Events
January
- 4 January – As strong winds and heavy rain continue to batter parts of Scotland, more than 30 flood warnings are issued by SEPA.[1]
- 6 January – Labour MPs Jonathan Reynolds and Stephen Doughty quit over the sacking of the shadow Europe minister Pat McFadden, after party leader Jeremy Corbyn reshuffles his shadow cabinet and makes controversial changes within his team.[2]
- 11 January
- In the aftermath of Jeremy Corbyn's reshuffle of the Labour Party, Shadow Attorney General Catherine McKinnell resigns, citing party infighting, family reasons and the desire to speak in Parliament beyond her legal portfolio.[3]
- Arlene Foster becomes the first woman to lead the Democratic Unionist Party and becomes Northern Ireland's first female First Minister.[4]
- 12 January – Junior doctors in England providing non-emergency care strike for 24 hours in a dispute with Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt over pay and working hours.[5]
- 14 January
- The gang of "brazen burglars" involved in the £14m Hatton Garden jewellery heist, dubbed the "largest burglary in English legal history", face jail after the final three are convicted of involvement.[6]
- The Metropolitan Police announce that an extra 600 armed officers are to be trained and patrols more than doubled to help counter the threat of a terrorist attack in London.[7]
- 15 January – Tim Peake conducts the first spacewalk by an "official" British astronaut, stepping outside an ISS airlock.[8]
- 20 January – Unemployment rates fall to 5.1%, their lowest level in almost a decade, but figures show that wage growth has slowed.[9]
- 21 January
- An inquiry finds that the murder of British ex-Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 in London was "probably" approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin.[10]
- Figures show that murders and killings in England and Wales have increased to their highest level for five years, largely due to an abnormally high number of deaths in June when 75 people were killed.[11]
- 28 January – After three weeks of appeals, Camelot receive a "valid claim" for the record breaking £33m Lotto jackpot prize drawn on 9 January.[12]
- 29 January – The last Land Rover Defender rolls off the production line at Solihull, ending 68 years of production.[13]
February
- 1 February – Scientists are given the go-ahead by regulators to genetically modify human embryos which were to be destroyed in seven days.[14]
- 3 February – The High Court gives permission for Lord Lucan to be declared dead, and for a death certificate to be issued 42 years after his disappearance.[15]
- 8 February – Storm Imogen hits the United Kingdom, causing thousands of power outages and structural damage across the country, along with disruption for many commuters.[16]
- 10 February – Junior doctors walk out in their second recent strike over Saturday working arrangements, causing disruption to medical services.[17]
- 12 February – After many years as print newspapers, it is announced that the UK newspapers The Independent and the Independent on Sunday will cease to print and become online-only at the end of March.[18] Its stablemate, the i, will be sold to Johnston Press.[19]
- 16 February – BBC Three becomes the first UK television network to become online only, having broadcast for its final night after 13 years as a television channel.[20]
- 20 February – David Cameron announces that the United Kingdom will hold a referendum on the United Kingdom's membership of the European Union on 23 June.[21]
- 21 February – Mayor of London Boris Johnson announces he is to campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.[22]
- 22 February – The pound hits its lowest level against the dollar, falling down as much as 2.4%, in almost seven years amid concerns about a possible exit from the European Union.[23]
March
- 7 March – Official tourist figures for 2015 show the British Museum remains the most popular attraction in the United Kingdom.[24]
- 9 March
- Four of the gang of "brazen burglars" involved in the Hatton Garden jewellery heist are sentenced to seven years' imprisonment, while a fifth is given six years.[25]
- Junior doctors strike for the third time over new contracts, with NHS England saying that more than 5,000 operations have been cancelled as a result.[26]
- 16 March – Chancellor George Osborne announces the Budget for 2016 and the year ahead.[27]
- 18 March – Iain Duncan Smith resigns as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions claiming that he came under pressure from the Treasury to "salami slice" welfare, and voicing his objection to £4bn of planned cuts to disability benefits announced in the Budget.[28] Duncan Smith is succeeded in the post by Stephen Crabb.[29]
- 19 March – England win the Six Nations Grand Slam (rugby union) — their first since 2003.[30]
- 21 March – Brian Reader, the ringleader in the Hatton Garden jewellery heist, and the last of the gang to be sentenced, is given more than six years in jail.[31]
- 22 March – Transgender fell-runner Lauren Jeska attempts to murder UK Athletics official Ralph Knibbs, stabbing him multiple times in Birmingham. Jeska had feared her records and ability to compete in women's events would be investigated due to the unfair advantage she had from being born male.[32]
- 23 March – Drivers on London Underground's Piccadilly line go on strike for 24 hours over bullying allegations.[33]
- 28 March – Storm Katie rips through parts of the United Kingdom through the Easter weekend and many parts of the country suffer damage. The storm causes disruption with many flights cancelled or diverted as a result.[34]
- 30 March – British steel maker Tata Steel reports that it will sell off its British operations in a move to save money, leaving many thousands of jobs at risk, including those at the large Port Talbot steelworks in Wales.[35]
- 31 March
- Prime Minister David Cameron cuts short his spring break to return to the UK for an emergency meeting with ministers on the planned closure of the Tata Steel works.[36]
- This Morning agony aunt Denise Robertson dies aged 83 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer having been diagnosed in early 2016.
