statistics data for the week ending 7 March (6 March in Scotland) indicates COVID-19 cases are falling in Scotland, but the picture is uncertain in the rest of the UK. In England, the survey suggests that 1,322,000 tested positive for the virus, equating to 2.36% of the population, or around 1 in 40.[187]
  • 18 March – Peter Murrell resigns as CEO of the Scottish National Party amid a row over party membership.[188]
  • 19 March
    • The UK government launches the Emergency Alerts service, a service to send text alerts to mobile phones in a situation where it is perceived there is an immediate risk to life.[189]
    • The BBC urges its staff to delete the TikTok app from its official devices amid concerns about its security.[190]
  • 20 March – The British government bans far-right Danish activist Rasmus Paludan from entering the United Kingdom over a threat to burn a Quran in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.[191]
  • 21 March
    • Partygate scandal: Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson publishes a 52-page defence of his actions during the COVID-19 pandemic in which he acknowledges misleading Parliament over the Partygate scandal, but says he did not do so intentionally.[192]
    • Baroness Louise Casey's report into the standards and culture of the Metropolitan Police is published, and describes critical failings, such as discrimination, the organisation's inability to police itself, failings towards women and children, and the loss of public confidence in the service.[193]
  • 22 March
    • Data released for February shows that inflation increased from 10.1% to 10.4%, largely due to an increase in the cost of fresh food (particularly vegetables), non-alcoholic drinks, restaurant meals, and women's clothes.[194]
    • A major incident is declared, with 35 injuries reported, after the 76m-long RV Petrel research vessel tips over at a dock in Leith.[195]
    • Boris Johnson gives evidence to the cross-party Privileges Committee, relating to his conduct during Partygate. He insists that he "did not lie" to the House of Commons and always made statements in good faith.[196]
    • MPs back Rishi Sunak's new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland by 515 votes to 29.[197]
    • Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, issues a "sincere, heartfelt and unreserved" apology to people affected by the practice of forced adoption in Scotland during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.[198]
    • The RMT call off two strikes planned by staff at 14 train operators that were scheduled for 30 March and 1 April following discussions with the Rail Delivery Group.[199]
    • Prime Minister Rishi Sunak publishes details of his tax returns following calls for him to be more transparent about his finances.[200]
  • 23 March
  • 24 March
    • Charles III's state visit to France, his first official overseas visit as King, is postponed following a request by French President Emmanuel Macron after unions threatened to stage a day of protests over pension reforms during his visit.[207]
    • MPs vote to back the Protection from Sex-based Harassment in Public Bill, which will make catcalling, following someone or blocking their path an offence in England and Wales with a punishment of up to two years in prison.[208]
    • COVID-19 in the UK: The final Coronavirus Infections Survey is published by the Office for National Statistics, with data for the week up to 13 March. It shows an increase in COVID-19 cases for England, but an uncertain picture for the rest of the UK. The percentage of cases for the Home Nations are shown as follows: 2.66% in England (1 in 40 people), 2.41% in Wales (1 in 40 people), 1.42% in Northern Ireland (1 in 70 people), and 2.59% in Scotland (1 in 40 people).[209]
  • 25 March
  • 26 March
  • 27 March
  • 28 March
  • 29 March
    • Charles III begins a state visit to Germany, his first official overseas trip as monarch.[222]
    • The UK government introduces the Victims and Prisoners Bill into the House of Commons, which will give ministers the power to veto the release of some prisoners, and restrict marriage in prison for those serving whole life terms.[223]
    • Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick confirms the government's intention to utilise three locations, including two former military bases, to house migrants arriving into the UK as asylum seekers. The plans are an attempt by the government to save on hotel expenses.[224]
    • Humza Yousaf is sworn in as Scotland's First Minister at Edinburgh's Court of Session and begins naming his cabinet.[225]
  • 30 March
    • The government publishes its latest net zero strategy for the period to 2050, following a High Court ruling that its earlier plans were insufficient to meet climate targets.[226]
    • High-profile inmate Charles Bronson loses his latest bid for freedom.[227]
    • Thomas Cashman, 34, is convicted of shooting dead nine-year-old Olivia Pratt-Korbel in her Liverpool home in August 2022.[228]
    • The Parliamentary Standards Committee recommends that former Scottish National Party MP Margaret Ferrier be suspended from the House of Commons for 30 days for breaching COVID-19 regulations in September 2020 when she took a train home from London following a positive COVID test.[229]
  • 31 March
    • Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show an 0.1% growth in the UK economy for the final three months of 2022, revising previous figures that had suggested no growth over that period.[230]
    • COVID-19 in the UK: The UK Health Security Agency confirms the NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app will close on 27 April following a decline in its use.[231]

April edit

  • 1 April
    • It is reported that three British men are being held in custody by the Taliban in Afghanistan.[232]
    • Manchester becomes the first city in the UK to launch a tourist tax, with a £1-per room per night City Visitor Charge.[233]
  • 2 April
    • Home Secretary Suella Braverman confirms the UK is in negotiations with the Taliban following the reported arrest of three British nationals in Afghanistan.[234]
    • Braverman says that Rwanda is a safe place for the UK to send refugees after being asked about refugees being shot there by police at a demonstration in 2018, saying "that might be 2018, we're looking at 2023 and beyond".[235]
  • 3 April
  • 4 April
  • 5 April
    • The government confirms plans to use the vessel Bibby Stockholm to house around 500 male migrants off the Dorset Coast, citing the cheaper cost of doing so compared to housing them in hotels.[248]
    • A BBC News investigation claims the life coaching organisation Lighthouse is operated as a cult.[249]
    • The White House press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said that US President Joe Biden has accepted an invitation from King Charles for an undated state visit to the United Kingdom.[250]
  • 6 April
  • 7 April
  • 8 April – Coronation of Charles III and Camilla: The Crown Dependency of the Isle of Man, issue a special set of Post Office stamps.[256]
  • 10 April – Coronation of Charles III and Camilla: Buckingham Palace confirms that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will travel to Westminster in the more modern Diamond Jubilee State Coach for the coronation, before returning to Buckingham Palace in the more traditional Gold State Coach.[257]
  • 11 April
  • 12 April
  • 13 April
    • Data published by the Office for National Statistics shows a 0% growth in the UK economy during February as growth in the construction industry was offset by industrial action.[268]
    • Publication of the Deciphering Developmental Disorders study, a study involving children with development disorders, which has identified 60 new health conditions.[269]
    • Sainsbury's follows Tesco in cutting the price of milk.[270]
    • A report published by Diabetes UK indicates the UK is heading for what the charity describes as a "rapidly escalating diabetes crisis", with 4.3 million people experiencing a form of diabetes, a further 850,000 estimated to be living with the disease but unaware of it, and another 2.4 million people at risk of developing the condition. Cases of diabetes are more prevalent in less affluent areas of the country.[271]
  • 14 April
  • 15 April
  • 16 April – The building of all new smart motorways is cancelled over cost and safety concerns.[280]
  • 17 April
    • The 2023 World Snooker Championship is disrupted by a protestor from Just Stop Oil who climbs onto the snooker table during a match between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry and pours orange powder over it. Two people are later arrested by South Yorkshire Police.[281]
    • The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is to investigate Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over a possible failure to declare an interest over a childcare company in which his wife has shares.[282]
    • Sunak announces a review of the "core maths content" taught in England's schools, with the establishment of a panel to conduct the review.[283]
    • New rules from Ofgem will prohibit the forced installation of prepayment meters for gas and electricity customers over the age of 85. Customers in debt will also have more time to clear their debt before being forced to switch to a prepayment meter.[284] But plans to resume the practice are subsequently criticised by campaigners who want it banned completely.[285]
  • 19 April
    • Inflation is reported to have fallen from 10.4% in February to 10.1% in March. It remains higher than forecasted, driven largely by the ongoing rise in food prices, which continue to increase at their fastest rate in 45 years.[286]
    • Colin Beattie resigns as SNP treasurer with immediate effect after his questioning by Police Scotland in their ongoing investigation into the party's finances.[287]
  • 20 April – Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is handed the findings of an investigation into bullying allegations against Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab.[288]
  • 21 April
  • 22 April – Sunak holds an emergency COBRA meeting to discuss the evacuation of British nationals caught up in the Sudan conflict.[297][298]
  • 23 April
    • Diane Abbott is suspended from the Labour Party after writing a letter in The Observer in which she downplays racism against Irish people, Jews, and Travellers.[299]
    • Sunak confirms that British diplomats and their families have been evacuated from Sudan in a "complex and rapid" operation.[300]
    • The Emergency Alerts service is tested by the government at 3pm BST. An estimated 80% of smartphones are believed to be compatible to receive the alert, but around 7% of those do not receive it. Many people on the Three network report that the alert failed to appear on their phone, while others do not receive it because their phone is switched to aeroplane mode or they have disabled emergency alerts.[301][302]
    • 2023 London Marathon: Sifan Hassan wins the women's race, while Kelvin Kiptum wins the men's event and breaks the course record.[303]
  • 25 April
  • 26 April
    • Andrew Bridgen is expelled from the Conservative Party after comparing COVID-19 vaccines to the Holocaust and being found to have breached lobbying rules.[307]
    • The first evacuation flight from Sudan lands in the UK.[308]
    • The Illegal Migration Bill passes its final stage in the House of Commons, with MPs voting 289–230 in favour of the bill.[309]
    • The UK's Competition and Markets Authority blocks Microsoft's £55bn deal to buy US video game company Activision Blizzard, citing concerns about reduced choice for gamers and reduced innovation; the move needed the approval of competition regulators in the United States, United Kingdom and European Union.[310]
  • 27 April
    • Three days of fresh train strikes are called after both ASLEF and the RMT reject a pay offer from the Rail Delivery Group. The strikes dates are announced for 13 May 31 May and 3 June (ASLEF) and 13 May (RMT).[311]
    • Following a hearing at the High Court, Mr Justice Linden rules that the nurses' strike planned for 30 April – 2 May is partially unlawful as it falls partly outside the six month period from when members of the Royal College of Nursing voted to strike. The strike is cut short by a day as a consequence.[312]
    • The NHS COVID-19 contact tracing app closes down.[231][313]
  • 28 April – Richard Sharp resigns as Chairman of the BBC over his breach of the BBC's rules regarding public appointments after failing to declare his connection to a loan secured by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson worth £800,000.[314]
  • 29 April
    • Coronation of Charles III and Camilla: Organisers announce that among the changes to the ceremony for the coronation will be to invite people watching proceedings to swear allegiance to the King and his heirs. The service will also include female clergy and representatives from several different religions.[315]
    • The Guardian apologises following the publication of a cartoon depicting former BBC chairman Richard Sharp, who is Jewish, with exaggerated features and carrying a puppet of Rishi Sunak, after it was criticised for being antisemitic.[316]
    • The final UK rescue flight from the Sudanese capital of Khartoum takes off as the rescue of UK nationals comes to an end.[317] Another flight from Port Sudan is subsequently arranged for 1 May.[318]
  • 30 April
    • Eight people are stabbed, one fatally, in a street brawl near a nightclub in Bodmin, Cornwall. Police arrest a 24-year-old man on suspicion of murdering another man in his 30s.[319] The deceased victim is subsequently named as Michael Allen, aged 32.[320]
    • Alex Chalk, the Secretary of State for Justice, announces new rules for terrorists in prison in England and Wales which will see them limited to two boxes of books and prevented from leading religious meetings.[321]

May edit

  • 1 May
  • 2 May
    • The 5% pay increase for one million NHS staff in England is signed off at a meeting between the UK government and representatives from 14 trade unions; all NHS employees but doctors and dentists are represented at the meeting.[324]
    • A man is arrested outside Buckingham Palace after throwing shotgun cartridges into the grounds. A controlled explosion is also carried out by police.[325]
  • 3 May – Coronation of Charles III and Camilla: As the Metropolitan Police release details of security measures in place, Security Minister Tom Tugendhat says that anti-monarchy groups will be allowed to protest at the coronation.[326]
  • 4 May
  • 5 May – Following the first conviction for trafficking for the purposes of organ removal in England and Wales, Nigerian Senator Ike Ekweremadu is sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison after bringing a young street trader to the UK in order to procure his kidney for a transplant. The Senator's wife and a doctor who also assisted in the plan are also sent to prison.[331]
  • 6 May
    • Coronation of Charles III and Camilla:
      • The Coronation takes place at Westminster Abbey, London, with the two-hour ceremony emphasising diversity and inclusion. There are contributions from several faiths, including Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh representatives, while elements of the ceremony are also held in the Welsh and Gaelic languages.[332][333]
      • Graham Smith, leader of the Republic pressure group, is arrested at a protest in Trafalgar Square prior to the coronation.[334]
  • 7 May
  • 8 May
  • 9 May
    • A Freedom of Information request filed by The Guardian reveals that at least one baby has been born with the DNA of three people, with 0.1% of the third person's DNA used in an attempt to prevent children developing mitochondrial diseases.[342]
    • Addressing the issue of arrests made during the Coronation, Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, says it is unfortunate people were not allowed to protest, but that there was a credible threat to disrupt the ceremony.[343]
  • 10 May
    • The government confirms it will replace its plan for all EU-era legislation to expire at the end of 2023 with a list of 600 laws it wishes to replace.[344]
    • Vodafone confirms it will begin switching off its 3G network from June, prompting concerns that people with older and more basic phones could experience "digital poverty".[345]
    • The legal case Duke of Sussex v Mirror Group Newspapers begins at the High Court.[346]
    • Adam Price announces his resignation as leader of Plaid Cymru after a report found a culture of misogyny, harassment and bullying in the party.[347]
  • 11 May
  • 12 May
    • Data from the Office for National Statistics indicates the UK economy grew by 0.1% between January and March 2023, with ongoing strike action and the cost of living crisis contributing to the smaller than expected growth.[352]
    • Following a three week trial at Newcastle Crown Court, David Boyd is convicted of the October 1992 murder of Nikki Allan in Sunderland.[353]
  • 13 May
  • 14 May – Former Archbishop of York Lord Sentamu is forced to resign his position as an assistant bishop in the Church of England Diocese of Newcastle following a report that criticised his handling of a child sex abuse case during his tenure as Archbishop of York.[356]
  • 15 May – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits the UK to hold talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Sunak later announces that the UK will send Ukraine hundreds of air defence missiles and armed drones, in addition to the Storm Shadow cruise missiles previously promised.[357]
  • 16 May
    • Following a trial at Reading Crown Court, three fraudsters who supplied forged passports to some of the UK's most notorious criminals, are sentenced to prison.[358]
    • Data produced by the Office for National Statistics indicates the number of people not working because of a long-term health condition has reached two and a half million. The rise is attributed to an increase in mental health problems among young people, and an increase in people suffering back and neck problems as a result of working at home.[359]
    • Stellantis, owners of Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroen and Fiat, urge the UK government to renegotiate parts of its Brexit trade deal, warning that the UK could lose its car industry. The company has committed to making electric vehicles in the UK, but says it may not be able to do so because of the combined effect of post-Brexit trade rules and increases in raw material costs.[360]
  • 17 May
    • The Renters (Reform) Bill is introduced into Parliament.[361]
    • The UK government bans the issuing of licences for animal testing of chemicals used in cosmetics products.[362]
  • 18 May
  • 19 May
  • 20 May – 2023 Northern Ireland local elections: Sinn Féin become the largest political party in Northern Ireland after making significant gains in the local election votes.[363]
  • 21 May – Labour and the Liberal Democrats call for an inquiry into whether the Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, broke the Ministerial Code after it is reported she asked civil servants whether they could arrange a private speed awareness course, rather than the standard group one, after she was caught speeding in summer 2022 during her tenure as Attorney General.[368]
  • 22 May
    • Buckingham Palace declines a request for the remains of Prince Alemayehu, brought to the UK as a child in the 19th century and buried at Windsor Castle following his death, to be returned to his native Ethiopia.[369]
    • Margaret Ferrier loses her appeal against a proposed 30 day ban from the House of Commons over her breach of COVID-19 rules in September 2020.[370]
    • Sir Richard Branson's rocket company Virgin Orbit ceases operations, following a recent mission failure and financial difficulties.[371]
  • 23 May
    • The International Monetary Fund upgrades its growth forecast for the UK, which it says will now avoid a recession in 2023.[372]
    • Following his conviction on 12 May, David Boyd is sentenced to a minimum term of 29 years in prison for Nikki Allan's murder.[373]
    • The Cabinet Office refers former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the police following fresh allegations of rule breaches during the COVID-19 pandemic.[374]
  • 24 May
    • Inflation is reported to have fallen from 10.1% in March to 8.7% in April. Food price growth remains close to record highs, at 19.1%.[375]
    • Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirms that Home Secretary Suella Braverman's handling of a speeding offence did not breach ministerial rules and that she will not face an investigation.[376]
  • 25 May
    • Net migration into the UK during 2022 is reported to have reached a record high of 606,000, with immigration estimated at 1.2m and emigration at 557,000. Around 114,000 people came from Ukraine and 52,000 from Hong Kong.[377]
    • Three activists from climate change protest group Just Stop Oil are arrested for criminal damage after disrupting the Chelsea Flower Show.[378]
    • Armed officers arrest a man after he crashes a car into the gates of Downing Street. The incident is not terrorism related.[379]
  • 26 May
    • British Cycling announces that transgender women are to be banned from the female category of its competitions, following a nine-month review and consultation.[380] This follows the March ban by UK Athletics.[381]
    • Phillip Schofield announces he is leaving ITV, following his recent departure from This Morning amid controversy over the relationship he had with a "much younger" male colleague.[382][383]
    • Passengers arriving into the UK face delays at several airports after passport e-gates stop working. The problem, attributed to technical problems, is resolved by the following evening.[384]
  • 27 May – Post Office Limited issues an apology over the use of racist terms to describe postmasters wrongly investigated as part of the Horizon IT scandal.[385]
  • 28 May
    • The Home Office announces it is launching an ad campaign on social media in Albania to deter migrants from coming to the UK; the campaign begins the following day.[386][387]
    • BBC News reports that Andrei Kelin, Russia's ambassador to the UK, has warned that the west's supply of weapons to Ukraine risks escalating the war to levels not seen so far.[388]
  • 29 May
    • Mars bars, one of the top-selling chocolate bars in the UK, are given a new look with recyclable paper wrappers, in a bid to cut down on the growing problem of plastic waste.[389]
    • The Met Police's plan to stop attending emergency mental health incidents is described as "potentially alarming" by a former inspector of constabulary, with charity Mind also expressing concerns.[390]
  • 30 May
    • Figures published by the British Retail Consortium show that supermarket prices rose in May, largely because of the price of coffee, chocolate and non-food goods.[391]
    • The UK government announces plans to close a loophole in the law that allows shopkeepers to give free vape samples to those under the age of majority.[392]
  • 31 May

June edit

July edit

  • 1 July
    • The Foreign Office issues a travel warning for Britons going to France, as major riots grip the country.[471]
    • The price cap on energy bills is reduced, with an average yearly domestic gas and electricity bill falling by £426 to £2,074.[472]
  • 2 July
  • 3 July
    • Train drivers belonging to the ASLEF union at 16 train operators begin a six-day overtime ban, threatening disruption to services.[476]
    • The Met Office confirms that the UK has experienced its hottest June on record, with June 2023's average temperature of 15.8 °C beating previous records from 1940 and 1976 by 0.9 °C.[477]
  • 4 July
    • The average interest rate on a five-year fixed mortgage deal exceeds 6%.[478]
    • Partygate scandal: The Metropolitan Police announces it is reopening its investigation into a lockdown party held at Conservative Party Headquarters in December 2020, as well as an event held at Westminster on 8 December 2020.[479]
  • 5 July
  • 6 July
  • 7 July
    • Consumer finance expert Martin Lewis speaks to BBC Radio 4 about the growing use of deepfake AI technology, warning that more regulation is needed to prevent online scams.[489]
    • Data published by Halifax Bank indicates that UK house prices have fallen at the fastest rate since 2011, with a 2.6% fall in the last year.[490]
    • A man in his 20s, known publicly only as LXB, becomes the first alleged neo-Nazi in the UK to be placed under special government powers for monitoring and controlling suspected terrorists.[491]
    • Following his trial and conviction at Nottingham Crown Court, Jamie Barrow is sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 44 years for the murders of a mother and her two children, who died after he set their flat on fire.[492]
    • Empire Cinemas collapses into administration, with the immediate closure of six of its outlets and the remainder at risk of closure.[493]
    • A story printed in The Sun alleges that an unnamed BBC presenter paid a 17-year-old for sexually explicit photos. In response the BBC says it is investigating and that the presenter is not scheduled to be on air in the coming days.[494]
  • 8 July
    • Rishi Sunak reaffirms the UK's opposition to the use of cluster munitions, as the United States announces it will send the widely banned weapons to Ukraine, where the conflict has reached its 500th day.[495][496]
    • Thunderstorms affect parts of the UK as a brief hot spell comes to an end.[497]
  • 9 July – The Sun prints fresh allegations about an unnamed BBC presenter, alleging that he stripped down to his underpants during a video call to the teenager.[498] Several male public figures associated with the BBC speak out to say they are not the individual concerned.[499] Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer holds an urgent meeting with BBC Director General Tim Davie at which he tells her the BBC is investigating the matter "swiftly and sensitively".[500] The BBC subsequently confirms it has suspended the presenter and referred the matter to the police.[501]
  • 10 July
    • A lawyer representing the young person who was allegedly paid by a BBC presenter for indecent photographs casts doubt on the story. In a letter to the BBC, the lawyer says that his client contacted The Sun on 7 July to tell the newspaper there was "no truth in it". The paper is said to have subsequently printed the "inappropriate article" containing allegations made by the client's mother.[502]
    • EasyJet announces the cancellation of 1,700 flights to and from Gatwick Airport during July, August and September, citing constraints on airspace in Europe and ongoing traffic control difficulties.[503]
  • 11 July
    • A second young person comes forward to make allegations about the BBC presenter at the centre of a scandal, claiming that they were contacted by him on a dating app and sent abusive and threatening messages. The person, in their early 20s, also says they felt under pressure to meet up, although they did not do so.[504]
    • The average deal on a two-year fixed mortgage reaches 6.66%, the highest level since the financial crisis of 2008.[505]
  • 12 July
    • Huw Edwards is identified by his wife as the BBC presenter being investigated for allegedly paying a 17-year-old for sexually explicit photos. His wife also says that Edwards is receiving in-patient hospital care after an episode of depression following the publication of the allegations.[506] Following an investigation into the allegations, the Metropolitan Police releases a statement to say detectives have determined no criminal offence has been committed.[507]
    • The Bank of England says that rising interest rates mean that mortgages for at least one million borrowers will rise by an average of £500 a month by the end of 2023.[508]
    • The 2.6 GW Hornsea Project 4 is approved by the government, becoming the second-largest UK wind farm to receive planning consent, following Hornsea Project Three.[509]
  • 13 July
    • The longest doctor's strike in NHS history begins, as junior doctors begin a five-day walkout over pay.[510]
    • The government offers more than a million public sector workers in England and Wales a pay rise worth an average of 6%. The offer sees police and prison officers in England and Wales offered 7%, with teachers in England offered 6.5%, and junior doctors in England offered 6%.[511]
    • A report published by the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament says the UK failed to develop an effective strategy for dealing with threats to its national security by China, which has allowed Chinese intelligence to aggressively target the UK.[512]
  • 14 July
  • 15 July – The Local Government Association calls for disposable vapes to be banned in England and Wales by 2024, citing their environmental impact and their appeal to children.[518]
  • 17 July
    • A report from the National Audit Office concludes that the UK government is likely to miss its 2019 target to build 40 new NHS hospitals by 2030.[519]
    • As train drivers begin a six day overtime ban, their union, ASLEF, announces a further six day overtime ban from 31 July.[520]
  • 18 July
    • A BBC investigation into working conditions at McDonald's has collected together a number of allegations of sexual assault, harassment, bullying and racism.[521]
    • A woman sentenced to 28 months imprisonment for illegally obtaining abortion pills in 2020 has her sentence reduced to a 14 month suspended sentence by the Court of Appeal, and will be released from prison.[522]
    • The Home Office confirms the release of the first passports issued in King Charles III's name.[523]
  • 19 July
  • 20 July
    • Senior doctors begin a two-day walkout, their first strike in a decade, amid an ongoing dispute over pay.[527]
    • The Competition and Markets Authority tells supermarkets they must make their food pricing clearer in order to help shoppers make informed decisions about the best deals.[528]
    • A University of Oxford study suggests that if heavy meat eaters were to cut some of it out of their diet it would be like removing eight million cars from the road.[529]
    • The first phase of the COVID-19 Inquiry comes to an end, with an interim report expected to be published in 2024.[530]
  • 21 July
  • 22–23 July – The most successful weekend for UK cinema-going since 2019 is reported, with Oppenheimer and Barbie taking £30m in their box office openings.[533]
  • 23 July – The Cabinet Office announces the launch of the Humanitarian Medal for emergency workers and humanitarian relief teams, such as charities, service personnel and health workers.[534]
  • 24 July
  • 26 July
    • Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey is cleared of all charges at London's Southwark Crown Court. His trial had included nine charges, with seven counts of sexual assault against four men.[537]
    • The consultation process for the proposed closure of hundreds of ticket offices at train stations in England is extended until 1 September.[538]
    • Dame Alison Rose admits to being the source of an inaccurate BBC news report about Nigel Farage's Coutts bank account after discussing the matter with BBC business editor Simon Jack, something she describes as a "serious error of judgement".[539] She subsequently resigns from her post early the next day.[540]
  • 27 July
    • The Met Office publishes its State of the UK Climate 2022 report. It concludes that the 40 °C heatwave was "extraordinary", but would be considered an average year by 2060 and a cool year by 2100, if current emission trends continue.[541][542]
    • 26-year-old Louis De Zoysa is sentenced to a whole life order for the murder of police officer Matt Ratana in 2020.[543]
    • Peter Flavel resigns as chief executive of Coutts Bank over controversy surrounding the closure of Nigel Farage's account.[544]
  • 28 July – The High Court concludes that Sadiq Khan's plan to extend the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) around London is lawful and can proceed.[545][546]
  • 30 July
  • 31 July
    • Sunak announces that over 100 new licenses will be granted for oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, a decision heavily criticised by environmental groups and opposition MPs as incompatible with the UK's climate change commitments. Sunak insists the plan is "entirely consistent" with reaching net zero, and says that a quarter of UK energy needs will come from oil and gas even after 2050.[549][550]
    • New rules come into force from the Financial Conduct Authority requiring banks to prove they are offering their customers fair value, such as passing on interest rate rises to savers.[551]
    • The final date on which non-barcoded stamps can be used when posting mail.[552]