- Ferrybridge Power Station in West Yorkshire closes after 50 years of electricity generation to make way for a greener future after major fire destroyed part of the plant on 31 July 2014.
April
- 1 April – A new National Living Wage comes into force in the United Kingdom, requiring employers to pay all workers over 25 years old at least £7.20 per hour.[37]
- 6 April – The 2016 Dog Microchipping Legislation comes into force, requiring every dog in England, Scotland and Wales to be micro-chipped if they are over eight weeks old. The law was already introduced in Northern Ireland in 2012.[38]
- 7 April – A junior doctors' strike over pay disputes enters its second day, with over 5,000 operations and procedures being postponed.[39]
- 10 April – English golfer Danny Willett wins the 2016 Masters Tournament, the first time a Briton has won the tournament since Nick Faldo in 1996.[40]
- 13 April – Stoke Gifford Parish Council in Gloucestershire votes to charge the weekly Little Stoke Parkrun event for use of its park, becoming the first in the UK to do so. The move is wildly condemned.[41]
- 14 April – In the final report following the Shoreham Airshow disaster in August 2015, the Civil Aviation Authority tightens the rules of all future airshows over safety fears.[42]
- 15 April – The European Union membership referendum campaign gets underway in the UK as both sides prepare to persuade voters to decide whether they want to leave or remain in the EU when the referendum takes place in June.[43]
- 16 April – Thousands of people take part in a protest against austerity cuts in central London, including the Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell.[44]
Houses of Parliament lit up for the Queen's birthday - 21 April
- Welsh Footballer Ched Evans has his 2012 conviction for rape quashed by the Court of Appeal. Evans had been wrongly imprisoned for two and half years, a retrial was ordered to take place in October.[45]
- Queen Elizabeth II marks her 90th birthday.
- 26 April
- A jury at a coroner's court in Warrington declares that the victims of the Hillsborough disaster of 1989 were unlawfully killed.[46]
- Junior doctors go on strike again, this time including those providing emergency care for the first time.[47]
May
- 2 May – Leicester City win the Premier League for the first time, having been quoted odds as long as 5000/1 before the start of the season.[48]
- 3 May – Thousands of parents take their children out of school for a day in opposition to the introduction of SAT exams for Year 2 pupils.[49]
- 5 May – UK local and Police and crime commissioner elections, as well as elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly, Welsh Assembly and Scottish Parliament are held.
- 7 May – Sadiq Khan is sworn in as mayor of London, succeeding Boris Johnson and becoming London's first Muslim mayor.[50]
- 18 May – The government's planned new laws are set out by the Queen in her annual speech, which include a large overhaul on prison laws and support for a spaceport and driverless cars.[51]
June
- 1 June – Archaeologists announce identification of one of the Roman Bloomberg tablets found during 2010–13 excavations in advance of construction of new Bloomberg London offices in the City of London as the oldest known hand-written document in the United Kingdom, dating back to AD 57.[52]
- 12 June – UEFA threatens to disqualify England from Euro 2016 after "totally unacceptable" violent hooliganism between England and Russia fans during an England-Russia game on 11 June.[53]
- 16 June – Labour MP Jo Cox dies at Leeds General Infirmary after being shot and stabbed as she prepared to hold a meeting with constituents in Birstall, West Yorkshire.[54]
- 21 June – Both sides of the referendum on the UK's membership of the European Union take part in the biggest live debate at Wembley Arena on a special edition of Question Time on the BBC. Panelists include former Mayor of London Boris Johnson, for Leave, and his successor Sadiq Khan for Remain.[55]
Ballot for the EU referendum - 23 June – The 2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum is held in the UK and Gibraltar, the first of its kind since the 1975 referendum on the UK's membership of the then European Economic Community.[21]
- 24 June
- The United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union in a vote of 51.9% to 48.1%, in a record voting turnout of 72%. England and Wales vote for leave, while London, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar back remain.[56]
- David Cameron resigns as leader of the Conservative Party, announcing he is to step down as Prime Minister by October, claiming "fresh leadership" is needed in the wake of a vote to leave.[56] The 2016 Conservative Party leadership election is launched to find his successor.