August edit

  • 1 August
  • 2 August – COVID-19 in the UK: The UK Health Security Agency reports the spread of a new variant known as EG.5.1.[558]
  • 3 August
    • The National Risk Register publishes its latest report on future threats facing the UK. It puts the chance of another pandemic at between 5% and 25%. Other risks include extreme weather caused by worsening climate change, advances in artificial intelligence (AI) systems, terrorism such as cyberattacks on infrastructure, and the assassination of public figures.[559]
    • Greenpeace activists climb onto the roof of Rishi Sunak's North Yorkshire home, unfurling sheets of black fabric, in protest at his recent decision to expand oil and gas production in the North Sea.[560]
    • The Bank of England raises its baseline interest rate from 5% to 5.25%, the 14th consecutive increase and the highest level since April 2008. The Bank also predicts inflation to fall below 5% in the final quarter of 2023.[561]
    • Brexit: Checks on fresh food from the EU are delayed for a fifth time, amid concerns over red tape.[562]
    • Homeware retailer Wilko files a notice of intention to call in administrators after failing to secure a buyer, putting 12,000 jobs at risk.[563]
    • Butterfly Conservation reports a four-fold increase in red admiral sightings compared to the previous year, likely a result of higher temperatures in the UK.[564]
  • 4 August
    • Around 4,000 scouts from the UK attending the World Jamboree in South Korea are to be moved to hotels due to the ongoing 2023 Asia heat wave.[565]
    • A royal spokesman confirms there will be no official public events to mark the first anniversary of the death of Elizabeth II.[566]
    • The mother and stepfather of Jacob Crouch, a 10-month-old baby who died at his Derbyshire home in 2020, are found guilty of causing him severe injuries leading to death. The mother, 33-year-old Gemma Barton, is acquitted of murder, but found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child, as well as child cruelty, and is sentenced to 10 years in prison. Stepfather Craig Crouch is found guilty of murder and receives a minimum term of 28 years in prison.[567]
    • Storm Antoni hits the UK, the first Met Office-named storm of the year, with forecasters warning of "unseasonably" strong winds that could pose a danger to life over the weekend.[568] A top wind gust of 78 mph is recorded at Berry Head in Devon, which is considered a potential record for the time of year.[569]
    • The biggest NHS privatisation since the Blair years is announced, with eight new community diagnostic centres (CDCs) being planned in a bid to cut record-high waiting lists. A further five NHS-run CDCs are also announced.[570]
  • 5 August – The 18th century Crooked House, once known as "Britain's wonkiest pub", is gutted by a fire.[571] The pub is demolished two days later. Police subsequently confirm they are treating the fire as arson.[572]
  • 6 August
    • Secretary of State for Justice Alex Chalk confirms that the rule deducting living costs from compensation paid to people who have been wrongfully convicted will be scrapped.[573]
    • Greetings card retailer Clintons are to close around 20% of their outlets to cut back on expenditure.[574]
  • 7 August – The first group of asylum seekers to be housed on the Bibby Stockholm while they wait for the cases to be processed arrive on the barge following delays over safety concerns.[575]
  • 8 August
  • 9 August – A second Police Service of Northern Ireland data breach is revealed after it emerges a spreadsheet containing the names of 200 officers was stolen from a car in July 2023.[579]
  • 10 August
  • 11 August
    • Data from the Office for National Statistics shows the UK economy grew by an average 0.2% between April and June 2023. This includes a better than expected increase of 0.5% for June as a result of warm weather which boosted both the construction and hospitality industries.[583]
    • Migrants are temporarily moved from the Bibby Stockholm after traces of the Legionella bacteria are found in the water supply.[584]
    • The number of migrants who have crossed the English Channel since 2018 passes 100,000.[585]
  • 12 August
  • 14 August – Health Secretary Steve Barclay confirms "no-one has been harmed" following the discovery of legionella bacteria on the Bibby Stockholm.[588]
  • 15 August
    • BBC News reports that five suspected spies for Russia were arrested in February 2023, three of whom have been charged in connection with the allegations.[589]
    • Data published by the Office for National Statistics indicates that average UK wages increased by 7.8% between April and June 2023, their highest increase since comparable figures began in 2001.[590]
  • 16 August
    • Data released by the Office for National Statistics indicates that UK rents rose by an average of 5.3% in the year to July 2023, the highest rise since comparable records began in 2016.[591]
    • UK inflation fell from 7.9% in June to 6.8% in July with the fall in energy costs helping to bring it down, but food and hospitality prices remained high and continued to have an impact.[592]
  • 17 August – A Level results are published in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with grades returning to pre-pandemic levels; 27.2% of all grades marked are rated as A* or A.[593]
  • 18 August
    • Former nurse Lucy Letby, 33, is found guilty of murdering seven babies, and attempting to murder six others, at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016, following a trial which began 10 months ago. She becomes the most prolific killer of babies in the UK in modern times. She is cleared on two charges of attempted murder, while the jury fails to reach verdicts on two further charges of attempted murder.[594] The UK government orders an independent inquiry into the case.[595]
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the UK: The UK Health Security Agency supports a proposal for the commercial sale of COVID-19 vaccines to the public, for those wishing to top up their immunity, after the age limit on the NHS booster programme is raised from 50 to 65.[596]
    • HM Treasury announces that banks will be fined if they fail to provide people with adequate cash withdrawal and deposit facilities. The policy will require cash withdrawal and deposit facilities to be available within a mile of residents and businesses in an urban setting, and three miles in rural settings.[597]
  • 20 August – 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup: Spain win 1–0 against England in the final of the tournament.[598]
  • 21 August – Following her conviction on 18 August, Lucy Letby is sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to a whole life order for the 14 charges she was convicted of. Justice James Goss states that her "cruel, calculated and cynical campaign of child murder" means she should never be released from prison.[599][600]
  • 22 August
    • Official figures show that Government borrowing in July was £4.3bn, lower than the £5bn forecast by economists.[601]
    • Former Metropolitan Police officer Adam Provan is jailed for 16 years for multiple rapes against a teenage girl and a female police officer.[602]
    • It is reported that art dealer Ittai Gradel alerted the British Museum about possible missing items in 2021 but was told "all objects were accounted for".[603]
  • 23 August – It is reported that doctors at Oxford's Churchill Hospital have carried out the UK's first womb transplant, with a 34-year-old woman receiving her sister's womb in a 17-hour operation that took place in February 2023.[604]
  • 24 August
    • Data released by the Home Office shows that 175,000 people were waiting to have their claims for asylum assessed at the end of June 2023, an increase of 44% on the same time in 2022.[605]
    • GCSE results are published in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with 68.2% of all entries marked at grades 4/C and above. It is the second fall in overall results, taking them almost back to pre-pandemic levels.[606]
  • 25 August
    • Ofgem confirms the energy price cap will fall again in October, with an annual gas and electricity bill at around £1,923.[607]
    • The National Crime Agency launches a criminal investigation after linking 88 UK deaths with an online seller from Canada accused of selling them a poisonous substance so they could commit suicide.[608]
  • 26 August – Conservative MP Nadine Dorries resigns her Parliamentary seat two months after originally saying she would do so, accusing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of abandoning "the fundamental principles of Conservatism" and that "history will not judge [him] kindly".[609]
  • 28 August – Hundreds of flights to and from the UK are delayed following technical problems with the UK's air traffic control system.[610]
  • 29 August
    • Martin Rolfe, chief executive of the National Air Transport Service confirms that an initial investigation into the disruption caused to the UK's air traffic control system indicates it to be as a result of flight data received. As passengers continue to face delays in catching flights, the incident is to be investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority.[611]
  • 30 August
    • Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announces plans to introduce legislation that will compel convicted criminals to attend their sentencing hearings, by force if necessary, or face more time in prison.[612]
    • Health Secretary Steve Barclay announces that the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Lucy Letby's crimes has been upgraded to a statutory hearing, meaning that witnesses can be compelled to give evidence.[613]
    • Property website Zoopla forecasts that UK house sales for 2023 are on course to be at their lowest since 2012, with an estimated one million completed by the end of the year, a fifth lower than 2022.[614]

September edit

  • 1 September
    • A crisis emerges in schools, hospitals, and other public buildings, centred around the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), a widely-used but outdated material believed to be unsafe and in danger of crumbling. The announcements come just days before the beginning of the new academic year.[615][616][617]
    • Figures published by the Nationwide Building Society indicate UK house prices in August 2023 were 5.3% lower than those in August 2022, the largest fall since 2009.[618]
    • Octopus Energy announces plans to buy Shell Energy, giving Octopus an additional 1.4 million customers.[619]
  • 3 September
    • Chancellor Jeremy Hunt says the UK government will "spend what it takes" to put right the problem of defective concrete in schools,[620] and says that structural problems could be identified in more schools and other public buildings.[621]
    • Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy announces that staff at the retailer will be offered body cameras following a rise in violent incidents.[622]
    • UK government data indicates 872 migrants crossed the English Channel the previous day, the highest daily number of 2023.[623]
  • 4 September
    • Labour leader Keir Starmer performs a cabinet reshuffle, as MPs return to Westminster after the summer break. This includes Angela Rayner becoming both Shadow Levelling Up Secretary and Shadow Deputy Prime Minister.[624]
    • Simon Byrne resigns as Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland with immediate effect following a number of recent controversies.[625]
    • The Met Office issues a heat health alert for much of the country, with temperatures forecast to reach as high as 32 °C later in the week.[626]
    • BBC News reports that a record number of Asian hornets sightings could have devastating consequences for the UK's bee population for many years to come.[627]
  • 5 September
    • Birmingham City Council, the largest local authority in Europe, declares itself effectively bankrupt. The crisis, which prevents all but essential spending to protect core services, is linked to a £760m bill to settle equal pay claims, along with implementation of a new IT system.[628]
    • As parts of the UK experience a heat wave, the UK Health Security Agency upgrades a yellow heat health alert to an amber warning in eight of the UK's nine regions amid forecasts that temperatures will reach 32 °C.[629]
    • The UK government announces that nitrous oxide will be reclassified as a Class C drug and made illegal by the end of the year, with possession carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison.[630]
    • Home Secretary Suella Braverman announces that Russia's mercenary Wagner Group is to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation.[631]
  • 6 September – A manhunt is launched for remand prisoner Daniel Abed Khalife following his escape from HMP Wandsworth.[632]
  • 7 September
    • The UK rejoins the EU's Horizon scientific research programme.[633]
    • Justice Secretary Alex Chalk announces an independent inquiry into the escape of Daniel Khalife from Wandsworth Prison. The inquiry will have two areas of focus – a review of the "placement and categorisation" of all inmates at Wandsworth, and an investigation of all people in custody currently charged with terror offences.[634]
    • The UK's first EV-only manufacturing plant begins production at Ellesmere Port, Cheshire.[635]
    • The UK experiences a fourth day of temperatures exceeding 30 °C (86 °F), the highest consecutive number on record for the month of September, with hot weather expected to continue until the weekend.[636]
  • 8 September – The first anniversary of the death of Elizabeth II is marked by gun salutes at Hyde Park and the Tower of London, as well as the release of a short message from Charles III along with a previously unreleased portrait of the Queen taken in 1968.[637]
  • 9 September – Following a four-day manhunt, Daniel Khalife is arrested by the Metropolitan Police in Chiswick, London.[638]
  • 10 September
  • 11 September
    • The GMB Union confirms that the UK's 400 Wilko stores will close by early October after a bid to rescue the retailer fell through.[643]
    • Home Secretary Suella Braverman says she is seeking "urgent advice" on potentially banning the American Bully XL dog breed following an attack by a dog on an 11-year-old girl in Birmingham.[644]
  • 12 September
    • Pepco Group, owners of Poundland, announce they will take on the lease of 71 Wilko stores and convert them into Poundland outlets.[645]
    • Government data reveals that average wages increased by 7.8% from May to July, matching the pace of inflation for the first time since 2021.[646]
    • A joint study carried out by the University of Exeter, the University of Surrey and the Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery highlights the experiences of female surgeons, many of whom say they have faced sexual harassment, sexual assault or been raped by male colleagues.[647]
    • Stonegate Group, the UK's largest pub chain, announces plans to introduce dynamic pricing during evenings and weekends at around 800 of its 4,000 outlets.[648]
  • 13 September
    • Data from the Office for National Statistics indicates the UK economy shrank by 0.5% during July, which is largely attributed to strike action and wet weather.[649]
    • Data published by UK Finance shows payments by cash in the UK rose during 2022 for the first time in ten years, but were still lower than those by debit and credit card.[650]
  • 15 September
  • 16 September
    • Comedian and actor Russell Brand is accused by four women of rape, sexual assaults, and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013, following a joint investigation by the Sunday Times and Channel 4's Dispatches. Brand releases a video denying "serious criminal allegations".[654]
    • Christine Middlemiss, the UK's Chief Veterinary Officer, says there will not be a cull of American bully XL dogs following Sunak's announcement that the breed is to be banned.[655]
    • Solicitors representing convicted killer nurse Lucy Letby announce that she will be applying for permission to appeal against her convictions.[citation needed]
  • 18 September
    • COVID-19 vaccination in the UK: New booster vaccines begin rolling out for people aged 65 and over in England, as a precaution against a highly-mutated new COVID-19 variant called Pirola.[656]
    • A new palm oil substitute called PALM-ALT is presented by researchers at Queen Margaret University in Scotland. The plant-based ingredient is shown to be 70% better for the environment than conventional palm oil and is described as "the holy grail to replace it."[657][658]
    • Conservative MP Dehenna Davison resigns as a levelling up minister, saying "chronic migraines" have made it "impossible" to do her job.[659]
    • Russell Brand's live tour is postponed, as police investigate a further allegation of sexual assault by the celebrity, dating back to 2003.[660]
    • The UK government announces that Post Office workers who had wrongful convictions for false accounting and theft overturned will each be offered £600,000 in compensation.[661]
  • 19 September
  • 20 September
    • Data released by the Office for National Statistics show that inflation fell from 6.8% in July to 6.7% in August, something that is attributed to a fall in food prices.[664]
    • Sunak announces a major rethink of the UK government's strategy to achieve net zero carbon output in the UK by 2050, including a delay in banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035.[665]
  • 21 September
    • The Bank of England holds interest rates at 5.25% after inflation for August was lower than expected.[666]
    • Five Bulgarian nationals suspected of spying for Russia are to be charged with conspiracy to conduct espionage.[667]
    • Charles III addresses the French Senate during his state visit to France.[668]
    • News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch announces his retirement and plan to hand over his businesses to his son Lachlan. Murdoch additionally owned the American broadcaster Fox and formerly Sky Group.[669]
  • 22 September
    • It is reported that eight-year-old Aditi Shankar has become the first child in the UK to receive a kidney transplant that will not require her to take medication to prevent the organ being rejected, and that she is healthy and has returned to school.[670]
    • In his first statement since further allegations were made against him, Russell Brand posts a video on social media describing his week as "extraordinary and distressing".[671]
  • 23 September
    • The government's home energy efficiency taskforce is scrapped.[672]
    • Members of the anti-monarchist pressure group Republic stage what they describe as the "first-ever" protest inside Buckingham Palace.[673]
  • 24 September – Home Secretary Suella Braverman orders a review into armed policing, after 300 firearms officers hand in their weapons, following concerns over a police officer charged with murdering 24-year-old Chris Kaba.[674] Most of the officers return to their duties the following day.[675]
  • 25 September
    • A hearing at Manchester Crown Court determines that Lucy Letby will face a retrial for one of the six counts of attempted murder that the jury at her original trial was unable to reach a verdict on; a provisional trial date is set for 10 June 2024.[676]
    • The Metropolitan Police are to investigate allegations of non-recent sexual offences following recent reports about comedian Russell Brand.[677]
  • 26 September
    • Home Secretary Suella Braverman tells a US think tank the 1951 Refugees Convention is no longer fit for the modern age, and that being discriminated against for being gay or female should not be enough to qualify for refugee status. The United Nations High Commission for Refugees rejects the comments.[678]
    • Dr Mike McKean, vice-president for policy at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, says that public health messaging suggesting vaping is 95% safer than smoking is ineffective as a growing number of children are using e-cigarettes and experiencing health problems, and that messaging should have made it clearer that vaping should be for adults trying to give up smoking.[679]
    • Five Bulgarian nationals accused of being part of a Russian spy ring appear in court in central London and are remanded in custody.[680]
  • 27 September
    • A 15-year-old girl is stabbed to death outside the Whitgift Centre in Croydon, South London. Police subsequently arrest a male teenager over her murder.[681]
    • The Rosebank oil and gas field off Shetland, the UK's largest untapped oil field, is granted consent by regulators, amid widespread concerns over its contribution to climate change.[682]
    • GB News suspends Laurence Fox as a presenter while it investigates comments he made on the channel about Ava Evans, a female journalist.[683] Later in the day, Dan Wootton is suspended over the same incident.[684]
    • The UK's first drugs consumption room gets the go-ahead in Glasgow, allowing heroin and cocaine addicts to use the substances under supervision.[685]
    • A report by the Education Select Committee draws attention to the increased number of absences from schools in England, which has doubled since the COVID-19 pandemic; data for 2022–23 shows an average of 22.3% of school pupils were absent, compared to between 10% and 12% in the years prior to the pandemic. A combination of mental health issues and the cost of living crisis are attributed to the increase.[686]
  • 28 September
    • The 15-year-old girl murdered in Croydon, South London the previous day is named locally as Elianne Andam.[687] Police are given an extra 24 hours to question the 17-year-old suspect.[688]
    • The landmark Sycamore Gap Tree, beside Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, is illegally felled. A 16-year-old boy is subsequently arrested on suspicion of criminal damage.[689]
  • 29 September
    • A school bus carrying 58 people overturns between junction 4 and 5 of the M53 motorway, killing a 15-year-old girl and the driver. A major incident is declared by North West Ambulance Service and Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital. Dozens of others are treated for injuries, and several are hospitalised.[690][691][692]
    • A 17-year-old boy appears in court charged with the murder of Elianne Andam, and is remanded in youth detention to appear before the Old Bailey on 3 October.[693]
    • A second person – a man in his 60s – is arrested in correction with the cutting-down of the world-famous Sycamore Gap Tree. The 16-year-old boy arrested over the incident the previous day is released on bail.[694]
    • In an interview with The Sun, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reinforces his pro-motorist stance, saying he wants to stop "hare-brained" road calming and safety schemes – including 20 mph zones and low-traffic neighbourhoods – putting an end to what he refers to as a "war on motorists".[695]

October edit

 
October 2023: The UK joins the international response to the Israel–Hamas War.
  • 8 October
    • Police patrols in London are increased after videos emerge of what appears to be people celebrating a series of attacks launched by Hamas against Israel.[712]
    • Nathanel Young, a 20-year-old British man serving in the Israeli army, is killed in an attack by Hamas militants.[713]
    • The Israeli Embassy in London confirms that British-born Jake Marlowe, who was working in Israel as a security guard, is missing following the previous day's attacks.[714]
    • The final Wilko stores close in the UK.[715]
  • 9 October
    • Sunak chairs an emergency COBRA meeting to discuss the escalating situation in Israel, and pledges further support for the country.[716]
    • The number of dead or missing Britons caught up in the Israel-Gaza attacks rises to more than 10; Nathanel Young and Bernard Cowan are the only two confirmed to have been killed.[717]
    • Addressing the congregation of a London synagogue, Sunak says that Britain stands with Israel, and that he will "stop at nothing" to keep Britain's Jewish community safe.[718]
    • Humza Yousaf, the First Minister of Scotland, condemns the attacks and expresses concern for his in-laws, who are "trapped" in Gaza after travelling there to visit relatives.[719]
  • 10 October
    • In his speech to the Labour Party Conference, Sir Keir Starmer promises NHS reform, more police officers on streets, and 1.5 million new homes.[720] The beginning of the speech is disrupted by a heckler on stage who throws black glitter over Starmer.[721]
    • After making contact with his parents-in-law in Gaza, Humza Yousaf calls for a humanitarian corridor to be established.[722]
    • The UK and Ireland are confirmed as joint hosts of Euro 2028.[723]
    • Research carried out by Kantar indicates that September's warm weather delayed the purchase of Christmas food items such as seasonal biscuits and puddings.[724]
    • The International Monetary Fund forecasts the UK will have the highest inflation and slowest economic growth of any G7 economy during 2024, something the UK government describes as "too gloomy".[725]
    • All flights from Luton Airport are halted while emergency services deal with a large fire at Terminal Car Park 2.[726]
  • 11 October
    • An official source tells BBC News that 17 Britons, including children, are feared dead or are missing in Israel following the Hamas attacks.[727]
    • A statement issued by Buckingham Palace says that King Charles III is "appalled" and condemns the "barbaric acts of terrorism in Israel" and that the King's "thoughts and prayers are with all of those suffering, particularly those who have lost loved ones, but also those actively involved as we speak".[728]
    • British Airways and Virgin Atlantic suspend all flights to and from Israel amid safety concerns, with British Airways turning back one of its flights shortly before it was scheduled to land at Tel Aviv Airport.[729][730]
  • 12 October
    • Data from the Office for National Statistics indicates the UK economy grew by 0.2% in August after shrinking in July.[731]
    • Bernie Ecclestone pleads guilty to fraud after failing to declare more than £400m of overseas assets.[732]
    • The SNP's Lisa Cameron defects to the Conservatives, citing a "toxic" culture in her former party.[733]
    • The Foreign Office announces that the UK will arrange flights to help get stranded British nationals out of Israel.[734]
    • The recommended safe daily dose of cannabidiol (CBD) is lowered by the Food Standards Agency, following concerns that long-term use might cause liver and other health problems.[735]
    • Downing Street announces that the UK will send surveillance aircraft and two Royal Navy ships to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel.[736]
    • The Royal Mint unveils a new set of coins bearing the portrait of Charles III which will go into circulation at the end of the year.[737]
  • 13 October
  • 14 October
    • Sir Michael Caine announces his retirement from acting at the age of 90, following the recent launch of his final film, The Great Escaper.[742]
    • Pro-Palestinian protests take place in cities across the UK, including London and Manchester, with police warning that anyone showing support for Hamas faces arrest.[743]
    • Red paint is sprayed over the BBC headquarters in central London. A pro-Palestinian group claims responsibility, citing the broadcaster's coverage of the Israel-Hamas war, but the Metropolitan police denies the incident is linked to a protest group and says no arrests have been made.[744]
    • Oxford's Joint European Torus nuclear fusion laboratory conducts its final experiments after 40 years in operation.[745]
  • 15 October
    • First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf signals a change in his party's Scottish independence strategy, now saying that an SNP win in a majority of Scotland's Westminster seats would give the party a mandate to begin independence negotiations with the Westminster Government.[746]
    • One person is killed and another is wounded in a stabbing attack in Hartlepool. The attack is being investigated by Counter Terrorism Policing. A suspect has been detained.[747]
  • 16–22 October – Storm Babet hits the UK, bringing disruption to much of the country. Red weather warnings are issued by the Met Office, as three deaths are reported, and power shortages affect tens of thousands in Scotland. The crew of a Danish fishing trawler are rescued by the RNLI in the North Sea.[748]
  • 16 October
    • Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirms that six British citizens were killed during the Hamas attacks on Israel, while a further ten are missing.[749]
    • Two British teenage sisters, Noya and Yahel Sharabi, are among those missing, and believed to have been kidnapped, following the 7 October attacks on Israel. Their mother, Lianne, also a British citizen, was killed in the Be'eri massacre.[750][751] The following day the girls' family tells the BBC the Yahel was also murdered.[752] On 22 October the family release a statement to say Noya was also murdered.[753]
    • Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell is sacked following a row over a drawing he created of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that was deemed to be antisemitic.[754]
    • Justice Secretary Alex Chalk announces that prisons in England and Wales will be allowed to release some minor offenders on probation early in order to alleviate overcrowding.[755]
  • 17 October
    • Data from the Office for National Statistics indicates average wages increased by 7.8% in the three months July 2023, and consequently outpaced inflation for the first time since October 2021.[756]
    • Wales becomes the first country in the UK to ban the use of snares and glue boards for catching rats.[757]
  • 18 October
    • Amazon announce plans to begin using drones to deliver packages in the UK by the end of 2024.[758]
    • The High Court releases its ruling over the Carla Foster case, stating that sentencing women to prison for abortion related crimes is "unlikely" to be a "just outcome".[759]
  • 19 October
    • Prime Minister Rishi Sunak begins a two day visit to Israel as part of diplomatic efforts to help prevent the Israel–Hamas war escalating into a wider Middle East conflict.[760] Following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Sunak says he will stand with Israel "in solidarity".[761]
    • British-Israeli Yonatan Rapoport is named as one of the people killed during the 7 October attack on Israel.[762]
    • Migrants are returned to the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge in Portland, Dorset, amid protests at the port gates.[763]
    • Members of the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT) vote to stage a further six months of strike action.[764]
  • 20 October
  • 21 October
    • A report prepared by the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggests more support is needed to prevent children under the age of five from going on to develop mental health problems in later life.[769]
    • A pro-Palestinian protest is held in London. Although the main event passes without incident, video subsequently emerges of a man chanting "jihad" at a separate rally, but the Metropolitan Police say no offence has been committed after reviewing the film. Following a discussion on the matter with the Home Secretary, Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley says hate crime laws "probably need redrawing".[770]
    • 2023 Rugby World Cup: England are defeated by South Africa in the Rugby World Cup semi-final.[771]
  • 23 October
  • 24 October
    • Office for National Statistics data shows that UK unemployment remained at 4.2% in the three months up to August 2023.[778]
    • A BBC investigation finds that UK authorities failed to act on multiple official warnings about an online forum promoting suicide connected to at least 50 UK deaths.[779]
    • Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick confirms that the UK government will stop using 50 hotels to accommodate asylum seekers by January 2024.[780] Local officials subsequently warn that local authorities may be forced to pay for use of the hotels instead.[781]
    • The Financial Conduct Authority confirms that the cap on bankers' bonuses, introduced in 2014, will be lifted from 31 October as part of post-Brexit financial reforms.[782]
    • 2023 North Sea incident: Two cargo ships, the British-flagged Verity and the Bahamas-flagged Polesie, collide in the North Sea near the Heligoland islands, with several individuals missing and the suspected sinking of the Verity.[783]
  • 25 October
    • Lloyds Banking Group releases forecasts for UK house prices, predicting they will shrink by 4.7% in 2023 and 2.4% in 2024, before beginning to rise again in 2025.[784]
    • Sunak tells Parliament he supports "specific pauses" in the Israel–Hamas conflict to allow the delivery of aid and get British citizens out of the area.[785]
    • Lewis Edwards, a former officer with South Wales Police who groomed 210 underage girls using social media and blackmailed them into sending him indecent photographs, is sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 12 years.[786]
    • Three members of the Just Stop Oil protest group are arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after spraying the Wellington Arch in central London with orange paint.[787]
    • A police misconduct hearing finds that two Metropolitan Police officers who stopped and searched athletes Bianca Williams and Ricardo Dos Santos in west London committed gross misconduct, and the officers are dismissed.[788]
  • 26 October – Sunak gives a speech warning of the dangers of artificial intelligence.[789]
  • 27 October
  • 28 October – £10 million worth of cocaine is found in a Panamanian-registered container ship carrying bananas to the Netherlands at the Port of Sheerness.[795][796]
  • 30 October
    • The UK government grants 27 new oil and gas licences for projects in the North Sea that will allow potential resources to be explored and developed.[797]
    • Mark Drakeford, First Minister of Wales and leader of Welsh Labour, echoes Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's call for a humanitarian pause in the Gaza conflict to allow aid in to the region. His comments come after 12 of his backbenchers in the Senedd signed a petition calling for a ceasefire.[798]
    • Joshua Bowles, a former GCHQ employee from Cheltenham, who stabbed a woman from the US in a March 2023 attack at a leisure centre car park in the town, is sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 13 years after pleading guilty to attempted murder at an Old Bailey hearing.[799]
    • The Met Office issues a warning for heavy rain and floods for parts of the UK ahead of the arrival of Storm Ciarán.[800]
    • A ban on the sale of some single use plastic items, such as cutlery, plates and drinking straws, comes into force in Wales.[801]
  • 31 October
    • Plans to close hundreds of rail ticket offices in England are scrapped. Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper says the government "has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals" because they "failed to meet high passenger standards". This follows a public consultation into the cost-cutting proposals, which attracted 750,000 responses, in which 99% were objections.[802][803]
    • Lee Cain, the former Downing Street Director of Communications, gives evidence at the second phase of the COVID-19 public inquiry. He states: "I don't think there was any clarity of purpose, any really serious outlined plan to deal with Covid at that particular point and I think that was the core failure," and says the pandemic was the "wrong crisis" for Boris Johnson's "skill set".[804]
    • The UK government confirms that American XL Bully dogs have been added to the banned list under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, and that from 1 February 2024 it will become illegal to own one in England and Wales unless the owner has successfully applied for the dog to be exempt.[805]

November edit

 
1 November 2023: Amid an ongoing boom in AI, the UK hosts the world's first international summit devoted to safely managing the technology.