- London's stock market plunges more than 8% in the wake of the EU referendum result, with the pound falling to its lowest level against the dollar since 1985.[57]
- 26 June
- Several Labour Party shadow cabinet ministers quit, with many more expected, in protest at Jeremy Corbyn's leadership and "lacklustre" referendum campaign. Corbyn issues a statement in response, vowing to stand in any new leadership election and to reshape his shadow cabinet.[58]
- First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon warns she could persuade the Scottish Parliament to veto the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union.[59]
- 27 June
- Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne makes a statement to calm the markets, claiming the UK is ready to face the future "from a position of strength" and indicating there won't be an immediate emergency Budget.[60]
- Ratings agency Standard & Poor's state the referendum result could lead to "a deterioration of the UK's economic performance, including its large financial services sector" as the United Kingdom loses its top AAA credit rating.[61]
- England are knocked out of UEFA Euro 2016 after a shock 2–1 defeat to Iceland in the round of 16.[62] England manager Roy Hodgson resigns in the wake of the result.[63]
- 28 June
- A Motion of no confidence by Labour MPs in leader Jeremy Corbyn is passed by a 172 to 40 vote. However, Corbyn reiterates that he will not resign.[64]
- Stephen Crabb becomes the first MP to announce their candidacy in the 2016 Conservative Party leadership election.
- 30 June – Michael Gove, Theresa May, Andrea Leadsom and Liam Fox announce their candidacies for leadership of the Conservative Party and subsequently Prime Minister.[65] Boris Johnson, a front runner for the job according to political analysts, surprisingly declares his intentions not to campaign.[66]
July
- 1 July
- A two-minute silence is observed at 7.28 a.m. throughout the United Kingdom to commemorate the centenary of the Battle of the Somme.[67] The art event We're Here Because We're Here is staged across the U.K. by Jeremy Deller to mark the same event.[68]
- Wales qualify for the semi-final of Euro 2016 after beating Belgium 3–1, the team's most significant victory since 1958.[69]
- 4 July – UK Independence Party leader Nigel Farage resigns, saying his "political ambition had been achieved" with the UK voting to leave the European Union.[70]
- 6 July – The Chilcot Inquiry report into the Iraq War is released, more than seven years after the inquiry was first announced, showing that the UK went to war before peaceful options were exhausted, that military action was not the "last resort", ill-prepared troops were sent into battle with inadequate plans for the aftermath, and that the threat from Saddam Hussein was overstated; ultimately rejecting former Prime Minister Tony Blair's case for the 2003 invasion.[71]
- 8 July – Women are now permitted to serve in close combat roles in the British armed services.[72]
- 10 July – Angela Eagle announces she will challenge Jeremy Corbyn for leadership of the Labour Party, triggering a leadership election.[73]
New Prime Minister and Conservative leader Theresa May - Andy Murray defeated Milos Raonic of Canada in straight sets for his 2nd Men Singles title at Wimbledon 2016. Andy Murray became the first British man since Fred Perry in 1935 to win the Wimbledon Championships multiple times.[74]
- 11 July – Theresa May is announced as the Conservative Party leader, and Prime Minister-designate, after Andrea Leadsom withdraws from the leadership election.[75]
- 13 July
- David Cameron officially tenders his resignation as Prime Minister to the Queen, and is succeeded by his former Home Secretary Theresa May.[75]
- Theresa May begins to announce her cabinet, with Philip Hammond as the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Amber Rudd as Home Secretary, Boris Johnson as Foreign Secretary, and David Davis appointed in the new Exiting the European Union Secretary post.[76]
- Owen Smith announces he will also contest the 2016 Labour Party leadership election.
- 18 July – MPs vote to back the renewal of the UK's Trident nuclear weapons programme, in a vote of 472 to 117.[77]
- 19 July – Angela Eagle withdraws from the 2016 Labour Party leadership election, leaving Owen Smith to challenge Jeremy Corbyn for the leadership in a head-to-head race.