December edit

  • 1 December
  • 2 December
    • The Met Office issues additional weather warnings, as freezing temperatures continue to affect large areas of the UK.[903]
    • The Ministry of Defence confirms that a 32-year-old British soldier, named as Major Kevin McCool, has been killed while off duty in Kenya.[904]
  • 3 December – Temperatures drop even further, to as low as −12°C (10.4°F) in Scotland. A major incident is declared in Cumbria after heavy snowfall, with drivers stuck in traffic, one after a 19-hour journey, without food or water.[905]
  • 4 December
    • Home Secretary James Cleverly unveils the UK government's five-point plan aimed at reducing legal migration, which includes increasing the minimum salary threshold for a visa from £26,200 to £38,700, and reducing the number of dependants social care workers can bring.[906]
    • MPs vote 246–242 in favour of an amendment to the Victims and Prisoners Bill requiring the UK government to accelerate plans to establish a body to compensate victims of the NHS infected blood scandal, defeating the government which had not planned to include the measure in the legislation.[907]
  • 5 December
    • Junior doctors in England will stage further strike action after rejecting the latest pay offer, the British Medical Association confirms, with a three day strike scheduled to begin on 20 December and a six day strike scheduled to begin on 3 January 2024.[908]
    • The Scottish Prison Service issues new guidelines on transgender prisoners. Trans women who have hurt or threatened women or girls will not be sent to a female prison unless there are "exceptional" circumstances.[909]
    • Jesse Darling is announced as the winner of the 2023 Turner Prize.[910]
  • 6 December
    • Boris Johnson, who served as Prime Minister from 2019 to 2022, appears before the COVID-19 inquiry and is questioned by Hugo Keith, counsel to the inquiry. He apologises for the "pain and the loss and the suffering" people experienced during the pandemic. His comments are interrupted by protesters, who are ordered to leave the inquiry room.[911]
    • Robert Jenrick resigns as immigration minister after the government publishes an emergency Rwanda bill.[912]
  • 7 December
    • Figures released by Halifax Bank indicate house prices in the UK rose by 0.5% in November 2023.[913]
    • Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer confirms the TV licence fee will increase by £10.50 from £159 to £169.50 from 1 April 2024.[914]
    • Serial killer Steve Wright is arrested for the September 1999 murder of Victoria Hall.[915]
  • 8 December
  • 9 December
  • 10 December
    • Lawyers on the right of the Conservative Party describe the new Rwanda legislation as not "sufficiently watertight".[926]
    • In his first broadcast since leaving the post of Immigration Minister, Robert Jenrick tells the BBC Sunak's draft Rwanda law unlikely to work since it is "weak" and will become "bogged down" in legal challenges.[927]
    • The skull of a pliosaur is discovered off the coast of Dorset. The 2 m (6 ft 7 in) fossil is said to have roamed the waters 150 million years ago. A David Attenborough documentary is scheduled to air on BBC One on New Year's Day revealing the "risky mission" of unearthing the "T-Rex of the seas".[928][929]
  • 11 December
    • The National Crime Agency (NCA) suggests that street drugs stronger than heroin are linked to the deaths of at least 54 people in the past six months, with 40 more cases awaiting further testing.[930][931]
    • The UK government is offering a £2.5bn financial package for the return of a Stormont Executive, which includes funds to settle public sector disputes and for public services.[932]
  • 12 December
  • 13 December
  • 14 December
    • The Bank of England keeps interest rates on hold for a third consecutive time at 5.25%.[938]
    • 17-year-old Alex Batty, a boy from Oldham who went missing in 2017 while on holiday in Spain, is reported to have been found by French Police at Revel, a town east of Toulouse in France.[939]
    • Three men are convicted of attempted murder after two children (including an 11-year-old girl) were shot while playing on a climbing frame, in Wolverhampton.[940]
    • Panini Group launches the first sticker album for the Women's Super League.[941]

Deaths edit

Main articles: Deaths in 2023 and 2023 deaths in the United Kingdom
Further information: Category:2023 deaths

See also edit

References edit

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December 15, 2023
2023, united, kingdom, events, year, other, years2021, 2022, 2023, 2023, 2024, 2025countries, united, kingdomengland, northern, ireland, scotland, walestopicsfootball, england, scotland, wales2023, british, grand, prix2023, english, cricket, season2023, britis. Events of the year 2023 in the United Kingdom 2023 in the United KingdomOther years2021 2022 2023 2023 2024 2025Countries of the United KingdomEngland Northern Ireland Scotland WalesTopicsFootball England Scotland Wales2023 British Grand Prix2023 English cricket season2023 in British television2023 in British music2023 in British radio2023 in United Kingdom politics and government United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023 Contents 1 Incumbents 2 Events 2 1 January 2 2 February 2 3 March 2 4 April 2 5 May 2 6 June 2 7 July 2 8 August 2 9 September 2 10 October 2 11 November 2 12 December 3 Deaths 4 See also 5 ReferencesIncumbents editMonarch Charles III Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Conservative Parliament 58thEvents editJanuary edit 1 January A visit by Thor the Walrus to Scarborough harbour North Yorkshire overnight on New Year s Eve 1 results in the town s New Year fireworks celebrations being cancelled to let the walrus rest for his journey to the Arctic 2 He was previously spotted at Pagham Harbour Calshot Hampshire in December 2022 3 2 January Three people are killed by a fire at the New County Hotel in Perth Scotland 4 Thor the Walrus makes an appearance in Blyth Northumberland 5 3 January 40 000 railway workers who are members of the RMT union hold the first of two 48 hour strikes this week severely disrupting train services in England Scotland and Wales 6 4 January The Crown Dependency of Jersey will issue Jersey Post stamps featuring the Royal cypher of King Charles III from 5 January 7 5 January The government confirms it will not go ahead with a plan to privatise Channel 4 8 The Met Office confirms that 2022 was the UK s warmest year since records began in 1884 with an average annual temperature above 10 C 50 F for the first time 9 BioNTech announces a strategic partnership with the UK government to provide up to 10 000 patients with personalised mRNA cancer immunotherapies by 2030 10 6 January COVID 19 in the UK Almost three million people were infected with COVID 19 over the Christmas period the highest since July 2022 the latest Office for National Statistics data suggests with one in 20 having the virus in England one in 18 in Wales one in 25 in Scotland and one in 16 in Northern Ireland XBB 1 5 the new Omicron variant of the virus is believed to be responsible for one in 200 infections in the UK 11 8 January The Crown Dependency of the Isle of Man issues Post Office stamps featuring the Royal cypher of King Charles III 12 ITV1 broadcasts a 95 minute interview with Prince Harry ahead of the release of his memoirs Spare 13 10 January The UK government publishes the Strikes Minimum Service Levels Bill 2023 designed to require public sector organisations to provide a minimum service when their unions vote to strike 14 15 Prince Harry s controversial memoir Spare is released becoming the fastest selling non fiction book of all time on the date of its release 16 17 18 11 January Andrew Bridgen has the whip suspended by the Conservative Party after he spread misinformation about COVID 19 and compared vaccination to the Holocaust 19 12 January Heavy rain and strong winds cause floods and travel disruption in parts of the UK with over 60 flood warnings issued in England 19 in Wales and 2 in Scotland 20 13 January Figures indicate the UK economy unexpectedly grew by 0 1 in November 2022 potentially avoiding a long recession 21 Medical experts criticise the BBC for an interview with Aseem Malhotra who claims that mRNA vaccines may have been responsible for thousands of excess deaths 22 Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy is cleared on six counts of rape and one count of sexual assault against four young women but faces a retrial on two counts the jury could not reach verdicts on 23 COVID 19 in the UK The latest Office for National Statistics data indicates COVID 19 cases were falling in England and Wales in the week up to 30 December 2022 with cases continuing to increase in Scotland the picture was unclear for Northern Ireland In England an estimated 2 189 300 people were thought to have tested positive for COVID 19 24 14 January Four women and two children are injured in a drive by mass shooting close to a Catholic church in Euston Road Euston Central London 25 A 22 year old man is arrested two days later on suspicion of attempted murder 26 Amid recent heavy rain more than 100 flood warnings by the Environment Agency remain in place across the country with hundreds of homes damaged and many left without power 27 Rishi Sunak confirms that the UK will send 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine to boost its war effort 28 16 January Serving Metropolitan Police officer David Carrick admits over 40 offences including more than 20 rapes against 12 women over two decades 29 The National Education Union announces that teachers in England and Wales will strike on seven dates during February and March after members voted in favour of strike action National strikes will be held on 1 and 15 February and 15 March as well as four days of regional strikes 30 The UK government announces it will block the Gender Recognition Reform Scotland Bill the first time that the UK government has used powers to block a Scottish law UK ministers say the draft law would conflict with equality protections applying across Great Britain 31 The Royal College of Nursing announces a further two nurses strikes for 6 and 7 February described as the biggest so far 32 MPs vote 309 249 in favour of the Strikes Minimum Service Levels Bill 2023 which now moves to the committee stage 33 18 January The ONS reports that inflation dropped for the second month running to 10 5 in December from 10 7 the previous month 34 At the two extremes of the ONS s list of notable movements that contribute to the overall figure clothing and footwear price inflation dropped from 7 5 to 6 4 furniture and household goods dropped from 10 8 to 9 8 food and non alcoholic beverages rose from 16 5 to 16 9 and restaurants and hotels rose from 10 2 to 11 4 35 BBC News reports that Church of England bishops will not give their backing to a change in teaching that would allow them to marry same sex couples but the Church will offer prayers of dedication thanksgiving or God s blessing to gay couples 36 19 January Prime Minister Rishi Sunak apologises for taking his seat belt off in a moving car to film a social media clip Lancashire Police later say they are looking into the incident 37 He is issued with a fixed penalty notice the following day 38 20 January The Church of England issues an apology for the shameful times it has rejected or excluded LGBTQ people while Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby says he supports the changes that allow blessings to be offered to gay couples but says he will not personally use them because he has a responsibility to the whole communion 39 The High Court awards 39m in damages against Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust in Surrey to a girl whose limbs were amputated after she was wrongly diagnosed 40 COVID 19 in the UK ONS data for the week up to 10 January indicates that COVID 19 infections have continued to fall in England and Wales with one in 40 people an estimated 2 6 of the population testing positive for the virus 41 22 January Labour s chairwoman Anneliese Dodds writes to Daniel Greenberg the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards requesting an urgent investigation into claims that Richard Sharp the Chairman of the BBC helped former Prime Minister Boris Johnson secure a loan guarantee weeks before Johnson recommended him for the BBC chairmanship 42 23 January Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asks his Independent Adviser on Ministers Interests to investigate allegations that during his time as Chancellor of the Exchequer Conservative Party Chairman Nadhim Zahawi paid a penalty to HM Revenue and Customs in relation to previously unpaid tax 43 William Shawcross the Commissioner for Public Appointments begins a review into the process of hiring Chairman of the BBC Richard Sharp following allegations he helped then PM Boris Johnson secure a loan guarantee shortly before his appointment 44 Johnson dismisses the claims saying Sharp had no knowledge of his finances 45 Sharp says that although he contacted Cabinet Secretary Simon Case in December 2020 about the offer of a loan to Johnson he was not involved in discussions 46 National Grid s Demand Flexibility Service begins in an attempt to avoid a power blackout Between 5 00pm and 6 00pm people in England Scotland and Wales who have signed up to the scheme are asked to use less electricity and will be paid by their energy companies for doing so 47 Salisbury Crown Court in Wiltshire convicts Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai of a murder he committed in Bournemouth Dorset in 2022 48 25 January The first ever strike by UK employees of Amazon is held 300 staff at a Coventry warehouse stage a one day walk out in a dispute over pay and conditions 49 Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai is sentenced to life imprisonment 50 26 January Nicola Sturgeon confirms that Isla Bryson a trans woman recently convicted of raping two women before her transition has been moved from Cornton Vale women s prison to HMP Edinburgh men s prison sparking debate about the Gender Recognition Reform Scotland Bill 51 27 January Nicola Bulley disappears mysteriously whilst walking her dog beside the River Wyre 52 COVID 19 in the UK Data released by the Office for National Statistics for the week ending 17 January indicate overall cases have continued to fall In England the estimated number of people testing positive for COVID 19 was 906 300 roughly 1 62 of the population or 1 in 60 people 53 28 January Airline Flybe cancels all flights to and from the UK after going into administration 54 Charity Super Mkt billed as the UK s first multi charity store and selling items supplied by ten charities opens at London s Brent Cross Shopping Centre 55 29 January Conservative Party Chairman Nadhim Zahawi is sacked by Rishi Sunak over a serious breach of the Ministerial Code relating to the investigation into his tax affairs conducted on 23 January 56 57 The Scottish Prison Service pauses the movement of all transgender prisoners while it carries out an urgent review into the transgender cases held in its custody 58 30 January William Shawcross the commissioner for public appointments steps back from the planned investigation into how Richard Sharp got the job as BBC chairman because of previous contact between them Another investigator will be appointed to take on the inquiry 59 Members of the Fire Brigades Union vote to take strike action over pay 60 February edit 1 February An estimated 475 000 workers go on strike the single biggest day of industrial action for more than a decade in disputes over pay and conditions This includes 200 000 teachers 100 000 civil servants including border force workers university lecturers security guards and train drivers The government warns the public to expect significant disruption 61 2 February The Bank of England raises its key interest rate from 3 5 to 4 the highest level in 14 years 62 The energy regulator Ofgem asks energy companies to suspend the forced installation of prepayment meters following an investigation by The Times which showed agents working for British Gas breaking into the homes of vulnerable customers to install the meters 63 3 February Gary Glitter is freed from prison after serving half of a 16 year jail term for attempted rape four counts of indecent assault and one of having sex with a girl under 13 64 COVID 19 in the UK Office for National Statistics data for the week up to 24 January indicates that COVID 19 cases continue to fall with an estimated 1 in 70 people 1 42 of the population testing positive for the virus in England over that time 65 5 February Emma Pattinson the head of Epsom College in Surrey is found dead along with her husband and seven year old daughter in a property at the school 66 Police suspect a murder suicide by gunshot 67 In a move seen as marking her return to political life former Prime Minister Liz Truss writes an article for The Sunday Telegraph in which she says her economic agenda was never given a realistic chance 68 6 February 2022 2023 National Health Service strikes Ambulance staff and nurses walk out with further disruption to follow in the week in what is expected to be the biggest ever round of NHS strikes 69 Foreign Secretary James Cleverly offers his condolences to victims of the 7 8 magnitude Turkey Syria earthquake and says the UK is deploying emergency response teams including 76 search and rescue specialists equipment and rescue dogs The government issues an urgent warning to British travellers and holidaymakers who may be in or planning to visit the region 70 71 7 February Former Met Police officer David Carrick one of the UK s most prolific sex offenders is sentenced at Southwark Crown Court to 36 life sentences with a minimum term of 30 years in prison 72 Sunak performs a cabinet reshuffle Greg Hands is named as the new Conservative Party chairman Grant Shapps becomes the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero in a newly formed department Kemi Badenoch is appointed as the first Secretary of State at the newly created Department for Business and Trade with continued responsibility as equalities minister 73 8 February Ukraine s President Volodymyr Zelensky addresses a joint session of Parliament during his first visit to the UK since Russia invaded his country He later visits Buckingham Palace for a meeting with the King 74 Former Labour MP Jared O Mara who submitted fake expense claims to fund his cocaine habit is convicted of fraud 75 The following day he is sentenced to four years in prison 76 Royal Mail unveils a new stamp design that will be available from 4 April featuring an image of the unadorned head of King Charles III 77 9 February The UK commits additional funding to help the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and Syria 78 2023 West Lancashire by election Labour hold the seat with a large vote share of 62 3 an increase of 10 3 Ashley Dalton is the new MP 79 In a radio interview before his appointment as Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party Lee Anderson says he will support the return of capital punishment where the perpetrators are clearly identifiable Prime Minister Rishi Sunak says neither he nor the government shares Anderson s stance 80 10 February Chancellor Jeremy Hunt tells the BBC households are unlikely to receive extra help with their energy bills from April 2023 as he does not think the government has the headroom to make a major new initiative to help people 81 Data released by the Office for National Statistics indicates the UK narrowly avoided a recession at the end of 2022 following zero per cent growth during October to December This is also despite a fall in output of 0 5 during December due to strike action being staged prior to Christmas 82 Coronation of Charles III and Camilla Buckingham Palace unveils the official Coronation logo designed by Sir Jony Ive 83 A ballot offering 10 000 free tickets to the Coronation concert at Windsor Castle on 7 May opens 84 COVID 19 in the UK Data from the Office for National Statistics for the week ending 31 January indicates COVID 19 cases have risen in England for the first time in 2023 with 1 02 million cases an increase of 8 from 941 800 the previous week Data for Scotland and Wales is less clear 85 11 February Brianna Ghey a 16 year old teenage transgender girl is found dead in Warrington Park in Cheshire England Two teenagers a boy and a girl both 15 years old are arrested on suspicion of her murder 86 13 February Former Metropolitan Police officer Wayne Couzens pleads guilty to three counts of indecent exposure during a hearing at the Old Bailey including one committed four days before he killed Sarah Everard in 2021 87 14 February The Welsh government cancels all major road building projects in Wales including the proposed Third Menai Crossing amid concerns about the environment 88 15 February Inflation falls for the third month in a row from 10 5 to 10 1 This is mainly due to a decrease in fuel restaurant and hotel prices according to the ONS Food inflation remains at 16 7 89 Pay excluding bonuses rose at an annual pace of 6 7 from October to December 2022 and when inflation is taken into account regular pay fell by 2 5 90 Nicola Sturgeon announces her resignation as First Minister of Scotland and Leader of the Scottish National Party after eight years in the role she will stay on until her successor has been elected 91 Two teenagers are charged with murder in relation to the death of Brianna Ghey 92 16 February The RMT announce four new days of train strikes for 16 18 and 30 March and 1 April 93 17 February David Ballantyne Smith a former security guard at the British embassy in Berlin who attempted to sell confidential information to the Russians is sentenced to 13 years imprisonment following a trial at the Old Bailey 94 Storm Otto strikes Scotland and parts of northern England leaving around 30 000 homes without power and forcing a number of schools to close 95 COVID 19 in the UK Office for National Statistics data for the week up to 7 February indicates that COVID 19 cases continued to increase in England Wales and Scotland but decreased in Northern Ireland In England In England it is estimated that 1 054 200 people had COVID 19 equating to 1 88 of the population or around 1 in 55 people 96 18 February Coronation of Charles III and Camilla Twelve new pieces of music are commissioned by the King for his coronation including a composition by Andrew Lloyd Webber Part of the service will also be in Welsh it is confirmed 97 19 February Police searching for Nicola Bulley missing since 27 January announce they have found a body in the River Wyre 98 20 February Lancashire Police confirm the body found in the River Wyre the previous day is that of Nicola Bulley 99 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak criticises the rewriting of Roald Dahl s books after they were updated to remove references that could be considered offensive such as characters being fat 100 Junior doctors in England vote to strike in their ongoing dispute for a 26 pay rise and will stage a 72 hour walkout The BMA maintains junior doctors pay has been cut by 26 since 2008 after inflation is considered 101 Coronation of Charles III and Camilla The Crown Dependency of the Isle of Man announce a special collection of commemorative 50 pence coins that will be issued from March 102 21 February The UK Government announces that it had a budget surplus in January with 5bn more in revenue than predicted 103 A planned 48 hour strike by nurses in England is called off to allow the Royal College of Nursing and Department of Health and Social Care to enter into renewed negotiations 104 The broadcasting regulator Ofcom writes to both ITV News and Sky News to ask them for an explanation of their actions following complaints made by the family of Nicola Bulley Her family had been contacted by both outlets despite asking for privacy 105 Asda and Morrisons announce they are limiting the sale of some fruit and vegetable products such as tomatoes peppers and cucumbers because of a shortage caused by severe weather in Spain and North Africa which has affected harvests 106 The UK Government recommends a 3 5 pay rise for public sector workers in England below the rate of inflation 107 22 February Shamima Begum loses her legal challenge to overturn the decision to remove her UK citizenship 108 Tesco and Aldi follow Asda and Morrisons by introducing limits on the purchase of some fruit and vegetables 109 Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner Andrew Snowden commissions the College of Policing to review the force s investigation into the disappearance of Nicola Bulley including the release of information about her private life 110 DCI John Caldwell an off duty Police Service of Northern Ireland officer is injured in Omagh after being shot by suspected New IRA gunman 111 23 February Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer outlines the five key issues that his party will focus on during the run up to the next general election higher economic growth clean energy improving the NHS reforming the justice system and raising education standards 112 Environment Secretary Therese Coffey commenting on the vegetable shortage tells MPs we anticipate the situation will last about another two to four weeks 113 Three men are arrested in relation to the previous evening s shooting of DCI John Caldwell 114 24 February The British Medical Association announces that junior doctors in England will begin a three day strike on 13 March 115 An earthquake measuring 3 7 magnitude strikes Brynmawr Blaenau Gwent at 11 59pm 116 COVID 19 in the UK Office for National Statistics data for the week up to 14 February indicates COVID 19 cases continued to rise in England Scotland and Wales but remained uncertain in Northern Ireland In England the estimated number of people testing positive for COVID 19 was 1 223 000 or 2 18 of the population and around 1 in 45 people 117 27 February Ofgem announces a 23 decrease in the quarterly price cap on the amount suppliers can charge for household energy bills from 4 279 to 3 280 a 999 drop to apply from April 2023 118 Sunak and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announce a new agreement concerning movement of goods to from Northern Ireland named the Windsor Framework 119 Lidl becomes the latest UK food retailer to limit the sale of some fruit and vegetables due to an ongoing shortage 120 New regulations come into force in England and Wales banning transgender women who still have male genitalia or those who are sex offenders from being sent to women s prisons 121 28 February Royal Mail issue the final special set of stamps featuring the late Queen Elizabeth II to mark the centenary of The Flying Scotsman 122 Sunak meets businesses and their employees in Belfast to secure support for his new agreement with the EU He tells them that being in both the single market and the UK makes Northern Ireland the world s most exciting economic zone and an incredibly attractive place to invest 123 Transgender rapist Isla Bryson is sentenced to eight years in prison with a further three years supervision 124 Sainsbury s announces the closure of two Argos depots over the next three years with the loss of 1 400 jobs 125 Zholia Alemi who faked a medical degree certificate from the University of Auckland to work as a psychiatrist for two decades is sentenced to seven years in prison following a trial at Manchester Crown Court 126 Members of the National Union of Journalists working for the BBC regional service in England vote to take strike action over planned cuts to BBC Local Radio A 24 hour strike is scheduled for 15 March to coincide with Budget Day 127 March edit 1 March COVID 19 in the UK Lockdown Files WhatsApp messages leaked to the Daily Telegraph are reported as suggesting former Health Secretary Matt Hancock chose to ignore advice from experts in April 2020 that there should be testing of all going into care homes 128 A spokesman for Hancock says These stolen messages have been doctored to create a false story that Matt rejected clinical advice on care home testing 129 A Freedom of Information request by BBC News reveals that 729 sex offenders who were under supervision disappeared off the radar in a three year period from 2019 to the end of 2021 130 2 March COVID 19 in the UK Lockdown Files The Daily Telegraph publishes more of Matt Hancock s WhatsApp exchanges this time with former Education Secretary Gavin Williamson in December 2020 when a debate into whether schools should reopen following the Christmas holiday was taking place The leaked messages suggest Hancock favoured school closures while Williamson was more hesitant 131 Hancock who worked alongside journalist Isabel Oakeshott to co author a book describes the release of the messages as a massive betrayal and breach of trust 132 In response Oakeshott says she released the messages because she believed doing so was in the public interest 133 Sir Keir Starmer unveils Sue Gray who led the investigation into the Partygate scandal as Labour s new Chief of Staff sparking concern among some Conservative MPs about her impartiality 134 135 The public inquiry into the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing finds that MI5 missed a significant chance to take action that might have stopped the attack when they failed to obtain intelligence that would have led them to follow Salman Abedi to the car where he was storing explosives Ken McCallum the director general of MI5 says he regrets that the intelligence was missed 136 3 March COVID 19 in the UK Lockdown Files The latest leaked WhatsApp messages published by the Daily Telegraph are reported as appearing to show former Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case joking about locking people in quarantine hotels 137 Office for National Statistics data for the week up to 21 February indicates that COVID 19 infections were increasing in England and Wales but decreasing in Northern Ireland while the situation in Scotland was uncertain In England the number of people testing positive for COVID 19 was estimated to be 1 298 600 roughly 2 31 of the population around 1 in 45 138 The Commons Select Committee of Privileges finds that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson may have misled Parliament over the Partygate scandal after evidence suggested breaches of COVID 19 rules would have been obvious to him In response Johnson says that none of the evidence shows he knowingly misled parliament and that it is clear from this report that I have not committed any contempt of parliament 139 Buckingham Palace announces the first state visit to be made by Charles III and Camilla as King and Queen Consort they will travel to France and Germany from 26 31 March 140 4 March COVID 19 in the UK Lockdown Files The latest leaked WhatsApp messages published by the Daily Telegraph indicate according to BBC News who have not seen or verified the messages that Matt Hancock and his staff deliberated over whether or not he had broken COVID 19 regulations after pictures of him kissing his aide Gina Coladangelo were published by The Sun newspaper Other messages also show Hancock criticising the Eat Out to Help Out scheme for causing problems in areas where there were a high number of COVID 19 cases 141 Typhoon jets are scrambled from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire to help escort a civilian plane en route from Iceland to Kenya following a loss of communication caused by an equipment malfunction A sonic boom is heard over parts of England after the jets are allowed to fly at supersonic speed 142 5 March Train fares in England and Wales are increased by up to 5 9 representing the largest increase in more than a decade 143 COVID 19 in the UK Lockdown Files News outlets including BBC News Sky News and The Independent who have not verified the messages report that further WhatsApp messages published by The Telegraph appear to show discussions about how and when the government should reveal details of the Kent variant in order to ensure people would comply with COVID 19 regulations The news outlets also say Hancock appears to suggest they should frighten the pants off everyone while in another conversation head of the civil service Simon Case suggests the fear guilt factor is an important element of the government s messaging 144 145 146 The Telegraph also reports messages showing ministers and civil servants discussing getting heavy with the police to enforce lockdown measures with senior police officers being brought into Number 10 to be told to be stricter with the public 147 Speaking to the Mail on Sunday Sunak says that migrants arriving in the UK on small boats will be prevented from seeking asylum under proposed new legislation to be brought before Parliament 148 In the Premier League Liverpool beat Manchester United 7 0 the biggest margin in their historic rivalry and surpassing the previous margin of Liverpool FC 7 1 Newton Heath on 12 October 1895 149 6 March Media regulator Ofcom finds that a GB News programme which aired on 21 April 2022 was in breach of broadcasting rules as it presented misinformation on COVID 19 and vaccines 150 151 Members of the Fire Brigades Union vote to accept a 7 pay rise backdated to July 2022 and worth 5 from July 2023 meaning they will not strike 152 Wayne Couzens is sentenced to 19 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to three counts of indecent exposure in the months prior to the kidnap and murder of Sarah Everard 153 A parole hearing for Charles Bronson one of the UK s longest serving prisoners is held at the Royal Courts of Justice It is the second such hearing to be held in public 154 COVID 19 in the UK Lockdown Files The Telegraph publishes messages that are reported to have been exchanged between Allan Nixon a parliamentary Advisor and Matt Hancock from November 2020 in which they discuss threatening to cancel projects in MPs constituencies if MPs do not support the local lockdown tiers legislation It is also reported that as part of a strategy aimed at trying to stop MPs from rebelling against the legislation party whips compiled a spreadsheet of 95 MPs who disagreed with this policy and the reasons for them disagreeing these related to lack of parliamentary scrutiny economic harm harms to hospital absence of cost benefit analysis and the policy being unconservative 155 7 March A cold snap from the Arctic hits the UK causing snowfall in Scotland and parts of northern England 156 Two coal fire power stations are also reactivated amid concerns about the strain the cold snap could cause on the National Grid 157 Home Secretary Suella Braverman introduces the Illegal Migration Bill into the House of Commons which is designed to stop migrants arriving in the UK by boat The legislation proposes to detain and remove those from the UK who arrive by illegal means as well as blocking them from returning 158 COVID 19 in the UK The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation announces that everyone over 75 care home residents and anyone considered to be extremely vulnerable aged five and over will be offered a spring COVID 19 booster vaccine Vaccinations will begin in March in Scotland early April in England and Wales and mid April in Northern Ireland 159 RMT staff working for Network Rail call off a strike planned for 16 March after being given a fresh pay offer 160 8 March The UK experiences its coldest March night since 2010 with 15 2 C recorded in Kinbrace Scotland dipping even further to 15 4 C by the morning The Health Security Agency issues a level 3 cold alert for the whole of England while more than 100 schools across Wales are closed due to snow 161 The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence NICE approves the use of the weight loss drug semaglutide marketed as Wegovy by the NHS in England 162 9 March The UK government announces a two year delay in the construction of the Birmingham to Crewe leg of HS2 in order to save costs 163 Asda and Morrisons lift their restrictions on the sale of fresh produce 164 Following a trial at the High Court in Aberdeen retired research scientist Christopher Harrison 82 is convicted of the murder of his ex wife Brenda Page in 1978 165 10 March The UK economy grew by 0 3 in January 2023 official figures show much more than the 0 1 that was predicted by economists 166 The King bestows the title of Duke of Edinburgh on his younger brother Prince Edward 167 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak attends a summit in Paris with French President Emmanuel Macron and announces the UK will give France 500m over three years to help the UK stop the influx of migrants arriving by boat 168 The BBC tells Gary Lineker he cannot present BBC One s Match of the Day until an agreement can be reached over his social media use 169 COVID 19 in the UK Office for National Statistics data for the week ending 28 February indicates COVID 19 cases are rising in Scotland but the picture is unclear in the rest of the UK In England the number of people testing positive for COVID 19 was estimated to be 1 333 400 equating to 2 38 of the population or around 1 in 40 people In Scotland the figure was 128 400 equating to 2 44 of the population or around 1 in 40 people 170 11 March The BBC apologises for limited sports broadcasts as a growing number of TV and radio presenters drop out of key programmes in support of Gary Lineker amid an ongoing debate over impartiality 171 The Bank of England announces that the UK arm of Silicon Valley Bank is to enter insolvency following the demise of its US parent the largest banking collapse since the 2007 2008 financial crisis Many UK tech startups are prevented from accessing cash to pay staff 172 173 12 March The UK government announces that charges for prepayment energy meters are to be brought into line with those for customers paying by direct debit from 1 July saving an average of 45 per year 174 13 March HSBC agrees to buy the UK arm of Silicon Valley Bank allowing UK tech firms and customers to access money and services as normal 175 Gary Lineker is allowed to return to presenting football as the BBC announces an independent review of its social media guidelines Director General Tim Davie acknowledges there are grey areas and says enforcing impartiality is a difficult balancing act 176 Disgraced former pop star Gary Glitter is recalled to prison after breaching his licence conditions 177 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announces an extra 5bn of government spending for UK defence over the coming two years 178 14 March Royal Mail unveils its first design of a new set of ten special stamps featuring garden flowers and a silhouette of King Charles III 179 Following a trial at Preston Crown Court Eleanor Williams is sentenced to eight and a half years in prison after falsely accusing several men of rape and claiming to have been trafficked by an Asian grooming gang 180 15 March Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt presents the 2023 United Kingdom budget to the House of Commons and says that the UK will avoid going into recession in 2023 181 Teachers junior doctors civil servants and Tube drivers stage a mass walkout amid ongoing concerns regarding pay jobs pensions and working conditions 182 183 16 March NHS staff in England including nurses and ambulance staff are offered a 5 pay rise from April along with a one off payment of 1 655 to cover backdated pay The offer does not include doctors who are on a different contract 184 The government announces that TikTok is to be banned on electronic devices used by ministers and other employees amid security concerns relating to the Chinese owned app s handling of user data 185 Scientists identify a gene variant that is known to increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer and trace it to people with Orkney Island heritage more specifically those with ancestry on the island of Westray 186 COVID 19 in the UK Office for National Statistics data for the week ending 7 March 6 March in Scotland indicates COVID 19 cases are falling in Scotland but the picture is uncertain in the rest of the UK In England the survey suggests that 1 322 000 tested positive for the virus equating to 2 36 of the population or around 1 in 40 187 18 March Peter Murrell resigns as CEO of the Scottish National Party amid a row over party membership 188 19 March The UK government launches the Emergency Alerts service a service to send text alerts to mobile phones in a situation where it is perceived there is an immediate risk to life 189 The BBC urges its staff to delete the TikTok app from its official devices amid concerns about its security 190 20 March The British government bans far right Danish activist Rasmus Paludan from entering the United Kingdom over a threat to burn a Quran in Wakefield West Yorkshire 191 21 March Partygate scandal Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson publishes a 52 page defence of his actions during the COVID 19 pandemic in which he acknowledges misleading Parliament over the Partygate scandal but says he did not do so intentionally 192 Baroness Louise Casey s report into the standards and culture of the Metropolitan Police is published and describes critical