- 24 July – Chris Froome wins the Tour de France for the second year running and third time overall. Froome's victory means that a British rider has won four of the last five editions of the race.[78]
- 28 July – EDF approves investment in the first new nuclear power plant to be built in the UK in 20 years at Hinkley Point, Somerset; however, the government delay a final decision, calling for it to be reviewed by the autumn.[79]
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August
- 1 August – Permission is given to enlarge the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District National Parks in northern England.[80]
- 4 August – The Bank of England cuts interest rates from 0.5% to 0.25% – a record low and the first cut since 2009.[81]
- 8 August – A five-day strike by workers on Southern Rail begins, disrupting train services between London, Surrey and Sussex, the longest rail strike in the United Kingdom since 1968.[82]
- 12 August – Mumin Sahin and Emin Ozmen are jailed for a total of 42 years for their part in the UK's largest ever drugs haul, in which 3.2 tonnes of cocaine worth £512 million was seized from a vessel in the North Sea.[83]
- 16 August
- The radical Islamic cleric Anjem Choudary and his assistant Mohammed Mizahnur Rahman are found guilty at the Old Bailey of inviting support for a proscribed terrorist organisation, Islamic State.[84]
- The world's largest ever wind farm, consisting of 300 turbines producing 1.8 gigawatts of clean energy, is approved for construction off the Yorkshire coast.[85]
- 17 August – The Airlander 10 hybrid airship, the world's largest aircraft at 92 m (302 ft) in length and 38,000 m³ (1,300,000 cu ft) in volume, has its maiden civilian flight in Bedfordshire.[86]
- 21 August – Team GB finish competing at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They finish second in the medal table, with 27 golds, 23 silvers, and 17 bronze medals; their best Olympic result in over a century.[87]
September
- 1 September – The Francis Crick Institute, Europe's largest biomedical research facility, opens in London.[88][89]
- 2 September – Nicholas Chamberlain, the Bishop of Grantham becomes the first Church of England bishop to openly declare he is gay and in a relationship.[90]
- 12 September – Former Prime Minister David Cameron resigns from the House of Commons, triggering the 2016 Witney by-election.[91]
- 13 September
- The first Bank of England polymer banknote enters circulation.[92] (Northern Bank in Northern Ireland had previously issued a polymer £5 note, but that was not legal tender in the rest of the UK).
- The UK experiences its hottest September day since 1911, with 34.4 °C recorded in Gravesend, Kent.[93]
- 15 September – The government approves the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant, which will cost £18bn, and says it will introduce "new safeguards" to future projects.[94]
- 16 September
- Flash flooding hits parts of England as thunderstorms dump almost half a month's rainfall in some areas overnight.[95]
- Diane James is elected the new leader of UKIP.[96]
- 24 September – Jeremy Corbyn is re-elected as leader of the Labour Party following an unsuccessful challenge by Owen Smith.[97]
October
- 5 October – Diane James quits as leader of UKIP after only 18 days in the post.[98]
- 6 October – Communities Secretary Sajid Javid approves plans for fracking at Cuadrilla's Preston New Road site in Lancashire, overturning an earlier decision by the local council.[99]
- 12 October – Welsh footballer Ched Evans is cleared of rape in a retrial, having previously been wrongfully convicted for the offence, serving two and half years in prison.[100]
- 25 October – The government approves a third runway at Heathrow Airport.[101] Zac Goldsmith MP for Richmond Park resigns in protest.[102]
November
- 2 November – The High Court in London rules in favour of ClientEarth in their case against the government regarding dangerous levels of air pollution in the UK.[103]
- 5 November – The British tennis player Andy Murray becomes ATP world number one, the first British player of either sex to reach number one in tennis rankings in the modern era.[104]
- 9 November – 2016 Croydon tram derailment: Seven people die and 61 are injured when a tram derails close to Sandilands tram stop in Croydon. London.[105]
- 15 November
- The British Medical Journal backs the legalisation of drugs for the first time, arguing that the "War on Drugs" has failed.[106][107]
- The second phase of the high-speed rail line HS2 is confirmed by the government, with lines running from Crewe to Manchester and the West Midlands to Leeds.[108]
- 17 November – Tornadoes affect parts of The Midlands and Wales, causing some damage.[109]
- 23 November – Chancellor Philip Hammond delivers the Autumn Statement to Parliament, announced to be the final such Statement, being replaced by a full Budget in 2017.[110][111][112]
- 28 November – Paul Nuttall is elected as UKIP's new leader.[113]
- 29 November –The Investigatory Powers Bill receives Royal assent.[114]
December
- 7 December – HMS Illustrious, the last Invincible-class aircraft carrier, makes its final voyage out of Portsmouth Harbour to a ship recycling company in Turkey.[115]
- 16 December – A riot occurs at HMP Birmingham, described as the worst since the Strangeways prison riot and protest of 1990. Authorities regain control of all four wings after more than 12 hours of disorder involving 600 inmates.[116]
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