failings such as discrimination the organisation s inability to police itself failings towards women and children and the loss of public confidence in the service 193 22 March Data released for February shows that inflation increased from 10 1 to 10 4 largely due to an increase in the cost of fresh food particularly vegetables non alcoholic drinks restaurant meals and women s clothes 194 A major incident is declared with 35 injuries reported after the 76m long RV Petrel research vessel tips over at a dock in Leith 195 Boris Johnson gives evidence to the cross party Privileges Committee relating to his conduct during Partygate He insists that he did not lie to the House of Commons and always made statements in good faith 196 MPs back Rishi Sunak s new Brexit deal for Northern Ireland by 515 votes to 29 197 Scotland s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon issues a sincere heartfelt and unreserved apology to people affected by the practice of forced adoption in Scotland during the 1950s 1960s and 1970s 198 The RMT call off two strikes planned by staff at 14 train operators that were scheduled for 30 March and 1 April following discussions with the Rail Delivery Group 199 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak publishes details of his tax returns following calls for him to be more transparent about his finances 200 23 March The Bank of England raises its key interest rate for the 11th consecutive time from 4 to 4 25 in response to the unexpected growth of inflation 201 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer publishes details of his tax returns a day after the prime minister 202 The Westminster Parliament announces that the TikTok app will be banned on all parliamentary devices and the wider parliamentary network 203 The British Medical Association announces that junior doctors in England will stage a four day strike from 11 15 April in their continued quest for a 35 pay rise 204 England footballer Harry Kane becomes the England national football team all time leading goalscorer with 54 goals in a 2 1 win vs Italy national football team 205 surpassing the previous record of 53 goals held by Wayne Rooney who broke the record back in September 2015 206 24 March Charles III s state visit to France his first official overseas visit as King is postponed following a request by French President Emmanuel Macron after unions threatened to stage a day of protests over pension reforms during his visit 207 MPs vote to back the Protection from Sex based Harassment in Public Bill which will make catcalling following someone or blocking their path an offence in England and Wales with a punishment of up to two years in prison 208 COVID 19 in the UK The final Coronavirus Infections Survey is published by the Office for National Statistics with data for the week up to 13 March It shows an increase in COVID 19 cases for England but an uncertain picture for the rest of the UK The percentage of cases for the Home Nations are shown as follows 2 66 in England 1 in 40 people 2 41 in Wales 1 in 40 people 1 42 in Northern Ireland 1 in 70 people and 2 59 in Scotland 1 in 40 people 209 25 March A special Honours list is announced to recognise those who played a role in the state funeral of Elizabeth II including the eight pallbearers who carried the Queen s coffin during the ceremony 210 Reports in The Sun and i newspapers suggest former Prime Minister Liz Truss who was in office for 49 days has submitted a Resignation Honours list 211 BBC Two airs The MI5 Spy and the IRA Operation Chiffon a programme in which journalist Peter Taylor reveals the story of an MI5 spy who helped bring about the Northern Ireland Peace Process after defying government orders not to hold talks with Provisional IRA representatives in 1993 212 26 March A ban on the possession of nitrous oxide laughing gas which is typically purchased in small glass phials is announced The government justifies its action as part of a crackdown on anti social behaviour going against recommendations from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs which had recently advised against criminalisation of the gas 213 The 2023 Boat Race takes place with Cambridge beating Oxford in both the men s and women s races 214 27 March Humza Yousaf succeeds Nicola Sturgeon as Leader of the SNP after defeating rivals Kate Forbes and Ash Regan in a leadership election 215 216 217 Around 130 000 civil servants belonging to the PCS union vote to strike on 28 April in a dispute with the UK government over pay and conditions 218 HM Treasury scraps plans for the Royal Mint to produce a government backed NFT that could be traded on international markets 219 28 March Humza Yousaf is confirmed as Scotland s new First Minister by a vote in the Scottish Parliament 220 Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is banned from standing as a candidate for the party at the next general election after the party s National Executive Committee votes 22 12 in favour of a motion blocking his candidacy 221 29 March Charles III begins a state visit to Germany his first official overseas trip as monarch 222 The UK government introduces the Victims and Prisoners Bill into the House of Commons which will give ministers the power to veto the release of some prisoners and restrict marriage in prison for those serving whole life terms 223 Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick confirms the government s intention to utilise three locations including two former military bases to house migrants arriving into the UK as asylum seekers The plans are an attempt by the government to save on hotel expenses 224 Humza Yousaf is sworn in as Scotland s First Minister at Edinburgh s Court of Session and begins naming his cabinet 225 30 March The government publishes its latest net zero strategy for the period to 2050 following a High Court ruling that its earlier plans were insufficient to meet climate targets 226 High profile inmate Charles Bronson loses his latest bid for freedom 227 Thomas Cashman 34 is convicted of shooting dead nine year old Olivia Pratt Korbel in her Liverpool home in August 2022 228 The Parliamentary Standards Committee recommends that former Scottish National Party MP Margaret Ferrier be suspended from the House of Commons for 30 days for breaching COVID 19 regulations in September 2020 when she took a train home from London following a positive COVID test 229 31 March Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show an 0 1 growth in the UK economy for the final three months of 2022 revising previous figures that had suggested no growth over that period 230 COVID 19 in the UK The UK Health Security Agency confirms the NHS COVID 19 contact tracing app will close on 27 April following a decline in its use 231 April edit 1 April It is reported that three British men are being held in custody by the Taliban in Afghanistan 232 Manchester becomes the first city in the UK to launch a tourist tax with a 1 per room per night City Visitor Charge 233 2 April Home Secretary Suella Braverman confirms the UK is in negotiations with the Taliban following the reported arrest of three British nationals in Afghanistan 234 Braverman says that Rwanda is a safe place for the UK to send refugees after being asked about refugees being shot there by police at a demonstration in 2018 saying that might be 2018 we re looking at 2023 and beyond 235 3 April Members of the Public and Commercial Services Union working at the Passport Office begin a five week strike over pay and conditions 236 The National Education Union announces two further strike dates in England on 27 April and 2 May stating that the offer from the pay UK government is unacceptable not fully funded and does not address a shortage of teachers 237 The cost of a first class stamp increases by 15p to 1 10 and a second class stamp by 7p to 75p 238 Thomas Cashman is sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 42 years for the murder of Olivia Pratt Korbel meaning he will be in his mid 70s before becoming eligible for parole 239 240 4 April Royal Mail issue new stamps featuring King Charles III with an increase of a first class stamp up by 15p to 1 10 while the cost of a second class stamp has risen by 7p to 75p 241 TikTok is fined 12 7m by the Information Commissioner s Office for failing to protect the privacy of children after sharing their information without parental permission 242 Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick is given a six month driving ban by magistrates after he was caught speeding on the M1 243 Former Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern is appointed a trustee of the Prince of Wales Earthshot Prize 244 British boxer Amir Kahn is banned from competing professionally for two years after an anti doping test revealed the presence of a banned substance following his February 2022 fight with Kell Brook 245 Coronation of Charles III and Camilla The official invitation from King Charles III and Queen Camilla is unveiled and sent to about 2 000 guests 246 Madame Tussauds Blackpool announce that a new waxwork of King Charles III will be unveiled in May 247 5 April The government confirms plans to use the vessel Bibby Stockholm to house around 500 male migrants off the Dorset Coast citing the cheaper cost of doing so compared to housing them in hotels 248 A BBC News investigation claims the life coaching organisation Lighthouse is operated as a cult 249 The White House press secretary Karine Jean Pierre said that US President Joe Biden has accepted an invitation from King Charles for an undated state visit to the United Kingdom 250 6 April Buckingham Palace announces that it is co operating with a study being jointly conducted by the University of Manchester and Historic Royal Palaces that is exploring links between the British monarchy and the slave trade in the 17th and 18th centuries 251 Charles III and Camilla attend the King s first Royal Maundy Service at York Minster where he distributes Maundy money to pensioners 252 7 April The Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirms that two British Israeli sisters in their 20s have been killed during a shooting attack on their car in the northern West Bank 253 Their mother also injured in the incident dies on 10 April 254 The Bank of England announces that they have begun printing Series G banknotes featuring King Charles III No additional changes are made to the existing designs of 5 10 20 and 50 notes which will enter circulation from mid 2024 255 8 April Coronation of Charles III and Camilla The Crown Dependency of the Isle of Man issue a special set of Post Office stamps 256 10 April Coronation of Charles III and Camilla Buckingham Palace confirms that King Charles III and Queen Camilla will travel to Westminster in the more modern Diamond Jubilee State Coach for the coronation before returning to Buckingham Palace in the more traditional Gold State Coach 257 11 April The CBI one of the UK s largest business groups dismisses Director General Tony Danker following complaints about his conduct involving a female employee 258 Rain Newton Smith who served as the CBI s Chief Economist until March 2023 is appointed to replace Danker 259 The International Monetary Fund predicts that the UK economy will be among the worst performing in the G20 nations during 2023 260 US President Joe Biden arrives in Belfast to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement 261 12 April The Scottish Government announces it will mount a legal challenge against the UK government s decision to block the Gender Recognition Reform Scotland Bill 262 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak meets with US President Joe Biden at the Grand Central Hotel in Belfast 263 Biden makes a keynote speech at the Ulster University during which he urges Northern Ireland s politicians to restore the power sharing government 263 264 A 74 year old man is extradited from Pakistan and charged with murdering police officer Sharon Beshenivsky in November 2005 265 Tesco reduces the price of a four pint bottle of milk from 1 65 to 1 55 following a cut in wholesale prices 266 Coronation of Charles III and Camilla Buckingham Palace confirms that the Duke of Sussex will attend the coronation but that the Duchess will remain in the United States with their children 267 13 April Data published by the Office for National Statistics shows a 0 growth in the UK economy during February as growth in the construction industry was offset by industrial action 268 Publication of the Deciphering Developmental Disorders study a study involving children with development disorders which has identified 60 new health conditions 269 Sainsbury s follows Tesco in cutting the price of milk 270 A report published by Diabetes UK indicates the UK is heading for what the charity describes as a rapidly escalating diabetes crisis with 4 3 million people experiencing a form of diabetes a further 850 000 estimated to be living with the disease but unaware of it and another 2 4 million people at risk of developing the condition Cases of diabetes are more prevalent in less affluent areas of the country 271 14 April Ford receives government approval for its BlueCruise Level 2 autonomous driving technology 272 Aldi Lidl and Asda join Sainsbury s and Tesco in cutting the retail price of milk 273 Several thousand workers with the Environment Agency belonging to the UNISON trade union begin a three day strike over pay and conditions 274 Coronation of Charles III and Camilla Official chinaware manufactured by the Royal Collection Trust in Stoke on Trent is unveiled 275 Media including BBC News report that Sarah Duchess of York has not been invited to the coronation 276 Some details of the Coronation Concert are revealed with acts including Katy Perry Lionel Richie and Take That confirmed as part of the line up 277 15 April The SNP s National Executive Committee orders a review of the party s transparency and governance 278 Merseyside Police say that 118 people have been arrested at Aintree Racecourse after protestors delay the start of the 2023 Grand National The race which is delayed by 14 minutes is won by Corach Rambler ridden by Derek Fox 279 16 April The building of all new smart motorways is cancelled over cost and safety concerns 280 17 April The 2023 World Snooker Championship is disrupted by a protestor from Just Stop Oil who climbs onto the snooker table during a match between Robert Milkins and Joe Perry and pours orange powder over it Two people are later arrested by South Yorkshire Police 281 The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is to investigate Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over a possible failure to declare an interest over a childcare company in which his wife has shares 282 Sunak announces a review of the core maths content taught in England s schools with the establishment of a panel to conduct the review 283 New rules from Ofgem will prohibit the forced installation of prepayment meters for gas and electricity customers over the age of 85 Customers in debt will also have more time to clear their debt before being forced to switch to a prepayment meter 284 But plans to resume the practice are subsequently criticised by campaigners who want it banned completely 285 19 April Inflation is reported to have fallen from 10 4 in February to 10 1 in March It remains higher than forecasted driven largely by the ongoing rise in food prices which continue to increase at their fastest rate in 45 years 286 Colin Beattie resigns as SNP treasurer with immediate effect after his questioning by Police Scotland in their ongoing investigation into the party s finances 287 20 April Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is handed the findings of an investigation into bullying allegations against Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab 288 21 April Dominic Raab resigns as Deputy Prime Minister after the inquiry finds he acted in an intimidating and insulting manner with civil servants He is succeeded by Oliver Dowden who becomes Deputy Prime Minister and Alex Chalk who takes on the role of Secretary of State for Justice 289 290 Raab subsequently criticises what he describes as activist civil servants attempting to block the work of government 291 The Confederation of British Industry CBI announces it is suspending all key activities until June after a number of companies including John Lewis amp Partners BMW and Virgin Media O2 withdraw from the organisation following the emergence of allegations of sexual assault and rape 292 293 Leaders of the Communication Workers Union recommend their members working for Royal Mail accept a pay offer worth 10 over the next three years 294 The climate protest group Extinction Rebellion begins four days of demonstrations in central London to coincide with Earth Day and which they describe as The Big One 295 296 22 April Sunak holds an emergency COBRA meeting to discuss the evacuation of British nationals caught up in the Sudan conflict 297 298 23 April Diane Abbott is suspended from the Labour Party after writing a letter in The Observer in which she downplays racism against Irish people Jews and Travellers 299 Sunak confirms that British diplomats and their families have been evacuated from Sudan in a complex and rapid operation 300 The Emergency Alerts service is tested by the government at 3pm BST An estimated 80 of smartphones are believed to be compatible to receive the alert but around 7 of those do not receive it Many people on the Three network report that the alert failed to appear on their phone while others do not receive it because their phone is switched to aeroplane mode or they have disabled emergency alerts 301 302 2023 London Marathon Sifan Hassan wins the women s race while Kelvin Kiptum wins the men s event and breaks the course record 303 25 April Downing Street confirms the first UK evacuation flight carrying British citizens has left Sudan 304 High Court documents reveal that Prince William was paid a very large sum by News Group Newspapers owners of The Sun to settle historical phone hacking claims 305 Data published by the Office for National Statistics indicates government borrowing for the year up to 31 March 2023 to be 139 2bn less than the 152bn that had been forecast by the Office for Budget Responsibility prior to the 2023 budget 306 26 April Andrew Bridgen is expelled from the Conservative Party after comparing COVID 19 vaccines to the Holocaust and being found to have breached lobbying rules 307 The first evacuation flight from Sudan lands in the UK 308 The Illegal Migration Bill passes its final stage in the House of Commons with MPs voting 289 230 in favour of the bill 309 The UK s Competition and Markets Authority blocks Microsoft s 55bn deal to buy US video game company Activision Blizzard citing concerns about reduced choice for gamers and reduced innovation the move needed the approval of competition regulators in the United States United Kingdom and European Union 310 27 April Three days of fresh train strikes are called after both ASLEF and the RMT reject a pay offer from the Rail Delivery Group The strikes dates are announced for 13 May 31 May and 3 June ASLEF and 13 May RMT 311 Following a hearing at the High Court Mr Justice Linden rules that the nurses strike planned for 30 April 2 May is partially unlawful as it falls partly outside the six month period from when members of the Royal College of Nursing voted to strike The strike is cut short by a day as a consequence 312 The NHS COVID 19 contact tracing app closes down 231 313 28 April Richard Sharp resigns as Chairman of the BBC over his breach of the BBC s rules regarding public appointments after failing to declare his connection to a loan secured by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson worth 800 000 314 29 April Coronation of Charles III and Camilla Organisers announce that among the changes to the ceremony for the coronation will be to invite people watching proceedings to swear allegiance to the King and his heirs The service will also include female clergy and representatives from several different religions 315 The Guardian apologises following the publication of a cartoon depicting former BBC chairman Richard Sharp who is Jewish with exaggerated features and carrying a puppet of Rishi Sunak after it was criticised for being antisemitic 316 The final UK rescue flight from the Sudanese capital of Khartoum takes off as the rescue of UK nationals comes to an end 317 Another flight from Port Sudan is subsequently arranged for 1 May 318 30 April Eight people are stabbed one fatally in a street brawl near a nightclub in Bodmin Cornwall Police arrest a 24 year old man on suspicion of murdering another man in his 30s 319 The deceased victim is subsequently named as Michael Allen aged 32 320 Alex Chalk the Secretary of State for Justice announces new rules for terrorists in prison in England and Wales which will see them limited to two boxes of books and prevented from leading religious meetings 321 May edit 1 May Coronation of Charles III and Camilla The Royal Collection Trust confirms that Charles III will use a recycled throne chair from the Coronation of George VI for his own coronation in a bid to make the event more sustainable Camilla will use a chair from the same coronation that was used by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother 322 The 2023 World Snooker Championship concludes with Belgium s Luca Brecel defeating England s Mark Selby 18 15 in the final to win his first world title Brecel becomes the first player from Mainland Europe to win a World Championship 323 2 May The 5 pay increase for one million NHS staff in England is signed off at a meeting between the UK government and representatives from 14 trade unions all NHS employees but doctors and dentists are represented at the meeting 324 A man is arrested outside Buckingham Palace after throwing shotgun cartridges into the grounds A controlled explosion is also carried out by police 325 3 May Coronation of Charles III and Camilla As the Metropolitan Police release details of security measures in place Security Minister Tom Tugendhat says that anti monarchy groups will be allowed to protest at the coronation 326 4 May 2023 United Kingdom local elections The Conservatives incur significant losses while Labour and the Lib Dems gain control of a number of councils from the Conservatives 327 The Green Party also make record gains with over 200 councillors and win majority control of Mid Suffolk District Council the party s first ever council majority 328 The UK Independence Party which had 500 council seats in 2014 loses the remainder of its councillors 329 Members of the RMT vote to renew the union s mandate to take strike action for a further six months 330 5 May Following the first conviction for trafficking for the purposes of organ removal in England and Wales Nigerian Senator Ike Ekweremadu is sentenced to nine years and eight months in prison after bringing a young street trader to the UK in order to procure his kidney for a transplant The Senator s wife and a doctor who also assisted in the plan are also sent to prison 331 6 May Coronation of Charles III and Camilla The Coronation takes place at Westminster Abbey London with the two hour ceremony emphasising diversity and inclusion There are contributions from several faiths including Muslim Jewish Hindu Buddhist and Sikh representatives while elements of the ceremony are also held in the Welsh and Gaelic languages 332 333 Graham Smith leader of the Republic pressure group is arrested at a protest in Trafalgar Square prior to the coronation 334 7 May Coronation of Charles III and Camilla Coronation Big Lunch events take place across the country along with street parties in various locations 335 336 The Coronation Concert takes place at Windsor Castle 337 Officials at Westminster City Council say they are deeply concerned at the arrest of three women s safety volunteers hours before the Coronation In response the Metropolitan Police says it received intelligence people were planning to use rape alarms to disrupt the procession 338 8 May Skipton Building Society becomes the first building society since the 2008 financial crisis to announce it will offer 100 mortgages aimed at first time buyers who cannot afford a deposit 339 Coronation of Charles III and Camilla Official photographs of the King and Queen taken shortly after the Coronation ceremony are released 340 On the final day of celebrations people are encouraged to get involved in the Big Help Out by joining volunteer projects across the UK 341 9 May A Freedom of Information request filed by The Guardian reveals that at least one baby has been born with the DNA of three people with 0 1 of the third person s DNA used in an attempt to prevent children developing mitochondrial diseases 342 Addressing the issue of arrests made during the Coronation Sir Mark Rowley Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police says it is unfortunate people were not allowed to protest but that there was a credible threat to disrupt the ceremony 343 10 May The government confirms it will replace its plan for all EU era legislation to expire at the end of 2023 with a list of 600 laws it wishes to replace 344 Vodafone confirms it will begin switching off its 3G network from June prompting concerns that people with older and more basic phones could experience digital poverty 345 The legal case Duke of Sussex v Mirror Group Newspapers begins at the High Court 346 Adam Price announces his resignation as leader of Plaid Cymru after a report found a culture of misogyny harassment and bullying in the party 347 11 May Wind power is reported as the main source of electricity generation in the UK for the first three months of the year overtaking gas 348 The government announces that TransPennine Express will be stripped of its contract and nationalised due to poor service and cancelled trains 349 The Bank of England raises its baseline interest rate for the 12th consecutive time from 4 25 to 4 5 increasing mortgage and loan costs but increasing savings income for many 350 Defence Secretary Ben Wallace confirms that the UK will supply Storm Shadow cruise missiles to Ukraine to assist the country in its conflict with Russia These have a much longer range 250 km 155 mi than US supplied HIMARS missiles 80 km 50 mi 351 12 May Data from the Office for National Statistics indicates the UK economy grew by 0 1 between January and March 2023 with ongoing strike action and the cost of living crisis contributing to the smaller than expected growth 352 Following a three week trial at Newcastle Crown Court David Boyd is convicted of the October 1992 murder of Nikki Allan in Sunderland 353 13 May An inquiry is launched into possible intentional damage of a Royal Navy warship after around 60 cables were cut on HMS Glasgow at Scotstoun on the River Clyde 354 The final of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Liverpool The contest is won by Sweden s Loreen with the song Tattoo who becomes only the second person and the first woman to win the contest twice The United Kingdom s Mae Muller finishes 25th with her song I Wrote a Song 355 14 May Former Archbishop of York Lord Sentamu is forced to resign his position as an assistant bishop in the Church of England Diocese of Newcastle following a report that criticised his handling of a child sex abuse case during his tenure as Archbishop of York 356 15 May Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visits the UK to hold talks with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak Sunak later announces that the UK will send Ukraine hundreds of air defence missiles and armed drones in addition to the Storm Shadow cruise missiles previously promised 357 16 May Following a trial at Reading Crown Court three fraudsters who supplied forged passports to some of the UK s most notorious criminals are sentenced to prison 358 Data produced by the Office for National Statistics indicates the number of people not working because of a long term health condition has reached two and a half million The rise is attributed to an increase in mental health problems among young people and an increase in people suffering back and neck problems as a result of working at home 359 Stellantis owners of Vauxhall Peugeot Citroen and Fiat urge the UK government to renegotiate parts of its Brexit trade deal warning that the UK could lose its car industry The company has committed to making electric vehicles in the UK but says it may not be able to do so because of the combined effect of post Brexit trade rules and increases in raw material costs 360 17 May The Renters Reform Bill is introduced into Parliament 361 The UK government bans the issuing of licences for animal testing of chemicals used in cosmetics products 362 18 May 2023 Northern Ireland local elections Local elections are held in Northern Ireland two weeks after the rest of the country 363 Figures released by HM Treasury indicate the funeral of Elizabeth II and associated events cost the UK government 162m 364 19 May John Allan announces he is stepping down as chairman of Tesco following allegations over his conduct 365 Tejay Fletcher who founded and helped to run the iSpoof website that was used by criminals to pose as organisations such as banks and His Majesty s Revenue and Customs for the purposes of fraud by disguising their phone numbers is sentenced to 13 years and four months in prison following a trial at Southwark Crown Court 366 367 20 May 2023 Northern Ireland local elections Sinn Fein become the largest political party in Northern Ireland after making significant gains in the local election votes 363 21 May Labour and the Liberal Democrats call for an inquiry into whether the Home Secretary Suella Braverman broke the Ministerial Code after it is reported she asked civil servants whether they could arrange a private speed awareness course rather than the standard group one after she was caught speeding in summer 2022 during her tenure as Attorney General 368 22 May Buckingham Palace declines a request for the remains of Prince Alemayehu brought to the UK as a child in the 19th century and buried at Windsor Castle following his death to be returned to his native Ethiopia 369 Margaret Ferrier loses her appeal against a proposed 30 day ban from the House of Commons over her breach of COVID 19 rules in September 2020 370 Sir Richard Branson s rocket company Virgin Orbit ceases operations following a recent mission failure and financial difficulties 371 23 May The International Monetary Fund upgrades its growth forecast for the UK which it says will now avoid a recession in 2023 372 Following his conviction on 12 May David Boyd is sentenced to a minimum term of 29 years in prison for Nikki Allan s murder 373 The Cabinet Office refers former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to the police following fresh allegations of rule breaches during the COVID 19 pandemic 374 24 May Inflation is reported to have fallen from 10 1 in March to 8 7 in April Food price growth remains close to record highs at 19 1 375 Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirms that Home Secretary Suella Braverman s handling of a speeding offence did not breach ministerial rules and that she will not face an investigation 376 25 May Net migration into the UK during 2022 is reported to have reached a record high of 606 000 with immigration estimated at 1 2m and emigration at 557 000 Around 114 000 people came from Ukraine and 52 000 from Hong Kong 377 Three activists from climate change protest group Just Stop Oil are arrested for criminal damage after disrupting the Chelsea Flower Show 378 Armed officers arrest a man after he crashes a car into the gates of Downing Street The incident is not terrorism related 379 26 May British Cycling announces that transgender women are to be banned from the female category of its competitions following a nine month review and consultation 380 This follows the March ban by UK Athletics 381 Phillip Schofield announces he is leaving ITV following his recent departure from This Morning amid controversy over the relationship he had with a much younger male colleague 382 383 Passengers arriving into the UK face delays at several airports after passport e gates stop working The problem attributed to technical problems is resolved by the following evening 384 27 May Post Office Limited issues an apology over the use of racist terms to describe postmasters wrongly investigated as part of the Horizon IT scandal 385 28 May The Home Office announces it is launching an ad campaign on social media in Albania to deter migrants from coming to the UK the campaign begins the following day 386 387 BBC News reports that Andrei Kelin Russia s ambassador to the UK has warned that the west s supply of weapons to Ukraine risks escalating the war to levels not seen so far 388 29 May Mars bars one of the top selling chocolate bars in the UK are given a new look with recyclable paper wrappers in a bid to cut down on the growing problem of plastic waste 389 The Met Police s plan to stop attending emergency mental health incidents is described as potentially alarming by a former inspector of constabulary with charity Mind also expressing concerns 390 30 May Figures published by the British Retail Consortium show that supermarket prices rose in May largely because of the price of coffee chocolate and non food goods 391 The UK government announces plans to close a loophole in the law that allows shopkeepers to give free vape samples to those under the age of majority 392 31 May Two people die and eight others are injured during an incident at the beach in Bournemouth 393 ASLEF members hold their latest strike as part of an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions causing widespread disruption to rail services Further action is planned for Saturday the day of the FA Cup Final and on Friday by members of RMT 394 A huge wildfire covering 30 square miles 80 sq km possibly the largest ever seen in the UK is brought under control by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service at Cannich in the Highlands 395 June edit 1 June House prices in the UK are reported to have fallen by 3 4 in the year to May the biggest decline since July 2009 The average property price is now estimated at 260 736 396 A ban on e scooters carried on Southeastern Southern Thameslink and Gatwick Express trains comes into force due to concerns over fire risk 397 2 June A visibly emotional Phillip Schofield gives an interview with the BBC s Amol Rajan in which he apologises and says his career is over following the affair with a young male colleague 398 3 June Train strikes staged by the ASLEF union cause disruption to the 2023 FA Cup final and a Beyonce Knowles concert 399 In the FA Cup Final the first in the 152 year history of the competition to feature a Manchester derby Manchester City defeat rivals Manchester United 2 1 to win their seventh FA Cup trophy 400 A man is arrested at the FA Cup final after being pictured wearing a Manchester United shirt with the number 97 and the slogan not enough believed to be a reference to the Hillsborough disaster 401 The 33 year old male is subsequently charged with displaying threatening or abusive writing likely to cause harassment alarm or distress 402 A protestor is detained by police after attempting to disrupt the 2023 Epsom Derby by trespassing on the track 403 6 June Record high numbers of gonorrhoea and syphilis infections are reported following a dip during previous years 404 Prince Harry becomes the first senior member of the British royal family to give evidence in a court case in more than 130 years when he appears at the High Court to give evidence in his case against Mirror Group Newspapers 405 The Advertising Standards Authority bans a 2022 campaign by Shell plc for being likely to mislead consumers 406 7 June Figures produced by Halifax Bank indicate house prices have dropped by 1 compared to 2022 the first such fall since 2012 407 It is announced that The Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph as well as The Spectator are to be put up for sale to recover debts incurred by the publications parent company 408 8 June Prime Minister Rishi Sunak holds a joint press conference with US President Joe Biden at the White House to announce the Atlantic Declaration an agreement to strengthen economic ties between the UK and US 409 Caroline Lucas the Green Party s former leader and only MP announces that she is stepping down from Parliament at the next election 410 9 June The UK government announces that the planned windfall tax on oil and gas companies will be suspended if prices return to normal levels for a sustained period 411 Nadine Dorries announces she will stand down as Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshire with immediate effect triggering a by election 412 On 14 June 2023 she said that she had submitted a subject access request to the House of Lords Appointments Commission HOLAC and was waiting to resign until she had received all unredacted WhatsApps text messages all emails and minutes of meetings related to why she was denied a peerage 413 414 Dorries eventually resigns on 26 August 78 days after her initial announcement of immediate effect 412 415 Boris Johnson s Resignation Honours are published Highlights include knighthoods for Jacob Rees Mogg and Simon Clarke and a damehood for Priti Patel 416 The decision to award a life peerage to former special adviser Charlotte Owen is criticised due to her young age 29 and perceived lack of experience or contributions to British society 417 Johnson announces he will stand down as an MP with immediate effect after receiving the Commons Select Committee of Privileges s report into the Partygate scandal triggering a by election 418 10 June Nigel Adams becomes the third Conservative MP in quick succession to stand down from Parliament with immediate effect triggering a by election 419 Temperatures reach above 30 C for the first time since 24 August 2022 marking the hottest day of the year so far Three guardsmen collapse during a military parade in London due to the heat 420 Manchester City beat Inter Milan in the 2023 UEFA Champions League Final 1 0 with Rodri scoring the only goal to win the UEFA Champions League for the first time in their history They become the second English team ever to win the Continental Treble after Manchester United in the 1998 99 Manchester United F C season winning the FA Cup and the Premier League alongside the UEFA Champions League 421 11 June Energy Secretary Grant Shapps speaking on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg declares that the country wants to move on from Boris Johnson and dismisses claims the ex PM was the victim of a witch hunt 422 Police Scotland arrest Scotland s former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon as part of their ongoing investigation into the SNP s finances She is subsequently released without charge 423 12 June Following a period of hot weather thunderstorms and torrential rain bring flash flooding to parts of the UK 424 A mother of three is sentenced to 28 months in prison for inducing an abortion at home during 2020 with medication while she was 32 34 weeks pregnant The medication was obtained following a remote consultation at which the woman misled doctors over the advancement of her pregnancy 425 13 June 2023 Nottingham attacks A major incident is declared in Nottingham with much of the city centre cordoned off following a vehicle ramming and knife attack A 31 year old man is arrested on suspicion of multiple murders following the deaths of three people including two university students while three others are hospitalised 426 427 The first day of a public inquiry into the COVID 19 pandemic begins in central London The inquiry s lead lawyer says very little thought was given about the impact of a national lockdown and that Brexit planning may have occupied too much of the government s time and resources while a counsel for the Covid 19 Bereaved Families for Justice accuses the authorities of being complacent 428 429 A heatwave is declared in several parts of the UK as temperatures reach 30 C and after exceeding 25 C for three consecutive days the UK s heat health alert is also extended 430 14 June Vodafone and Three announce a merger pending approval from regulators to create the largest mobile company in the UK 431 Thousands of people gather for a vigil to mourn the victims of the attacks in Nottingham Police continue questioning a suspect as the BBC obtains CCTV footage of a man believed to be the perpetrator 432 Researchers at the University of Cambridge report the creation of the first synthetic human embryo from stem cells without the need for sperm or egg cells 433 15 June Partygate A 13 month investigation by the House of Commons Privileges Committee concludes that ex Prime Minister Johnson deliberately misled the Commons over gatherings during pandemic restrictions at 10 Downing Street and Chequers The report proposes that he would be suspended for 90 days if still an MP It states that he deliberately misled the House and the committee impugned the committee and was complicit in the campaign of abuse and attempted intimidation of the Committee 434 435 The Parole Board announces that double child killer and rapist Colin Pitchfork has been granted parole and will be released from prison Alberto Costa MP for South Leicestershire where the girls were killed writes to the Justice Secretary to seek an immediate and urgent review of the decision 436 16 June A hosepipe and sprinkler ban is announced for Kent and Sussex beginning on 26 June after water demand hits record levels 437 The Ministry of Justice confirms that serial killer Levi Bellfield who is serving two whole life sentences for murder will be allowed to marry his girlfriend in prison as there are no legal restrictions preventing him from doing so 438 Boris Johnson breaks the Ministerial Code for a second time by not asking advice from the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments before accepting a new job writing for the Daily Mail The previous time was shortly after he stood down as foreign secretary in July 2018 when he accepted a similar job with the Daily Telegraph 439 A 31 year old man is charged with three counts of murder and three of attempted murder following the Nottingham attacks 440 17 June David Warburton the MP for Somerton and Frome becomes the fourth Conservative MP in eight days to announce their resignation from the House of Commons doing so following his suspension from the party over allegations of sexual misconduct and triggering a by election in his constituency 441 The 2023 Trooping the Colour ceremony takes place 442 18 June Partygate The Mirror publishes video footage of a party held in December 2020 at Conservative Party Headquarters Housing Secretary Michael Gove describes the incident as indefensible 443 19 June Partygate MPs back by 354 votes to seven a report finding Boris Johnson deliberately misled the Commons over lockdown parties at Downing Street 444 20 June The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt rules out direct financial support for mortgage holders over fears it would make inflation worse not better 445 British businessmen Hamish Harding and Shahzada Dawood along with Dawood s son Suleman are confirmed as being aboard the missing submersible that disappeared during a voyage to see the wreck of the RMS Titanic two days earlier 446 21 June UK inflation figures for May 2023 show it remained higher than expected at 8 7 447 22 June The Bank of England raises the official bank rate from 4 5 to 5 the 13th consecutive rise and a greater increase than economists had expected 448 The RMT announces three fresh days of strike action for 20 22 and 29 July 449 23 June Banks and building societies are summoned for a meeting with Jeremy Hunt as pressure grows on them to help people struggling with rising mortgage costs 450 A series of measures are agreed offering more flexibility 451 Junior doctors in England announce a new five day walkout from 13 to 18 July the longest strike yet over pay 452 Following a trial at Northampton Crown Court Louis De Zoysa is convicted of the 2020 murder of police sergeant Matt Ratana 453 24 June The UK government holds an emergency COBRA meeting to discuss the Wagner Group rebellion in Russia Sunak urges both sides to be responsible and to protect civilians 454 25 June A national technical fault affects the 999 service meaning emergency services are unable to receive calls for around two hours 455 The service is fully restored by the evening 456 A spokesman for Sarah Duchess of York says that she is recovering following surgery for breast cancer at King Edward VII s Hospital a few days earlier 457 Elton John plays the final UK concert of his farewell tour at Glastonbury 2023 headlining the Pyramid Stage on the festival s final day 458 26 June A two year BBC investigation into the 1993 murder of Stephen Lawrence identifies a sixth suspect who was not charged at the time and is now deceased 459 Banking giant HSBC announces that it will vacate its 45 storey tower at 8 Canada Square in Canary Wharf and establish a smaller headquarters possibly in the City of London when its current lease expires in 2027 The move is attributed to an increase in remote work and less need for in person office work 460 Prince William and Geri Horner announce the launch of Homewards a five year project aimed at reducing the number of homeless people in the UK 461 The National Cancer Research Institute announces that it will be closing amid concerns over its funding 462 27 June Boots announces plans to close 300 of its outlets over the next years saying it will close stores in close proximity to other branches 463 A report compiled by the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket ICEC says racism sexism classism and elitism are widespread in English and Welsh cricket 464 28 June Daniel Korski withdraws as the Conservative Party s candidate for the 2024 London mayoral election after being accused of groping by novelist and TV producer Daisy Goodwin 465 A BBC News investigation finds that paedophiles are using Stable Diffusion a piece of artificial intelligence software to create lifelike images of child sexual abuse which are then being distributed through platforms such as Patreon 466 29 June The plan to deport some asylum seekers to Rwanda is ruled unlawful In a three judge decision the court of appeal overturns a high court decision that previously ruled that Rwanda could be considered a safe third country to send refugees 467 Smoke from record breaking Canadian wildfires is detected in the UK having drifted thousands of kilometres over the Atlantic 468 30 June Sunak unveils an NHS workforce plan that aims to address shortages in the health service by increasing the number of training places for nurses and doctors as well as retaining them in the NHS workforce 469 The Independent Press Standards Organisation rules that a December 2022 column in The Sun newspaper written by Jeremy Clarkson about Meghan Duchess of Sussex being paraded naked through the streets was sexist but rejects complaints that it was either discriminatory on the grounds of race inaccurate or sought to harass the duchess Both The Sun and Clarkson had apologised for the piece in December 2022 470 July edit 1 July The Foreign Office issues a travel warning for Britons going to France as major riots grip the country 471 The price cap on energy bills is reduced with an average yearly domestic gas and electricity bill falling by 426 to 2 074 472 2 July The Public Order Act 2023 comes into effect in England and Wales giving police greater powers to move environmental protestors who disrupt transport routes 473 Co op Funeralcare announces that resomation a process that uses potassium hydroxide and water to break down human remains will be made available for funerals in the UK for the first time later in the year 474 Orkney Islands Council begins movements to change its status looking at options including becoming either a British Crown Dependency or a British Overseas Territory of the United Kingdom or a self governing territory within the Kingdom of Norway or Denmark 475 3 July Train drivers belonging to the ASLEF union at 16 train operators begin a six day overtime ban threatening disruption to services 476 The Met Office confirms that the UK has experienced its hottest June on record with June 2023 s average temperature of 15 8 C beating previous records from 1940 and 1976 by 0 9 C 477 4 July The average interest rate on a five year fixed mortgage deal exceeds 6 478 Partygate scandal The Metropolitan Police announces it is reopening its investigation into a lockdown party held at Conservative Party Headquarters in December 2020 as well as an event held at Westminster on 8 December 2020 479 5 July King Charles III is presented with the Honours of Scotland during a ceremony held at Edinburgh s St Giles Cathedral 480 481 The Ministry of Defence confirms that UK Special Forces are at the centre of a war crimes investigation involving Afghanistan 482 David Black the chief executive of Ofwat suggests that water bills are likely to rise in 2025 as water companies seek to cover the cost of improving services 483 6 July Two children die while 15 other people are injured after a Land Rover crashes into a primary school in Wimbledon south west London The crash is not treated as terror related but the driver is arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving 484 The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards recommends that MP Chris Pincher be suspended for eight weeks following an investigation into groping allegations 485 The government loses a High Court bid to prevent the COVID 19 Inquiry from seeing Boris Johnson s diaries and WhatsApp messages in full 486 Wallasey pub shooting Connor Chapman is found guilty of shooting dead 26 year old Elle Edwards and injuring four others with a submachine gun Co defendant Thomas Waring is also found guilty of possessing a prohibited firearm and assisting an offender 487 The following day Chapman is sentenced to a minimum of 48 years in prison and Waring is given a nine year prison term 488 7 July Consumer finance expert Martin Lewis speaks to BBC Radio 4 about the growing use of deepfake AI technology warning that more regulation is needed to prevent online scams 489 Data published by Halifax Bank indicates that UK house prices have fallen at the fastest rate since 2011 with a 2 6 fall in the last year 490 A man in his 20s known publicly only as LXB becomes the first alleged neo Nazi in the UK to be placed under special government powers for monitoring and controlling suspected terrorists 491 Following his trial and conviction at Nottingham Crown Court Jamie Barrow is sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 44 years for the murders of a mother and her two children who died after he set their flat on fire 492 Empire Cinemas collapses into administration with the immediate closure of six of its outlets and the remainder at risk of closure 493 A story printed in The Sun alleges that an unnamed BBC presenter paid a 17 year old for sexually explicit photos In response the BBC says it is investigating and that the presenter is not scheduled to be on air in the coming days 494 8 July Rishi Sunak reaffirms the UK s opposition to the use of cluster munitions as the United States announces it will send the widely banned weapons to Ukraine where the conflict has reached its 500th day 495 496 Thunderstorms affect parts of the UK as a brief hot spell comes to an end 497 9 July The Sun prints fresh allegations about an unnamed BBC presenter alleging that he stripped down to his underpants during a video call to the teenager 498 Several male public figures associated with the BBC speak out to say they are not the individual concerned 499 Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer holds an urgent meeting with BBC Director General Tim Davie at which he tells her the BBC is investigating the matter swiftly and sensitively 500 The BBC subsequently confirms it has suspended the presenter and referred the matter to the police 501 10 July A lawyer representing the young person who was allegedly paid by a BBC presenter for indecent photographs casts doubt on the story In a letter to the BBC the lawyer says that his client contacted The Sun on 7 July to tell the newspaper there was no truth in it The paper is said to have subsequently printed the inappropriate article containing allegations made by the client s mother 502 EasyJet announces the cancellation of 1 700 flights to and from Gatwick Airport during July August and September citing constraints on airspace in Europe and ongoing traffic control difficulties 503 11 July A second young person comes forward to make allegations about the BBC presenter at the centre of a scandal claiming that they were contacted by him on a dating app and sent abusive and threatening messages The person in their early 20s also says they felt under pressure to meet up although they did not do so 504 The average deal on a two year fixed mortgage reaches 6 66 the highest level since the financial crisis of 2008 505 12 July Huw Edwards is identified by his wife as the BBC presenter being investigated for allegedly paying a 17 year old for sexually explicit photos His wife also says that Edwards is receiving in patient hospital care after an episode of depression following the publication of the allegations 506 Following an investigation into the allegations the Metropolitan Police releases a statement to say detectives have determined no criminal offence has been committed 507 The Bank of England says that rising interest rates mean that mortgages for at least one million borrowers will rise by an average of 500 a month by the end of 2023 508 The 2 6 GW Hornsea Project 4 is approved by the government becoming the second largest UK wind farm to receive planning consent following Hornsea Project Three 509 13 July The longest doctor s strike in NHS history begins as junior doctors begin a five day walkout over pay 510 The government offers more than a million public sector workers in England and Wales a pay rise worth an average of 6 The offer sees police and prison officers in England and Wales offered 7 with teachers in England offered 6 5 and junior doctors in England offered 6 511 A report published by the Intelligence and Security Committee of Parliament says the UK failed to develop an effective strategy for dealing with threats to its national security by China which has allowed Chinese intelligence to aggressively target the UK 512 14 July Data published by the Office for National Statistics indicates one in 20 people surveyed reported running out of food and being unable to afford to buy more because of rising food prices 513 The High Court of England and Wales gives its approval to legal challenges against the Home Office by Braintree District Council in Essex and West Lindsey District Council in Lincolnshire over plans to use two former airbases in the areas Wethersfield Airbase and RAF Scampton to house asylum seekers 514 The former Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy is cleared of raping a woman and attempting to rape another following a three week trial at Chester Crown Court 515 Abbott Laboratories producers of the FreeStyle Libre app used by around 200 000 people with diabetes in the UK temporarily withdraw the app from the App Store after technical problems with an update caused it to stop working on Apple devices in the UK 516 Just Stop Oil protesters interrupt the first night of the Proms at London s Royal Albert Hall 517 15 July The Local Government Association calls for disposable vapes to be banned in England and Wales by 2024 citing their environmental impact and their appeal to children 518 17 July A report from the National Audit Office concludes that the UK government is likely to miss its 2019 target to build 40 new NHS hospitals by 2030 519 As train drivers begin a six day overtime ban their union ASLEF announces a further six day overtime ban from 31 July 520 18 July A BBC investigation into working conditions at McDonald s has collected together a number of allegations of sexual assault harassment bullying and racism 521 A woman sentenced to 28 months imprisonment for illegally obtaining abortion pills in 2020 has her sentence reduced to a 14 month suspended sentence by the Court of Appeal and will be released from prison 522 The Home Office confirms the release of the first passports issued in King Charles III s name 523 19 July The first British passports are issued featuring King Charles III 524 The UK rate of inflation falls from 8 7 in May to 7 9 in June 525 Rishi Sunak issues an apology for the UK s historical treatment of LGBT people who were dismissed from the military because of their sexuality 526 20 July Senior doctors begin a two day walkout their first strike in a decade amid an ongoing dispute over pay 527 The Competition and Markets Authority tells supermarkets they must make their food pricing clearer in order to help shoppers make informed decisions about the best deals 528 A University of Oxford study suggests that if heavy meat eaters were to cut some of it out of their diet it would be like removing eight million cars from the road 529 The first phase of the COVID 19 Inquiry comes to an end with an interim report expected to be published in 2024 530 21 July July 2023 by elections 531 532 Uxbridge and South Ruislip The former seat of ex PM Boris Johnson is held by the Conservatives but with a significantly reduced majority of 495 votes The proposed ULEZ expansion by Labour s Sadiq Khan Mayor of London is a factor in the result Selby and Ainsty Labour takes the formerly safe Conservative seat of Selby and Ainsty The swing of 23 7 is the largest since 1945 Somerton and Frome The Liberal Democrats take Somerton and Frome overturning a Conservative majority of 29 6 22 23 July The most successful weekend for UK cinema going since 2019 is reported with Oppenheimer and Barbie taking 30m in their box office openings 533 23 July The Cabinet Office announces the launch of the Humanitarian Medal for emergency workers and humanitarian relief teams such as charities service personnel and health workers 534 24 July Thousands of Britons begin arriving home from Greece after being evacuated due to catastrophic wildfires in the region Travel agency Thomas Cook promises to refund those who booked holidays 535 The Competition and Markets Authority announces an investigation into companies that offer quickie divorces and will writing 536 26 July Oscar winning actor Kevin Spacey is cleared of all charges at London s Southwark Crown Court His trial had included nine charges with seven counts of sexual assault against four men 537 The consultation process for the proposed closure of hundreds of ticket offices at train stations in England is extended until 1 September 538 Dame Alison Rose admits to being the source of an inaccurate BBC news report about Nigel Farage s Coutts bank account after discussing the matter with BBC business editor Simon Jack something she describes as a serious error of judgement 539 She subsequently resigns from her post early the next day 540 27 July The Met Office publishes its State of the UK Climate 2022 report It concludes that the 40 C heatwave was extraordinary but would be considered an average year by 2060 and a cool year by 2100 if current emission trends continue 541 542 26 year old Louis De Zoysa is sentenced to a whole life order for the murder of police officer Matt Ratana in 2020 543 Peter Flavel resigns as chief executive of Coutts Bank over controversy surrounding the closure of Nigel Farage s account 544 28 July The High Court concludes that Sadiq Khan s plan to extend the Ultra Low Emission Zone ULEZ around London is lawful and can proceed 545 546 30 July Media outlets including BBC News report that the Infrastructure and Projects Authority has given the HS2 project an unachievable rating in a report published on 20 July 547 Sunak orders a review of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods declaring himself to be on the side of drivers 548 31 July Sunak announces that over 100 new licenses will be granted for oil and gas drilling in the North Sea a decision heavily criticised by environmental groups and opposition MPs as incompatible with the UK s climate change commitments Sunak insists the plan is entirely consistent with reaching net zero and says that a quarter of UK energy needs will come from oil and gas even after 2050 549 550 New rules come into force from the Financial Conduct Authority requiring banks to prove they are offering their customers fair value such as passing on interest rate rises to savers 551 The final date on which non barcoded stamps can be used when posting mail 552 August edit 1 August Nationwide reports that house prices fell by 3 8 in July the sharpest decline since July 2009 553 The UK s first permanent drone delivery service begins with Royal Mail and Skyports establishing a daily inter island mail distribution between three islands on Orkney 554 555 Changes on excise duty for alcohol come into force with the tax levied depending on a drink s strength 556 Former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier loses her seat following a successful recall petition triggering a by election 557 2 August COVID 19 in the UK The UK Health Security Agency reports the spread of a new variant known as EG 5 1 558 3 August The National Risk Register publishes its latest report on future threats facing the UK It puts the chance of another pandemic at between 5 and 25 Other risks include extreme weather caused by worsening climate change advances in artificial intelligence AI systems terrorism such as cyberattacks on infrastructure and the assassination of public figures 559 Greenpeace activists climb onto the roof of Rishi Sunak s North Yorkshire home unfurling sheets of black fabric in protest at his recent decision to expand oil and gas production in the North Sea 560 The Bank of England raises its baseline interest rate from 5 to 5 25 the 14th consecutive increase and the highest level since April 2008 The Bank also predicts inflation to fall below 5 in the final quarter of 2023 561 Brexit Checks on fresh food from the EU are delayed for a fifth time amid concerns over red tape 562 Homeware retailer Wilko files a notice of intention to call in administrators after failing to secure a buyer putting 12 000 jobs at risk 563 Butterfly Conservation reports a four fold increase in red admiral sightings compared to the previous year likely a result of higher temperatures in the UK 564 4 August Around 4 000 scouts from the UK attending the World Jamboree in South Korea are to be moved to hotels due to the ongoing 2023 Asia heat wave 565 A royal spokesman confirms there will be no official public events to mark the first anniversary of the death of Elizabeth II 566 The mother and stepfather of Jacob Crouch a 10 month old baby who died at his Derbyshire home in 2020 are found guilty of causing him severe injuries leading to death The mother 33 year old Gemma Barton is acquitted of murder but found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child as well as child cruelty and is sentenced to 10 years in prison Stepfather Craig Crouch is found guilty of murder and receives a minimum term of 28 years in prison 567 Storm Antoni hits the UK the first Met Office named storm of the year with forecasters warning of unseasonably strong winds that could pose a danger to life over the weekend 568 A top wind gust of 78 mph is recorded at Berry Head in Devon which is considered a potential record for the time of year 569 The biggest NHS privatisation since the Blair years is announced with eight new community diagnostic centres CDCs being planned in a bid to cut record high waiting lists A further five NHS run CDCs are also announced 570 5 August The 18th century Crooked House once known as Britain s wonkiest pub is gutted by a fire 571 The pub is demolished two days later Police subsequently confirm they are treating the fire as arson 572 6 August Secretary of State for Justice Alex Chalk confirms that the rule deducting living costs from compensation paid to people who have been wrongfully convicted will be scrapped 573 Greetings card retailer Clintons are to close around 20 of their outlets to cut back on expenditure 574 7 August The first group of asylum seekers to be housed on the Bibby Stockholm while they wait for the cases to be processed arrive on the barge following delays over safety concerns 575 8 August The Police Service of Northern Ireland issues an apology after a data breach led to the details of its officers being published online 576 The Electoral Commission warns people to look out for unauthorised use of their data after revealing it was the victim of a complex cyber attack in August 2021 which was not discovered until October 2022 577 The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation recommends the Autumn 2023 programme of COVID 19 booster vaccines should be routinely offered to all over 65s as well as those under 65 in clinical risk groups care home residents and frontline health workers This marks a change from 2022 when all adults over 50 were offered the booster The flu vaccine will also be offered to over 65s after the age was dropped to 50 during the pandemic 578 9 August A second Police Service of Northern Ireland data breach is revealed after it emerges a spreadsheet containing the names of 200 officers was stolen from a car in July 2023 579 10 August High street bargain homeware retailer Wilko goes into administration The move puts 12 000 jobs across 400 shops at risk 580 Simon Byrne the Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland says he is deeply sorry about two industrial scale data breaches but will not resign over the controversy 581 Coronation of Charles III and Camilla The Royal Mint unveils a special official Coronation 50 pence coin 582 11 August Data from the Office for National Statistics shows the UK economy grew by an average 0 2 between April and June 2023 This includes a better than expected increase of 0 5 for June as a result of warm weather which boosted both the construction and hospitality industries 583 Migrants are temporarily moved from the Bibby Stockholm after traces of the Legionella bacteria are found in the water supply 584 The number of migrants who have crossed the English Channel since 2018 passes 100 000 585 12 August England captain Harry Kane joins German champions Bayern Munich on a four year deal ending his record breaking career at Tottenham Hotspur 586 Six people are killed and 58 rescued by British and French coastguards after a boat carrying migrants sinks off the French coast near Sangatte in the English Channel 587 14 August Health Secretary Steve Barclay confirms no one has been harmed following the discovery of legionella bacteria on the Bibby Stockholm 588 15 August BBC News reports that five suspected spies for Russia were arrested in February 2023 three of whom have been charged in connection with the allegations 589 Data published by the Office for National Statistics indicates that average UK wages increased by 7 8 between April and June 2023 their highest increase since comparable figures began in 2001 590 16 August Data released by the Office for National Statistics indicates that UK rents rose by an average of 5 3 in the year to July 2023 the highest rise since comparable records began in 2016 591 UK inflation fell from 7 9 in June to 6 8 in July with the fall in energy costs helping to bring it down but food and hospitality prices remained high and continued to have an impact 592 17 August A Level results are published in England Wales and Northern Ireland with grades returning to pre pandemic levels 27 2 of all grades marked are rated as A or A 593 18 August Former nurse Lucy Letby 33 is found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others at the Countess of Chester Hospital between June 2015 and June 2016 following a trial which began 10 months ago She becomes the most prolific killer of babies in the UK in modern times She is cleared on two charges of attempted murder while the jury fails to reach verdicts on two further charges of attempted murder 594 The UK government orders an independent inquiry into the case 595 COVID 19 vaccination in the UK The UK Health Security Agency supports a proposal for the commercial sale of COVID 19 vaccines to the public for those wishing to top up their immunity after the age limit on the NHS booster programme is raised from 50 to 65 596 HM Treasury announces that banks will be fined if they fail to provide people with adequate cash withdrawal and deposit facilities The policy will require cash withdrawal and deposit facilities to be available within a mile of residents and businesses in an urban setting and three miles in rural settings 597 20 August 2023 FIFA Women s World Cup Spain win 1 0 against England in the final of the tournament 598 21 August Following her conviction on 18 August Lucy Letby is sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to a whole life order for the 14 charges she was convicted of Justice James Goss states that her cruel calculated and cynical campaign of child murder means she should never be released from prison 599 600 22 August Official figures show that Government borrowing in July was 4 3bn lower than the 5bn forecast by economists 601 Former Metropolitan Police officer Adam Provan is jailed for 16 years for multiple rapes against a teenage girl and a female police officer 602 It is reported that art dealer Ittai Gradel alerted the British Museum about possible missing items in 2021 but was told all objects were accounted for 603 23 August It is reported that doctors at Oxford s Churchill Hospital have carried out the UK s first womb transplant with a 34 year old woman receiving her sister s womb in a 17 hour operation that took place in February 2023 604 24 August Data released by the Home Office shows that 175 000 people were waiting to have their claims for asylum assessed at the end of June 2023 an increase of 44 on the same time in 2022 605 GCSE results are published in England Wales and Northern Ireland with 68 2 of all entries marked at grades 4 C and above It is the second fall in overall results taking them almost back to pre pandemic levels 606 25 August Ofgem confirms the energy price cap will fall again in October with an annual gas and electricity bill at around 1 923 607 The National Crime Agency launches a criminal investigation after linking 88 UK deaths with an online seller from Canada accused of selling them a poisonous substance so they could commit suicide 608 26 August Conservative MP Nadine Dorries resigns her Parliamentary seat two months after originally saying she would do so accusing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of abandoning the fundamental principles of Conservatism and that history will not judge him kindly 609 28 August Hundreds of flights to and from the UK are delayed following technical problems with the UK s air traffic control system 610 29 August Martin Rolfe chief executive of the National Air Transport Service confirms that an initial investigation into the disruption caused to the UK s air traffic control system indicates it to be as a result of flight data received As passengers continue to face delays in catching flights the incident is to be investigated by the Civil Aviation Authority 611 30 August Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announces plans to introduce legislation that will compel convicted criminals to attend their sentencing hearings by force if necessary or face more time in prison 612 Health Secretary Steve Barclay announces that the inquiry into the circumstances surrounding Lucy Letby s crimes has been upgraded to a statutory hearing meaning that witnesses can be compelled to give evidence 613 Property website Zoopla forecasts that UK house sales for 2023 are on course to be at their lowest since 2012 with an estimated one million completed by the end of the year a fifth lower than 2022 614 September edit 1 September A crisis emerges in schools hospitals and other public buildings centred around the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete RAAC a widely used but outdated material believed to be unsafe and in danger of crumbling The announcements come just days before the beginning of the new academic year 615 616 617 Figures published by the Nationwide Building Society indicate UK house prices in August 2023 were 5 3 lower than those in August 2022 the largest fall since 2009 618 Octopus Energy announces plans to buy Shell Energy giving Octopus an additional 1 4 million customers 619 3 September Chancellor Jeremy Hunt says the UK government will spend what it takes to put right the problem of defective concrete in schools 620 and says that structural problems could be identified in more schools and other public buildings 621 Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy announces that staff at the retailer will be offered body cameras following a rise in violent incidents 622 UK government data indicates 872 migrants crossed the English Channel the previous day the highest daily number of 2023 623 4 September Labour leader Keir Starmer performs a cabinet reshuffle as MPs return to Westminster after the summer break This includes Angela Rayner becoming both Shadow Levelling Up Secretary and Shadow Deputy Prime Minister 624 Simon Byrne resigns as Chief Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland with immediate effect following a number of recent controversies 625 The Met Office issues a heat health alert for much of the country with temperatures forecast to reach as high as 32 C later in the week 626 BBC News reports that a record number of Asian hornets sightings could have devastating consequences for the UK s bee population for many years to come 627 5 September Birmingham City Council the largest local authority in Europe declares itself effectively bankrupt The crisis which prevents all but essential spending to protect core services is linked to a 760m bill to settle equal pay claims along with implementation of a new IT system 628 As parts of the UK experience a heat wave the UK Health Security Agency upgrades a yellow heat health alert to an amber warning in eight of the UK s nine regions amid forecasts that temperatures will reach 32 C 629 The UK government announces that nitrous oxide will be reclassified as a Class C drug and made illegal by the end of the year with possession carrying a sentence of up to two years in prison 630 Home Secretary Suella Braverman announces that Russia s mercenary Wagner Group is to be proscribed as a terrorist organisation 631 6 September A manhunt is launched for remand prisoner Daniel Abed Khalife following his escape from HMP Wandsworth 632 7 September The UK rejoins the EU s Horizon scientific research programme 633 Justice Secretary Alex Chalk announces an independent inquiry into the escape of Daniel Khalife from Wandsworth Prison The inquiry will have two areas of focus a review of the placement and categorisation of all inmates at Wandsworth and an investigation of all people in custody currently charged with terror offences 634 The UK s first EV only manufacturing plant begins production at Ellesmere Port Cheshire 635 The UK experiences a fourth day of temperatures exceeding 30 C 86 F the highest consecutive number on record for the month of September with hot weather expected to continue until the weekend 636 8 September The first anniversary of the death of Elizabeth II is marked by gun salutes at Hyde Park and the Tower of London as well as the release of a short message from Charles III along with a previously unreleased portrait of the Queen taken in 1968 637 9 September Following a four day manhunt Daniel Khalife is arrested by the Metropolitan Police in Chiswick London 638 10 September The Sunday Times reports that two men have been arrested under the Official Secrets Act including a researcher in the UK Parliament accused of spying for China 639 Mo Farah considered one of the greatest British athletes of all time takes part in the final race of his career at age 40 finishing fourth in the Great North Run 640 The Metropolitan Police confirm that Daniel Khalife has been charged with escaping from Wandsworth Prison 641 He appears before Westminster Magistrates Court the following day where he is remanded in custody until 29 September 642 11 September The GMB Union confirms that the UK s 400 Wilko stores will close by early October after a bid to rescue the retailer fell through 643 Home Secretary Suella Braverman says she is seeking urgent advice on potentially banning the American Bully XL dog breed following an attack by a dog on an 11 year old girl in Birmingham 644 12 September Pepco Group owners of Poundland announce they will take on the lease of 71 Wilko stores and convert them into Poundland outlets 645 Government data reveals that average wages increased by 7 8 from May to July matching the pace of inflation for the first time since 2021 646 A joint study carried out by the University of Exeter the University of Surrey and the Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery highlights the experiences of female surgeons many of whom say they have faced sexual harassment sexual assault or been raped by male colleagues 647 Stonegate Group the UK s largest pub chain announces plans to introduce dynamic pricing during evenings and weekends at around 800 of its 4 000 outlets 648 13 September Data from the Office for National Statistics indicates the UK economy shrank by 0 5 during July which is largely attributed to strike action and wet weather 649 Data published by UK Finance shows payments by cash in the UK rose during 2022 for the first time in ten years but were still lower than those by debit and credit card 650 15 September Following a recent spate of dog attacks primarily involving the American XL bully the government announces that the breed will be banned under the Dangerous Dogs Act by the end of the year 651 Port Talbot Steelworks is allocated up to 500m by the UK government in a bid to keep the plant open and produce steel using greener methods 652 Marks amp Spencer becomes the latest high street retailer to announce it is scrapping plastic bags in favour of paper ones 653 16 September Comedian and actor Russell Brand is accused by four women of rape sexual assaults and emotional abuse between 2006 and 2013 following a joint investigation by the Sunday Times and Channel 4 s Dispatches Brand releases a video denying serious criminal allegations 654 Christine Middlemiss the UK s Chief Veterinary Officer says there will not be a cull of American bully XL dogs following Sunak s announcement that the breed is to be banned 655 Solicitors representing convicted killer nurse Lucy Letby announce that she will be applying for permission to appeal against her convictions citation needed 18 September COVID 19 vaccination in the UK New booster vaccines begin rolling out for people aged 65 and over in England as a precaution against a highly mutated new COVID 19 variant called Pirola 656 A new palm oil substitute called PALM ALT is presented by researchers at Queen Margaret University in Scotland The plant based ingredient is shown to be 70 better for the environment than conventional palm oil and is described as the holy grail to replace it 657 658 Conservative MP Dehenna Davison resigns as a levelling up minister saying chronic migraines have made it impossible to do her job 659 Russell Brand s live tour is postponed as police investigate a further allegation of sexual assault by the celebrity dating back to 2003 660 The UK government announces that Post Office workers who had wrongful convictions for false accounting and theft overturned will each be offered 600 000 in compensation 661 19 September The UK government announces that commissioners will be appointed to oversee the running of Birmingham City Council following its recent financial troubles 662 The Scottish Government begins its legal challenge against Westminster over the UK government s decision to block the controversial Gender Recognition Reform Scotland Bill 663 20 September Data released by the Office for National Statistics show that inflation fell from 6 8 in July to 6 7 in August something that is attributed to a fall in food prices 664 Sunak announces a major rethink of the UK government s strategy to achieve net zero carbon output in the UK by 2050 including a delay in banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030 to 2035 665 21 September The Bank of England holds interest rates at 5 25 after inflation for August was lower than expected 666 Five Bulgarian nationals suspected of spying for Russia are to be charged with conspiracy to conduct espionage 667 Charles III addresses the French Senate during his state visit to France 668 News Corp chairman Rupert Murdoch announces his retirement and plan to hand over his businesses to his son Lachlan Murdoch additionally owned the American broadcaster Fox and formerly Sky Group 669 22 September It is reported that eight year old Aditi Shankar has become the first child in the UK to receive a kidney transplant that will not require her to take medication to prevent the organ being rejected and that she is healthy and has returned to school 670 In his first statement since further allegations were made against him Russell Brand posts a video on social media describing his week as extraordinary and distressing 671 23 September The government s home energy efficiency taskforce is scrapped 672 Members of the anti monarchist pressure group Republic stage what they describe as the first ever protest inside Buckingham Palace 673 24 September Home Secretary Suella Braverman orders a review into armed policing after 300 firearms officers hand in their weapons following concerns over a police officer charged with murdering 24 year old Chris Kaba 674 Most of the officers return to their duties the following day 675 25 September A hearing at Manchester Crown Court determines that Lucy Letby will face a retrial for one of the six counts of attempted murder that the jury at her original trial was unable to reach a verdict on a provisional trial date is set for 10 June 2024 676 The Metropolitan Police are to investigate allegations of non recent sexual offences following recent reports about comedian Russell Brand 677 26 September Home Secretary Suella Braverman tells a US think tank the 1951 Refugees Convention is no longer fit for the modern age and that being discriminated against for being gay or female should not be enough to qualify for refugee status The United Nations High Commission for Refugees rejects the comments 678 Dr Mike McKean vice president for policy at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health says that public health messaging suggesting vaping is 95 safer than smoking is ineffective as a growing number of children are using e cigarettes and experiencing health problems and that messaging should have made it clearer that vaping should be for adults trying to give up smoking 679 Five Bulgarian nationals accused of being part of a Russian spy ring appear in court in central London and are remanded in custody 680 27 September A 15 year old girl is stabbed to death outside the Whitgift Centre in Croydon South London Police subsequently arrest a male teenager over her murder 681 The Rosebank oil and gas field off Shetland the UK s largest untapped oil field is granted consent by regulators amid widespread concerns over its contribution to climate change 682 GB News suspends Laurence Fox as a presenter while it investigates comments he made on the channel about Ava Evans a female journalist 683 Later in the day Dan Wootton is suspended over the same incident 684 The UK s first drugs consumption room gets the go ahead in Glasgow allowing heroin and cocaine addicts to use the substances under supervision 685 A report by the Education Select Committee draws attention to the increased number of absences from schools in England which has doubled since the COVID 19 pandemic data for 2022 23 shows an average of 22 3 of school pupils were absent compared to between 10 and 12 in the years prior to the pandemic A combination of mental health issues and the cost of living crisis are attributed to the increase 686 28 September The 15 year old girl murdered in Croydon South London the previous day is named locally as Elianne Andam 687 Police are given an extra 24 hours to question the 17 year old suspect 688 The landmark Sycamore Gap Tree beside Hadrian s Wall in Northumberland is illegally felled A 16 year old boy is subsequently arrested on suspicion of criminal damage 689 29 September A school bus carrying 58 people overturns between junction 4 and 5 of the M53 motorway killing a 15 year old girl and the driver A major incident is declared by North West Ambulance Service and Liverpool s Alder Hey Children s Hospital Dozens of others are treated for injuries and several are hospitalised 690 691 692 A 17 year old boy appears in court charged with the murder of Elianne Andam and is remanded in youth detention to appear before the Old Bailey on 3 October 693 A second person a man in his 60s is arrested in correction with the cutting down of the world famous Sycamore Gap Tree The 16 year old boy arrested over the incident the previous day is released on bail 694 In an interview with The Sun Prime Minister Rishi Sunak reinforces his pro motorist stance saying he wants to stop hare brained road calming and safety schemes including 20 mph zones and low traffic neighbourhoods putting an end to what he refers to as a war on motorists 695 October edit 2 October Russell Brand faces a second police investigation as Thames Valley Police announce they are looking into claims of harassment and stalking by the comedian 696 The price of a first class stamp rises from 1 10 to 1 25 the third increase in 18 months 697 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt confirms the National Minimum Wage will rise to 11 an hour from April 2024 698 The Met Office confirms that September 2023 was the joint warmest September on record for the UK tying with 2006 with an average temperature of 15 2 C 699 3 October Home Secretary Suella Braverman addresses the Conservative Party Conference and says a hurricane of migrants is coming to the UK 700 4 October Rishi Sunak confirms that the West Midlands to Manchester portion of the High Speed 2 HS2 rail link will be axed which will free up 36bn to be spent on new transport projects in the North and Midlands He also confirms that the southern portion of the line will run all the way from Birmingham to Euston not just Old Oak Common as earlier reports had speculated 701 702 Sunak proposes that the age at which people can buy cigarettes and tobacco should rise by one year every year so that eventually no one can buy them emulating a similar scheme announced recently in New Zealand 703 Sunak confirms plans to replace A Levels and T Levels in England with a new qualification called the Advanced British Standard 704 Laurence Fox is arrested on suspicion of conspiring to commit criminal damage to ULEZ cameras and encouraging or assisting offences to be committed He is subsequently fired from GB News along with fellow presenter Calvin Robinson 705 706 Cheshire Police confirm they have launched an investigation into possible corporate manslaughter at the Countess of Chester Hospital where killer nurse Lucy Letby was employed 707 5 October Jaswant Singh Chail 21 becomes the first person in the UK to be convicted of treason since 1981 after taking a crossbow to Windsor Castle and intending to kill Queen Elizabeth II 708 The Metropolitan Police announce that 21 people arrested during the King s Coronation will face no further charges 709 2023 Cricket World Cup in India England competes in the 2023 Cricket World Cup 5 6 October 2023 Rutherglen and Hamilton West by election Labour s Michael Shanks wins resoundingly defeating the incumbent SNP by a swing of over 20 710 7 October The Criminal Cases Review Commission is to review the conviction of Michael Stone for the 1996 murders of Lin and Megan Russell after serial killer Levi Bellfield is reported to have confessed to the murders 711 nbsp October 2023 The UK joins the international response to the Israel Hamas War 8 October Police patrols in London are increased after videos emerge of what appears to be people celebrating a series of attacks launched by Hamas against Israel 712 Nathanel Young a 20 year old British man serving in the Israeli army is killed in an attack by Hamas militants 713 The Israeli Embassy in London confirms that British born Jake Marlowe who was working in Israel as a security guard is missing following the previous day s attacks 714 The final Wilko stores close in the UK 715 9 October Sunak chairs an emergency COBRA meeting to discuss the escalating situation in Israel and pledges further support for the country 716 The number of dead or missing Britons caught up in the Israel Gaza attacks rises to more than 10 Nathanel Young and Bernard Cowan are the only two confirmed to have been killed 717 Addressing the congregation of a London synagogue Sunak says that Britain stands with Israel and that he will stop at nothing to keep Britain s Jewish community safe 718 Humza Yousaf the First Minister of Scotland condemns the attacks and expresses concern for his in laws who are trapped in Gaza after travelling there to visit relatives 719 10 October In his speech to the Labour Party Conference Sir Keir Starmer promises NHS reform more police officers on streets and 1 5 million new homes 720 The beginning of the speech is disrupted by a heckler on stage who throws black glitter over Starmer 721 After making contact with his parents in law in Gaza Humza Yousaf calls for a humanitarian corridor to be established 722 The UK and Ireland are confirmed as joint hosts of Euro 2028 723 Research carried out by Kantar indicates that September s warm weather delayed the purchase of Christmas food items such as seasonal biscuits and puddings 724 The International Monetary Fund forecasts the UK will have the highest inflation and slowest economic growth of any G7 economy during 2024 something the UK government describes as too gloomy 725 All flights from Luton Airport are halted while emergency services deal with a large fire at Terminal Car Park 2 726 11 October An official source tells BBC News that 17 Britons including children are feared dead or are missing in Israel following the Hamas attacks 727 A statement issued by Buckingham Palace says that King Charles III is appalled and condemns the barbaric acts of terrorism in Israel and that the King s thoughts and prayers are with all of those suffering particularly those who have lost loved ones but also those actively involved as we speak 728 British Airways and Virgin Atlantic suspend all flights to and from Israel amid safety concerns with British Airways turning back one of its flights shortly before it was scheduled to land at Tel Aviv Airport 729 730 12 October Data from the Office for National Statistics indicates the UK economy grew by 0 2 in August after shrinking in July 731 Bernie Ecclestone pleads guilty to fraud after failing to declare more than 400m of overseas assets 732 The SNP s Lisa Cameron defects to the Conservatives citing a toxic culture in her former party 733 The Foreign Office announces that the UK will arrange flights to help get stranded British nationals out of Israel 734 The recommended safe daily dose of cannabidiol CBD is lowered by the Food Standards Agency following concerns that long term use might cause liver and other health problems 735 Downing Street announces that the UK will send surveillance aircraft and two Royal Navy ships to the eastern Mediterranean to support Israel 736 The Royal Mint unveils a new set of coins bearing the portrait of Charles III which will go into circulation at the end of the year 737 13 October The Competition and Markets Authority approves Microsoft s 59bn takeover of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard the largest ever deal in video game history 738 739 The United Kingdom begins evacuating British citizens from Israel 740 The Metropolitan Police reports a massive increase in the number of antisemitic incidents in London between 30 September and 13 October with 105 incidents and 75 offences compared to 14 incidents and 12 offences during the same period of 2022 Sunak describes the increase as disgusting 741 14 October Sir Michael Caine announces his retirement from acting at the age of 90 following the recent launch of his final film The Great Escaper 742 Pro Palestinian protests take place in cities across the UK including London and Manchester with police warning that anyone showing support for Hamas faces arrest 743 Red paint is sprayed over the BBC headquarters in central London A pro Palestinian group claims responsibility citing the broadcaster s coverage of the Israel Hamas war but the Metropolitan police denies the incident is linked to a protest group and says no arrests have been made 744 Oxford s Joint European Torus nuclear fusion laboratory conducts its final experiments after 40 years in operation 745 15 October First Minister of Scotland Humza Yousaf signals a change in his party s Scottish independence strategy now saying that an SNP win in a majority of Scotland s Westminster seats would give the party a mandate to begin independence negotiations with the Westminster Government 746 One person is killed and another is wounded in a stabbing attack in Hartlepool The attack is being investigated by Counter Terrorism Policing A suspect has been detained 747 16 22 October Storm Babet hits the UK bringing disruption to much of the country Red weather warnings are issued by the Met Office as three deaths are reported and power shortages affect tens of thousands in Scotland The crew of a Danish fishing trawler are rescued by the RNLI in the North Sea 748 16 October Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirms that six British citizens were killed during the Hamas attacks on Israel while a further ten are missing 749 Two British teenage sisters Noya and Yahel Sharabi are among those missing and believed to have been kidnapped following the 7 October attacks on Israel Their mother Lianne also a British citizen was killed in the Be eri massacre 750 751 The following day the girls family tells the BBC the Yahel was also murdered 752 On 22 October the family release a statement to say Noya was also murdered 753 Guardian cartoonist Steve Bell is sacked following a row over a drawing he created of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that was deemed to be antisemitic 754 Justice Secretary Alex Chalk announces that prisons in England and Wales will be allowed to release some minor offenders on probation early in order to alleviate overcrowding 755 17 October Data from the Office for National Statistics indicates average wages increased by 7 8 in the three months July 2023 and consequently outpaced inflation for the first time since October 2021 756 Wales becomes the first country in the UK to ban the use of snares and glue boards for catching rats 757 18 October Amazon announce plans to begin using drones to deliver packages in the UK by the end of 2024 758 The High Court releases its ruling over the Carla Foster case stating that sentencing women to prison for abortion related crimes is unlikely to be a just outcome 759 19 October Prime Minister Rishi Sunak begins a two day visit to Israel as part of diplomatic efforts to help prevent the Israel Hamas war escalating into a wider Middle East conflict 760 Following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Sunak says he will stand with Israel in solidarity 761 British Israeli Yonatan Rapoport is named as one of the people killed during the 7 October attack on Israel 762 Migrants are returned to the Bibby Stockholm accommodation barge in Portland Dorset amid protests at the port gates 763 Members of the National Union of Rail Maritime and Transport Workers RMT vote to stage a further six months of strike action 764 20 October 2023 Mid Bedfordshire by election Labour MP Alistair Strathern wins the constituency of Mid Bedfordshire with the Conservatives share of the vote falling by 28 7 one of the largest swings of the post war era 765 2023 Tamworth by election Labour MP Sarah Edwards wins the constituency of Tamworth with the Conservatives share of the vote falling by 25 6 765 Sunak meets Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas in Egypt where they jointly condemn Hamas s attacks on Israel Sunak also expressed his deep condolences for civilian deaths in Gaza 766 Data from the Office for National Statistics shows UK government borrowing was at 14 3bn in September 2023 lower than the 18 3bn that had been forecast by economists 767 Moody s drops its negative credit rating for the UK saying that policy predictability has been restored following the September 2022 mini budget 768 21 October A report prepared by the Royal College of Psychiatrists suggests more support is needed to prevent children under the age of five from going on to develop mental health problems in later life 769 A pro Palestinian protest is held in London Although the main event passes without incident video subsequently emerges of a man chanting jihad at a separate rally but the Metropolitan Police say no offence has been committed after reviewing the film Following a discussion on the matter with the Home Secretary Metropolitan Police chief Sir Mark Rowley says hate crime laws probably need redrawing 770 2023 Rugby World Cup England are defeated by South Africa in the Rugby World Cup semi final 771 23 October A significant breakthrough in treating cervical cancer is reported by University College London with participants in a Phase III trial seeing a 35 reduction in the risk of both mortality or the disease returning The study used a combination of existing cheap drugs ahead of usual radiotherapy treatment 772 773 The Royal Mint unveil a special Christmas 50 pence coin celebrating the 1978 picture book The Snowman by Raymond Briggs 774 British Israeli Yosef Guedalia is named as another victim killed by Hamas in the 7 October attack 775 Sunak tells parliament the UK has judged the al Ahli Arab Hospital explosion which occurred on 17 October was likely caused by a missile or part of one fired from within Gaza 776 COVID 19 in the UK Hospitals ask visitors to wear face coverings amidst a rise in COVID 19 cases 777 24 October Office for National Statistics data shows that UK unemployment remained at 4 2 in the three months up to August 2023 778 A BBC investigation finds that UK authorities failed to act on multiple official warnings about an online forum promoting suicide connected to at least 50 UK deaths 779 Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick confirms that the UK government will stop using 50 hotels to accommodate asylum seekers by January 2024 780 Local officials subsequently warn that local authorities may be forced to pay for use of the hotels instead 781 The Financial Conduct Authority confirms that the cap on bankers bonuses introduced in 2014 will be lifted from 31 October as part of post Brexit financial reforms 782 2023 North Sea incident Two cargo ships the British flagged Verity and the Bahamas flagged Polesie collide in the North Sea near the Heligoland islands with several individuals missing and the suspected sinking of the Verity 783 25 October Lloyds Banking Group releases forecasts for UK house prices predicting they will shrink by 4 7 in 2023 and 2 4 in 2024 before beginning to rise again in 2025 784 Sunak tells Parliament he supports specific pauses in the Israel Hamas conflict to allow the delivery of aid and get British citizens out of the area 785 Lewis Edwards a former officer with South Wales Police who groomed 210 underage girls using social media and blackmailed them into sending him indecent photographs is sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 12 years 786 Three members of the Just Stop Oil protest group are arrested on suspicion of criminal damage after spraying the Wellington Arch in central London with orange paint 787 A police misconduct hearing finds that two Metropolitan Police officers who stopped and searched athletes Bianca Williams and Ricardo Dos Santos in west London committed gross misconduct and the officers are dismissed 788 26 October Sunak gives a speech warning of the dangers of artificial intelligence 789 27 October Labour Mayor of London Sadiq Khan Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar break with the stance of Labour s leader Sir Keir Starmer on the Israel Hamas conflict by calling for a ceasefire in Gaza 790 791 The new owner of the Wilko brand announces that up to five shops will open under the Wilko name before Christmas 792 GB News hires former Prime Minister Boris Johnson to present a series showcasing the power of Britain around the world he will also help to provide coverage of the next UK and US elections 793 Data released to BBC News indicates there are around 3 500 dogs belonging to banned species living legally at residences in the UK mainland under an exemption scheme 794 28 October 10 million worth of cocaine is found in a Panamanian registered container ship carrying bananas to the Netherlands at the Port of Sheerness 795 796 30 October The UK government grants 27 new oil and gas licences for projects in the North Sea that will allow potential resources to be explored and developed 797 Mark Drakeford First Minister of Wales and leader of Welsh Labour echoes Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer s call for a humanitarian pause in the Gaza conflict to allow aid in to the region His comments come after 12 of his backbenchers in the Senedd signed a petition calling for a ceasefire 798 Joshua Bowles a former GCHQ employee from Cheltenham who stabbed a woman from the US in a March 2023 attack at a leisure centre car park in the town is sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 13 years after pleading guilty to attempted murder at an Old Bailey hearing 799 The Met Office issues a warning for heavy rain and floods for parts of the UK ahead of the arrival of Storm Ciaran 800 A ban on the sale of some single use plastic items such as cutlery plates and drinking straws comes into force in Wales 801 31 October Plans to close hundreds of rail ticket offices in England are scrapped Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper says the government has asked train operators to withdraw their proposals because they failed to meet high passenger standards This follows a public consultation into the cost cutting proposals which attracted 750 000 responses in which 99 were objections 802 803 Lee Cain the former Downing Street Director of Communications gives evidence at the second phase of the COVID 19 public inquiry He states I don t think there was any clarity of purpose any really serious outlined plan to deal with Covid at that particular point and I think that was the core failure and says the pandemic was the wrong crisis for Boris Johnson s skill set 804 The UK government confirms that American XL Bully dogs have been added to the banned list under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and that from 1 February 2024 it will become illegal to own one in England and Wales unless the owner has successfully applied for the dog to be exempt 805 November edit nbsp 1 November 2023 Amid an ongoing boom in AI the UK hosts the world s first international summit devoted to safely managing the technology 1 November The Foreign Office reports that the departure of British nationals from Gaza will likely take place in stages over the coming days The BBC reports that 200 are believed to be in the region 806 The 2023 AI Safety Summit takes place at Bletchley Park The UK government announces a world first agreement between 28 countries on how to manage the riskiest forms of AI 807 808 Gail Bradbrook a co founder of Extinction Rebellion is convicted of causing 27 000 of damage to the Department for Transport at a demonstration in 2019 809 Figures published by Nationwide Building Society indicate a 0 9 rise in house prices in October the largest for a year which Nationwide says was likely due to demand being greater than availability of properties for sale 810 The 2024 British Soap Awards are cancelled for an undisclosed reason 811 Storm Ciaran hits Great Britain 812 bringing winds of up to 100 mph and widespread disruption 813 2 November The Bank of England keeps interest rates unchanged at 5 25 for a second consecutive month 814 The Beatles release Now and Then likely the band s last ever song featuring restored vocals by John Lennon 1940 1980 as well as guitar tracks by George Harrison 1943 2001 based on a home demo recorded by Lennon in the late 1970s 815 The sale of tickets for the 2024 Glastonbury Festival is delayed for two weeks out of fairness to customers who did not realise their registration had expired 816 3 November Jordan McSweeney the killer of Zara Aleena wins a Court of Appeal challenge to have his minimum sentence of 38 years reduced to a minimum of 33 years 817 Conservative MP Bob Stewart is found guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence after telling an activist to go back to Bahrain 818 BBC News reports that Matthew White the sixth suspect in the murder of Stephen Lawrence allegedly confessed to involvement in the killing when he tried to stab a security guard while shoplifting from a supermarket in 2015 819 Sunak warns that protests planned for Armistice Day on 11 November would be provocative and disrespectful 820 4 November A further allegation of sexual assault is made against Russell Brand dating from 2010 821 Home Secretary Suella Braverman announces a plan to deter those who cause nuisance by pitching tents in public spaces by making it harder for homeless people to access tents describing it as a lifestyle choice 822 Around 100 people are injured after a cruise ship the Spirit of Discovery owned by Saga Cruises is caught in a storm in the Bay of Biscay 823 6 November Following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court Mohammed Abbkr is convicted of attempted murder after he set two elderly worshippers alight after they left mosques in London and Birmingham 824 The Metropolitan Police urges the organisers of pro Palestinian marches to delay events planned for Armistice Day 825 7 November Charles III attends the 2023 State Opening of Parliament his first as King 826 Anastrozole a drug used for a number of years to treat breast cancer is licensed for use in England as a preventative option 827 Prince William announces the five winners of the annual Earthshot Prize 828 Bradford East MP Imran Hussain resigns as Shadow Minister for the New Deal for Working People from the opposition frontbench citing Keir Starmer s response to the 2023 Israel Hamas war 829 8 November Possession of nitrous oxide commonly known as laughing gas or NOS is categorised as a Class C drug making its possession illegal in the UK 830 Sunak says he will hold the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police accountable over a pro Palestinian march planned for Armistice Day and meets with Sir Mark Rowley to discuss the demonstration 831 Members of the National Union of Rail Maritime and Transport Workers are to vote on a revised pay offer and guarantee of job security that could end the railway strikes 832 The Mounjaro injection for treating obesity is approved for use in the UK by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency 833 834 9 November Home Secretary Suella Braverman faces questions about her future after writing an article for The Times questioning the impartiality of the police over the way they deal with demonstrations claiming that aggressive right wing protesters are rightly met with a stern response while pro Palestinian mobs are largely ignored The article was not cleared by Downing Street while she ignored suggested changes to the piece made by officials 835 Data from NHS England shows waiting lists in England reached a record high in September 2023 with 7 77 million people waiting for treatment in England including over a million on more than one waiting list 836 The Rosalind Franklin Covid Laboratory in Leamington Spa the UK s first COVID 19 testing mega lab which opened in June 2021 is put up for sale by the UK government 837 10 November Data from the Office for National Statistics shows the UK economy did not grow between July and September 2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt blames high interest rates for the situation but says that overall the economy has performed better than expected during 2023 838 Downing Street says that Rishi Sunak still has full confidence in Home Secretary Suella Braverman while Chancellor Jeremy Hunt says her comments are not words that I myself would have used 839 The High Court rules that Prince Harry and six others can go ahead with a case against Associated Newspapers Ltd for unlawfully obtaining information about them Associated Newspapers had wanted to stop the case arguing the time on the claims had expired 840 The Metropolitan Police imposes an exclusion zone around the Cenotaph ahead of planned demonstrations over Remembrance Weekend 841 11 November A pro Palestinian march through central London goes ahead as planned attended by an estimated 300 000 people who walk from Park Lane down to the U S Embassy in Nine Elms Police arrest more than 100 counter protesters 842 Deepfake audio of London Mayor Sadiq Khan calling for Armistice Day to be re scheduled for the march is reportedly circulated by a far right group The Met Police says it does not constitute a criminal offence 843 12 November The Metropolitan Police condemns extreme violence from right wing protesters during the previous day s demonstrations in London 844 Seven people are charged with disorder related offences 845 The Met Office issues a yellow weather warning for wind and rain ahead of the arrival of Storm Debi which will affect parts of northern England and Wales 846 13 November Cabinet reshuffle Suella Braverman is sacked as Home Secretary and replaced by James Cleverly In a surprise move the former PM David Cameron is appointed as Foreign Secretary Therese Coffey resigns as environment secretary and is succeeded by Steve Barclay 847 848 Richard Holden is made the Conservative party chair replacing Greg Hands Victoria Atkins is promoted to health secretary Laura Trott becomes chief secretary to the Treasury 849 Following a trial at the Old Bailey Aine Davis who spent two years with Islamic State is sentenced to eight years in prison for possessing a weapon for terrorism purposes and attempting to fundraise for terrorism purposes 850 14 November Two more people come forward with allegations against Russell Brand during his time at the BBC 851 Seven members of a paedophile gang are found guilty of running a child sex abuse ring in Glasgow described by the NSPCC as one of the worst cases of its kind in decades 852 Israel Hamas war David Cameron the new foreign secretary announces sanctions against four senior Hamas leaders and two of the militant group s financiers 853 Chelsea Ladies Football Club manager Emma Hayes is named as the new manager of the United States women s national football team and will take up the role in May 2024 854 15 November Inflation falls to 4 6 the lowest rate since November 2021 driven mainly by lower energy prices 855 The British Government s plan to deport migrants to Rwanda is ruled as unlawful by the Supreme Court 856 Sunak says the government will introduce emergency legislation to enable Parliament to confirm Rwanda is safe and prevent legal challenges from blocking the migrant policy 857 More than 50 Labour MPs defy Sir Keir Starmer to vote for an immediate ceasefire in the Israel Hamas war 858 The General Synod of the Church of England votes to allow special church services of blessing for gay couples 859 16 November David Cameron makes his first working visit to Ukraine as Foreign Secretary where he meets President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv and reiterates the UK s promise to provide moral diplomatic and above all military support for however long it takes 860 Train drivers union ASLEF announces new strike dates with a rolling programme of strikes from 2 December to 8 December affecting different train companies on different days 861 A sixth person is confirmed dead following a house fire in Hounslow West London 862 Casgevy a world first gene therapy that aims to cure sickle cell disease and transfusion dependent beta thalassemia is approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency becoming the first drug using CRISPR to be licensed 863 864 17 November Education Secretary Gillian Keegan says she is deeply concerned about children missing school to attend pro Palestinian protests after a number of school age children were seen at protests around the UK 865 After being found in breach of the Premier League s financial rules Everton Football Club have 10 points deducted leaving them 19th in the league s table It is the biggest punishment in the Premier League s history 866 A study published by the Health Foundation finds that 12 of the UK s workforce has a work limiting health condition a figure roughly equating to around 3 7m and up from 8 5 a decade ago These conditions are particular prevalent in the young 867 19 November Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves describes protests targeting MPs over the Gaza conflict as crossing the line after a demonstration was held near the offices of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer the previous day 868 20 November The latest stage of the Covid 19 Inquiry hears from Sir Patrick Vallance Chief Scientific Adviser during the pandemic He recalls that Boris Johnson struggled with scientific concepts and that after a five hour meeting with him after the Prime Minister had returned from a Battle of Britain memorial service and was distressed by seeing everyone separated and in masks he looked broken his head in hands a lot He quotes the PM saying We are too shit to get our act together He also recalls that Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty had concerns about the indirect harms of lockdown 869 870 21 November Four bodies are found by North Wales Police in the search for teenage boys missing for two days after their car appeared to have left the road near Tremadog 871 A coroner s inquest later finds they drowned after the vehicle overturned and became partially submerged in water 872 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announces an increase in the National Living Wage to 11 44 from April 2024 with the increase also encompassing those aged 21 and 22 for the first time 873 22 November Lady Justice Thirlwall formally opens the public inquiry into the activities of serial killer Lucy Letby 874 Jeremy Hunt delivers the November 2023 United Kingdom autumn statement 875 23 November More than 50 firefighters tackle a major blaze at the Station Hill development in Reading One person is lifted by crane from the roof of a building and two people are treated in hospital for smoke inhalation 876 Office for National Statistics data suggests that in 2022 net migration the difference between the number of people arriving in the UK and leaving the UK was 745 000 something the UK government describes as too high 877 Ofgem confirms that household energy prices will rise by 5 from January 2024 878 Lawrence Jones founder of tech company UKFast Limited is convicted of drugging and raping women in the early 1990s while he worked as a hotel pianist 879 25 November A 200 metre stretch of road collapses onto a beach at Hemsby Norfolk due to coastal erosion causing significant damage and disruption to the area No casualties are reported 880 Another cliff collapse is reported further south at Pakefield Holiday Park in Lowestoft Suffolk The public is urged to avoid the area as local residents are evacuated 881 26 November An estimated 100 000 people including former prime minister Boris Johnson attend a march against antisemitism in central London 882 Prophet Song a dystopian novel set in Ireland and written by Paul Lynch wins the 2023 Booker Prize 883 27 November Health officials are investigating the first confirmed human case of the A H1N2 v swine flu virus in the UK 884 Sunak cancels a planned meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis after a diplomatic row breaks out between the UK and Greece over the Elgin Marbles 885 Downing Street subsequently says that the meeting was cancelled after Mitsotakis broke an agreement not to discuss the Marbles in public when he told BBC One s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg he would like them to be returned 886 Police are investigating after Mirza Shahzad Akbar a former adviser to imprisoned Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan was attacked with acid outside his home in the UK 887 English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson is charged by police with failing to comply with an order to stay away from the previous day s antisemitism march after attending the rally 888 28 November An investigation by The Guardian finds that potentially toxic forever chemicals are present in the drinking water sources at 17 of the 18 water companies in England 889 Virgin Atlantic launches the world s first transatlantic flight by a large passenger plane using 100 sustainable aviation fuel The passengerless journey is made by a Boeing 787 travelling from London Heathrow to New York s JFK airport 890 891 29 November The coldest November night since 2010 is experienced by many parts of the UK reaching as low as 8 C 18 F in Aonach Mor in the Scottish Highlands with snow and ice warnings for various regions extending to Friday 892 Natural England announces that England will be getting a new National Park The Chilterns The Cotswolds and Dorset could become new National Parks 893 Nottingham City Council declares itself effectively bankrupt with a 23m overspend forecast for the 2023 24 financial year 894 At Prime Minister s Questions Sunak accuses the Greek prime minister of trying to grandstand over the Elgin Marbles when questioned about his decision to cancel a planned meeting with Mitsotakis 895 30 November Matt Hancock who served as health secretary from 2018 2021 appears at the latest stage of the COVID 19 inquiry 896 RMT members vote to accept a pay deal from 14 train companies which ends a long running series of strikes until at least spring 2024 897 The UK government is to examine the potential purchase of The Daily Telegraph by a consortium backed by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan 898 The coldest night in the UK since mid March is recorded with temperatures dipping to as low as 9 4 C 15 1 F in Cumbria Weather warnings remain in place for many regions 899 December edit 1 December Entrepreneur Sir James Dyson loses a High Court libel case against Mirror Group Newspapers over a January 2022 Daily Mirror article written by journalist Brian Reade 900 UKFast founder Lawrence Jones is sentenced to 15 years in prison for two rapes and a sexual assault 901 Tens of thousands of Three customers report they are unable to get a signal 902 2 December The Met Office issues additional weather warnings as freezing temperatures continue to affect large areas of the UK 903 The Ministry of Defence confirms that a 32 year old British soldier named as Major Kevin McCool has been killed while off duty in Kenya 904 3 December Temperatures drop even further to as low as 12 C 10 4 F in Scotland A major incident is declared in Cumbria after heavy snowfall with drivers stuck in traffic one after a 19 hour journey without food or water 905 4 December Home Secretary James Cleverly unveils the UK government s five point plan aimed at reducing legal migration which includes increasing the minimum salary threshold for a visa from 26 200 to 38 700 and reducing the number of dependants social care workers can bring 906 MPs vote 246 242 in favour of an amendment to the Victims and Prisoners Bill requiring the UK government to accelerate plans to establish a body to compensate victims of the NHS infected blood scandal defeating the government which had not planned to include the measure in the legislation 907 5 December Junior doctors in England will stage further strike action after rejecting the latest pay offer the British Medical Association confirms with a three day strike scheduled to begin on 20 December and a six day strike scheduled to begin on 3 January 2024 908 The Scottish Prison Service issues new guidelines on transgender prisoners Trans women who have hurt or threatened women or girls will not be sent to a female prison unless there are exceptional circumstances 909 Jesse Darling is announced as the winner of the 2023 Turner Prize 910 6 December Boris Johnson who served as Prime Minister from 2019 to 2022 appears before the COVID 19 inquiry and is questioned by Hugo Keith counsel to the inquiry He apologises for the pain and the loss and the suffering people experienced during the pandemic His comments are interrupted by protesters who are ordered to leave the inquiry room 911 Robert Jenrick resigns as immigration minister after the government publishes an emergency Rwanda bill 912 7 December Figures released by Halifax Bank indicate house prices in the UK rose by 0 5 in November 2023 913 Culture Secretary Lucy Frazer confirms the TV licence fee will increase by 10 50 from 159 to 169 50 from 1 April 2024 914 Serial killer Steve Wright is arrested for the September 1999 murder of Victoria Hall 915 8 December A letter to MPs from Sir Matthew Rycroft the Permanent Under Secretary of State of the Home Office says that 240m has been paid so far to Rwanda for the Rwanda asylum plan with a further 50m to be paid in 2024 916 Data from the Moneyfacts Group suggests the average rate on a two year fixed term mortgage has fallen below 6 for the first time since June 2023 917 The Court of Session in Edinburgh rules that the UK government acted lawfully by blocking the Gender Recognition Reform Scotland Bill from becoming law and rejects the Scottish Government s appeal against the decision 918 At the Old Bailey Paul Bryan is sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 24 years for the 1984 murder of Roman Szalajko at the victim s south London home Bryan assumed the identity of a dead man with the same name but was traced through a fingerprint match in 2022 919 After footballer Joey Barton suggests that women should not be talking with any kind of authority about men s football Chelsea manager Emma Hayes says women are routinely used to dealing with systemic misogyny and bullying in football 920 Wham s Last Christmas tops the singles chart for the fourth time with Mariah Carey s All I Want For Christmas Is You taking the second spot A week after the death of Shane MacGowan from The Pogues Fairytale of New York rises to number four 921 922 9 December Yellow weather warnings are in place for much of the UK as two successive storms Elin and Fergus reach the UK from the Atlantic bringing high winds and heavy rain 923 The royal family reveal their Christmas card images with King Charles III choosing a photograph from his coronation earlier this year for his second Christmas as monarch Meanwhile the Prince and Princess of Wales release a monochrome photograph of them and their children Prince George of Wales Princess Charlotte of Wales and Prince Louis of Wales 924 925 10 December Lawyers on the right of the Conservative Party describe the new Rwanda legislation as not sufficiently watertight 926 In his first broadcast since leaving the post of Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick tells the BBC Sunak s draft Rwanda law unlikely to work since it is weak and will become bogged down in legal challenges 927 The skull of a pliosaur is discovered off the coast of Dorset The 2 m 6 ft 7 in fossil is said to have roamed the waters 150 million years ago A David Attenborough documentary is scheduled to air on BBC One on New Year s Day revealing the risky mission of unearthing the T Rex of the seas 928 929 11 December The National Crime Agency NCA suggests that street drugs stronger than heroin are linked to the deaths of at least 54 people in the past six months with 40 more cases awaiting further testing 930 931 The UK government is offering a 2 5bn financial package for the return of a Stormont Executive which includes funds to settle public sector disputes and for public services 932 12 December The UK government s Safety of Rwanda Asylum and Immigration Bill a piece of emergency legislation to support the Rwanda asylum plan passes with a majority of 44 as MPs vote 313 269 in favour of it 933 Dorset Police are investigating following the death of an asylum seeker thought to have taken his own life on the accommodation barge Bibby Stockholm 934 13 December Mark Drakeford resigns as First minister of Wales after five years in incumbent 935 936 Bernard Looney the former chief executive of BP is to forfeit up to 32 4m in salary and benefits after an investigation found he committed serious misconduct in failing to disclose relationships with colleagues 937 14 December The Bank of England keeps interest rates on hold for a third consecutive time at 5 25 938 17 year old Alex Batty a boy from Oldham who went missing in 2017 while on holiday in Spain is reported to have been found by French Police at Revel a town east of Toulouse in France 939 Three men are convicted of attempted murder after two children including an 11 year old girl were shot while playing on a climbing frame in Wolverhampton 940 Panini Group launches the first sticker album for the Women s Super League 941 Deaths editMain articles Deaths in 2023 and 2023 deaths in the United Kingdom Further information Category 2023 deathsSee also editPolitics in the United Kingdom 2020s in United Kingdom political history 2023 in United Kingdom politics and government Timeline of the COVID 19 pandemic in the United Kingdom 2023 2023 in British music 2023 in British television 2023 in British radio List of British films of 2023References edit Port Samuel 31 December 2022 Walrus washes up on Scarborough Harbour with rescue teams urging crowds of 50 to stay away Yorkshire Live Yorkshire Retrieved 31 December 2022 Scarborough s New Year fireworks cancelled to protect walrus BBC News 2 January 2023 Thor the walrus People urged not to disturb animal resting on Hampshire beach Sky News Retrieved 11 December 2022 Three people dead in fire at New County Hotel in Perth BBC News 2 January 2023 Retrieved 2 January 2023 Thor the walrus arrives in Blyth after leaving Scarborough BBC News 2 January 2023 Rail workers stage first 48 hour strike of new year The strikes will last from 3rd of January to the 7th of January lasting for five days BBC News 3 January 2023 Retrieved 3 January 2023 Jersey to issue first stamps with King s cypher BBC News 8 January 2023 Retrieved 22 February 2023 Channel 4 Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan confirms U turn on privatisation BBC News 5 January 2023 Retrieved 5 January 2023 UK weather 2022 was warmest year ever Met Office confirms BBC News 5 January 2023 Retrieved 5 January 2023 UK plan for national mRNA cancer vaccine advance BBC News 6 January 2023 Retrieved 6 January 2023 COVID cases Infections leap to six month high after Christmas as one in 20 test positive in England Sky News Retrieved 8 January 2023 Isle of Man issues first stamps with King Charles cypher BBC News 8 January 2023 Retrieved 22 February 2023 Prince Harry says it became Meghan versus Kate BBC News 8 January 2023 Retrieved 8 January 2023 Strikes bill Unions criticise plans as unworkable BBC News 10 January 2023 Retrieved 10 January 2023 Strikes Minimum Service Levels Bill PDF Parliament uk 10 January 2023 Retrieved 10 January 2023 Atwal Sanj 13 January 2023 Prince Harry s Spare becomes fastest selling non fiction book ever Guinness World Records Retrieved 13 January 2023 Ambrose Tom 10 January 2023 Prince Harry s autobiography Spare is UK s fastest selling nonfiction book The Guardian Archived from the original on 11 January 2023 Retrieved 10 January 2023 Trachtenberg Jeffrey A 11 January 2023 Prince Harry Book Spare Sells Over 1 4 Million Copies in U S U K and Canada on First Day The Wall Street Journal Retrieved 11 January 2023 Andrew Bridgen suspended as Tory MP over Covid vaccine comments BBC News 11 January 2023 Retrieved 11 January 2023 Heavy rain causes floods and travel chaos across UK BBC News 12 January 2023 Retrieved 20 January 2023 UK economy grew by only 0 1 in November The Guardian 13 January 2023 Retrieved 13 January 2023 BBC criticised for letting cardiologist hijack interview with false Covid jab claim The Guardian 13 January 2023 Retrieved 13 January 2023 Benjamin Mendy found not guilty of six counts of rape BBC News 13 January 2023 Retrieved 13 January 2023 Coronavirus COVID 19 Infection Survey UK Office for National Statistics www ons gov uk Retrieved 15 January 2023 Euston shooting Girl 7 and five others injured near church BBC News 14 January 2023 Retrieved 15 January 2023 Euston shooting Attempted murder arrest after shooting left girl 7 seriously injured BBC News 16 January 2023 Retrieved 16 January 2023 UK weather More flood warnings ahead of colder spell BBC News 14 January 2023 Retrieved 14 January 2023 UK to send Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine Rishi Sunak confirms BBC News 14 January 2023 Retrieved 14 January 2023 Met Police officer David Carrick admits to being serial rapist BBC News 16 January 2023 Retrieved 16 January 2023 Teachers from NEU union to strike in England and Wales BBC News 16 January 2023 Retrieved 16 January 2023 UK government to block Scottish gender bill BBC News 16 January 2023 Retrieved 16 January 2023 Nurse strikes New dates as union escalates dispute BBC News 16 January 2023 Retrieved 16 January 2023 MPs vote in favour of minimum service anti strike bill ITV News 16 January 2023 Retrieved 17 January 2023 UK inflation dips slightly to 10 5 but people continue to feel pinch The Guardian 18 January 2023 Retrieved 18 January 2023 Consumer price inflation UK December 2022 ONS 18 January 2023 Retrieved 18 January 2023 Church of England bishops refuse to back gay marriage BBC News 18 January 2023 Retrieved 20 January 2023 Rishi Sunak s failure to wear seat belt to be investigated BBC News 19 January 2023 Retrieved 20 January 2023 Rishi Sunak fined for not wearing seatbelt in back of car BBC News 20 January 2023 Retrieved 20 January 2023 Archbishop will not give new prayer blessing for gay couples BBC News 20 January 2023 Retrieved 20 January 2023 Frimley Park NHS Girl secures 39m after hospital meningitis error BBC News 20 January 2023 Retrieved 20 January 2023 Coronavirus COVID 19 latest insights Office for National Statistics www ons gov uk Retrieved 20 January 2023 Labour urges probe into claims BBC chair helped Johnson secure loan guarantee BBC News 21 January 2023 Retrieved 22 January 2023 Rishi Sunak orders investigation into Nadhim Zahawi tax row BBC News 23 January 2023 Retrieved 23 January 2023 Richard Sharp Watchdog review begins into BBC chairman s hiring BBC News 23 January 2023 Retrieved 23 January 2023 Brown Faye 23 January 2023 Investigation launched into appointment process of BBC chairman after Boris Johnson loan claim Sky News Richard Sharp BBC chairman says he will not quit over Boris Johnson loan row BBC News 24 January 2023 Retrieved 25 January 2023 People will be paid to use less electricity on Monday BBC News 22 January 2023 Retrieved 23 January 2023 Bournemouth e scooter row Man guilty of peacemaker murder BBC News 23 January 2023 Retrieved 5 February 2023 Amazon strikes Workers claim their toilet breaks are timed BBC News 25 January 2023 Retrieved 25 January 2023 Grierson Jamie 25 January 2023 Lawangeen Abdulrahimzai jailed for life for murder of Thomas Roberts in Dorset The Guardian Retrieved 5 February 2023 Transgender rapist Isla Bryson moved to men s prison BBC News 26 January 2023 Retrieved 26 January 2023 Nicola Bulley Partner describes perpetual hell over missing Mum BBC News 30 January 2023 Retrieved 4 February 2023 Coronavirus COVID 19 Infection Survey UK Office for National Statistics www ons gov uk Retrieved 1 February 2023 Flybe Regional carrier ceases trading and cancels all flights BBC News 28 January 2023 Retrieved 28 January 2023 Brent Cross Charity department store opens in UK first BBC News 28 January 2023 Retrieved 28 January 2023 Nadhim Zahawi sacked by PM after tax row BBC News 29 January 2023 Retrieved 29 January 2023 Letter from the Prime Minister to the Rt Hon Nadhim Zahawi 29 January 2023 Gov uk 29 January 2023 Retrieved 29 January 2023 Isla Bryson case Movement of violent transgender prisoners paused BBC News 29 January 2023 Retrieved 29 January 2023 Richard Sharp Watchdog head steps back from BBC chair probe BBC News 30 January 2023 Retrieved 30 January 2023 UK firefighters vote to strike in row over pay BBC News 30 January 2023 Retrieved 30 January 2023 Millions face disruption as strikes hit schools trains universities and border checks live The Guardian 1 February 2023 Retrieved 1 February 2023 Bank of England puts interest rate up to 4 BBC News 2 February 2023 Retrieved 2 February 2023 Energy firms asked to suspend prepayment meter installs BBC News 2 February 2023 Retrieved 2 February 2023 Paedophile pop star Gary Glitter freed from prison BBC News 3 February 2023 Retrieved 3 February 2023 Coronavirus COVID 19 latest insights Office for National Statistics www ons gov uk Retrieved 5 February 2023 Epsom College head found dead with husband and daughter 7 BBC News 5 February 2023 Retrieved 5 February 2023 Epsom College deaths Teacher and daughter shot by husband police believe BBC News 7 February 2023 Retrieved 7 February 2023 Grant Shapps Liz Truss s tax cuts were clearly the wrong approach BBC News 5 February 2023 Retrieved 5 February 2023 NHS strike Re open pay talks hospital bosses plead BBC News 6 February 2023 Retrieved 6 February 2023 UK Foreign Office issues urgent travel warning for Turkey after earthquakes leave more than 1 300 dead The Chronicle 6 February 2023 Retrieved 6 February 2023 UK responds to Turkiye s request for assistance with immediate deployment of search amp rescue and medical teams following earthquakes Gov uk 6 February 2023 Retrieved 6 February 2023 Rapist ex policeman David Carrick being sentenced BBC News 7 February 2023 Retrieved 7 February 2023 PM s reshuffle Hands replaces Zahawi as Shapps gets energy role BBC News 7 February 2023 Retrieved 7 February 2023 Ukraine s Zelensky makes plea for fighter jets in address to UK Parliament BBC News 8 February 2023 Retrieved 8 February 2023 Jared O Mara Former MP found guilty of fraudulent expenses claims BBC News 8 February 2023 Retrieved 8 February 2023 Jared O Mara Former MP jailed over 52 000 fraud to pay drug debt BBC News 9 February 2023 Retrieved 9 February 2023 No crown for King Charles on new stamp BBC News 8 February 2023 Retrieved 8 February 2023 UK charities to launch emergency appeal for Turkey and Syria earthquakes The Guardian 9 February 2023 Retrieved 9 February 2023 West Lancashire Tories out of road say Labour after by election win BBC News 9 February 2023 Retrieved 10 February 2023 Lee Anderson New Tory deputy chairman would support return of death penalty BBC News 9 February 2023 Energy bills extra support ruled out by chancellor BBC News 10 February 2023 Retrieved 10 February 2023 UK economy avoids recession but not out of woods Hunt BBC News 10 February 2023 Retrieved 10 February 2023 King Charles coronation logo created by iPhone designer BBC News 10 February 2023 Retrieved 10 February 2023 King Charles s coronation concert offers 10 000 free tickets in ballot BBC News 9 February 2023 Retrieved 9 February 2023 Shaw Neil 10 February 2023 Covid 19 infections in England rise 8 first increase in five weeks HullLive Retrieved 10 February 2023 Brianna Ghey Two teens arrested on suspicion of murder over with death of 16 year old in Warrington ITV News 13 February 2023 Retrieved 14 February 2023 Wayne Couzens admits indecent exposure offences BBC News 13 February 2023 Retrieved 13 February 2023 All major road building projects in Wales are scrapped BBC News 14 February 2023 Retrieved 14 February 2023 UK inflation Price rises slow but remain close to 40 year high BBC News 15 February 2023 Retrieved 15 February 2023 UK inflation Price rises slow but remain close to 40 year high BBC Nicola Sturgeon says time is right to resign as Scotland s first minister BBC News 15 February 2023 Retrieved 15 February 2023 Brianna Ghey Boy and girl in court charged with murder BBC News 15 February 2023 Retrieved 15 February 2023 Rail workers to stage more strikes in pay dispute BBC News 16 February 2023 Retrieved 16 February 2023 British guard sentenced to 13 years for spying for Russia at UK embassy in Berlin The Guardian 17 February 2023 Retrieved 17 February 2023 Power cuts and schools closed as Storm Otto hits BBC News 13 February 2023 Retrieved 17 February 2023 Coronavirus COVID 19 Infection Survey UK 17 February 2023 Office for National Statistics HM Government of the United Kingdom 17 February 2023 Retrieved 19 February 2023 Coughlan Sean 18 February 2023 Andrew Lloyd Webber piece among new coronation music BBC News Retrieved 18 February 2023 Nicola Bulley police find a body in river BBC News 19 February 2023 Retrieved 19 February 2023 Nicola Bulley Body found in river confirmed as that of missing mum BBC News BBC 20 February 2023 Retrieved 20 February 2023 Roald Dahl Rishi Sunak joins criticism of changes to author s books BBC News 20 February 2023 Retrieved 20 February 2023 Junior doctors vote for strikes in England BBC News 20 February 2023 Retrieved 20 February 2023 King Charles III Coronation to be celebrated on Isle of Man coins BBC News 20 February 2023 Retrieved 3 March 2023 Government announces surprise January budget surplus after record income tax haul ITV News ITV 21 February 2023 Retrieved 21 February 2023 Triggle Nick 21 February 2023 Nurses in England to suspend 48 hour strike BBC News Retrieved 21 February 2023 Nicola Bulley Ofcom extremely concerned by family media complaints BBC News 21 February 2023 Retrieved 21 February 2023 Leggett Theo Race Michael 21 February 2023 Asda and Morrisons limit sales of some fruit and vegetables BBC News Retrieved 21 February 2023 Government recommends 3 5 pay rise for nurses and other workers BBC News 21 February 2023 Retrieved 21 February 2023 Casciani Dominic Seddon Sean 22 February 2023 Shamima Begum bid to regain UK citizenship rejected BBC News Retrieved 23 February 2023 Race Michael 22 February 2023 Tesco and Aldi introduce fruit and veg limits BBC News Retrieved 22 February 2023 Nicola Bulley Police handling of case to be reviewed BBC News 22 February 2023 Retrieved 22 February 2023 Omagh shooting New IRA primary focus in officer attack investigation BBC News 23 February 2023 Retrieved 23 February 2023 Keir Starmer unveils Labour s five missions for the country BBC News 23 February 2023 Retrieved 23 February 2023 Vegetable shortages could last for up to a month BBC News 23 February 2023 Retrieved 23 February 2023 Harte Lauren 23 February 2023 Three men arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of PSNI officer BelfastLive Retrieved 23 February 2023 Junior doctors to strike in England on 13 to 15 March BBC News 24 February 2023 Retrieved 24 February 2023 Earthquake Brynmawr Cardiff and valleys feel tremors BBC News 25 February 2023 Retrieved 25 February 2023 Coronavirus COVID 19 Infection Survey UK 24 February 2023 Office for National Statistics HM Government of the United Kingdom Retrieved 25 February 2023 Lawson Alex 27 February 2023 UK energy price cap falls to 3 280 from April but bills will still rise The Guardian Northern Ireland Brexit deal At a glance BBC News 27 February 2023 Retrieved 27 February 2023 Nanji Noor 27 February 2023 Lidl limits sales of tomatoes cucumbers and peppers BBC News Retrieved 27 February 2023 Ban on trans women in female prisons extended Raab BBC News 27 February 2023 Retrieved 27 February 2023 Final stamps bearing the Queen s head revealed BBC News 28 February 2023 Retrieved 26 March 2023 Being in single market and UK makes Northern Ireland world s most exciting economic zone says Sunak UK politics live The Guardian 28 February 2023 Retrieved 28 February 2023 Isla Bryson Transgender rapist jailed for eight years BBC News 28 February 2023 Retrieved 28 February 2023 Sainsbury s to axe Argos depots with 1 400 jobs hit BBC News 28 February 2023 Retrieved 28 February 2023 McCann Phil 28 February 2023 Fake psychiatrist Zholia Alemi who forged medical degree jailed BBC News Retrieved 28 February 2023 BBC local staff to strike on Budget day over radio cuts BBC News 28 February 2023 Retrieved 28 February 2023 Cooney Christy Morton Becky 1 March 2023 Matt Hancock disputes claim he rejected care home Covid advice BBC News Retrieved 1 March 2023 Gregory Andrew 1 March 2023 Matt Hancock what do the leaked WhatsApp messages reveal The Guardian Homer Alex 1 March 2023 Hundreds of UK sex offenders went missing figures show BBC News Retrieved 1 March 2023 Cooney Christy 2 March 2023 Matt Hancock Leaked messages reveal battle over Covid and schools BBC News Retrieved 2 March 2023 Whannel Kate 2 March 2023 Covid messages leak a massive betrayal says Matt Hancock BBC News Retrieved 2 March 2023 Isabel Oakeshott reveals why she leaked Matt Hancock s WhatsApp messages BBC News 2 March 2023 Retrieved 2 March 2023 Elgot Jessica Walker Peter 2 March 2023 Boris Johnson allies furious as Keir Starmer hires Sue Gray as chief of staff The Guardian Retrieved 3 March 2023 Seddon Paul Blake Jonathan 3 March 2023 Sue Gray Tory MPs angry over Labour job for Partygate probe chief BBC News Retrieved 3 March 2023 Manchester Arena inquiry MI5 profoundly sorry for not stopping attack BBC News 3 March 2023 Retrieved 3 March 2023 Nevett Joshua Cooney Christy 3 March 2023 Matt Hancock More leaked texts mock people in hotel quarantine BBC News Retrieved 3 March 2023 Coronavirus COVID 19 Infection Survey UK 3 March 2023 Office for National Statistics HM Government of the United Kingdom Retrieved 3 March 2023 Johnson may have misled Parliament over parties say MPs BBC News 3 March 2023 Retrieved 3 March 2023 Coughlan Sean 3 March 2023 King Charles to travel to France and Germany in first state visits BBC News Retrieved 3 March 2023 Wells Ione Andersson Jasmine 4 March 2023 Matt Hancock s reaction to photo of kiss with aide revealed in text leak BBC News Retrieved 4 March 2023 Torr George 4 March 2023 Sonic boom heard as RAF jets escort aircraft to Stansted Airport BBC News Retrieved 4 March 2023 Train fares in England and Wales to rise by 5 9 despite poor service The Guardian 5 March 2023 Retrieved 5 March 2023 Catt Helen 5 March 2023 Matt Hancock Leaked messages suggest plan to frighten public BBC News Retrieved 5 March 2023 Hancock told aides he wanted to frighten the pants off everyone about COVID leaked messages say Sky News Sky UK 5 March 2023 Retrieved 5 March 2023 Matt Hancock wanted to frighten pants off public about Covid strain leaked messages show The Independent 5 March 2023 Retrieved 5 March 2023 Get heavy with police to enforce lockdown Matt Hancock told ministers The Telegraph 2 March 2023 Archived from the original on 5 March 2023 Retrieved 5 March 2023 Jackson Marie Jones Simon 5 March 2023 Rishi Sunak vows to end asylum claims from small boat arrivals BBC News Retrieved 5 March 2023 Liverpool thrash Manchester United 7 0 in historic defeat Sky News 6 March 2023 Retrieved 24 April 2023 Ofcom finds the Mark Steyn programme on GB News in breach of broadcasting rules Ofcom HM Government of the United Kingdom 6 March 2023 Retrieved 6 March 2023 GB News broke Ofcom rules with presenter s Covid vaccine claims The Guardian 6 March 2023 Retrieved 7 March 2023 Firefighters will not strike after accepting new pay offer BBC News 6 March 2023 Retrieved 7 March 2023 Wayne Couzens sentenced to 19 months in prison for indecent exposure The Guardian 6 March 2023 Retrieved 7 March 2023 Charles Bronson would not cope with release parole panel told BBC News 6 March 2023 Retrieved 7 March 2023 Team The Lockdown Files 6 March 2023 The secret spreadsheet that targeted MPs critical of lockdown The Telegraph Retrieved 6 March 2023 Adams Charley 7 March 2023 In pictures Snow blankets parts of the UK as cold snap starts BBC News Retrieved 7 March 2023 Emergency coal power plants used for first time as UK sees cold snap BBC 7 March 2023 Retrieved 7 March 2023 Small boats New law to stop illegal Channel crossings set out BBC News 7 March 2023 Retrieved 7 March 2023 Covid booster jab to be offered this spring BBC News 7 March 2023 Retrieved 7 March 2023 Austin Katy 7 March 2023 RMT members suspend strike action at Network Rail BBC News Retrieved 7 March 2023 Temperatures dip even lower after coldest night of the year BBC News 8 March 2023 Retrieved 8 March 2023 Rackham Annabel 8 March 2023 Weight loss drug semaglutide approved for NHS use BBC News Retrieved 8 March 2023 Jack Simon 9 March 2023 HS2 line between Birmingham and Crewe delayed by two years BBC News Retrieved 9 March 2023 Sri Pathma Vishala 9 March 2023 Asda and Morrisons lift limits on some fresh produce BBC News Retrieved 9 March 2023 Banks Ken 9 March 2023 Brenda Page Ex husband guilty of murdering brilliant scientist in 1978 BBC News Retrieved 9 March 2023 Smith Elliot 10 March 2023 UK economy rebounds with stronger than expected January GDP print CNBC Retrieved 14 March 2023 King Charles grants Prince Edward Duke of Edinburgh BBC News 10 March 2023 Retrieved 10 March 2023 Grammaticas Damian Whannel Kate 10 March 2023 Sunak and Macron summit UK to give 500m to help France curb small boat crossings BBC News Retrieved 10 March 2023 Russell Rachel Adams Charley 10 March 2023 Gary Lineker to step back from presenting Match of the Day BBC News Retrieved 10 March 2023 Coronavirus COVID 19 Infection Survey UK 10 March 2023 Office for National Statistics HM Government of the United Kingdom Retrieved 10 March 2023 BBC sorry as programmes dropped in Lineker row BBC News 11 March 2023 Retrieved 11 March 2023 We can t make payroll scores of London tech firms in cash crisis amid Silicon Valley Bank collapse Evening Standard 11 March 2023 Retrieved 12 March 2023 UK to help tech firms after Silicon Valley Bank collapse BBC News 12 March 2023 Retrieved 12 March 2023 Espiner Tom 12 March 2023 Spring Budget Prepayment energy meter bills to be cut by 45 BBC News Retrieved 12 March 2023 HSBC swoops in to rescue UK arm of Silicon Valley Bank BBC News 13 March 2023 Retrieved 13 March 2023 Lineker to return to air as BBC announces review of guidelines BBC News 13 March 2023 Retrieved 13 March 2023 Gary Glitter Paedophile former pop star recalled to prison BBC News 13 March 2023 Retrieved 13 March 2023 Morton Becky 13 March 2023 Rishi Sunak China represents challenge to world order BBC News Retrieved 13 March 2023 King Charles makes first appearance on special stamps BBC News 14 March 2023 Retrieved 24 March 2023 span, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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