Events
January
- 3 January – Strong winds and high tides bring flooding to large parts of western England, Wales and Scotland. [1]
- 7 January – Four people are killed when a United States Air Force Sikorsky HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter, based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, crashes at a nature reserve in Cley next the Sea, north Norfolk. [2]
- 8 January – An inquest jury decides that Mark Duggan, whose death sparked the 2011 England riots was lawfully killed by police. [3]
- 10 January – At the Old Bailey, police officer Keith Wallis pleads guilty to misconduct in a public office over an email he sent to his local MP concerning the Plebgate affair. [4]
- 12 January – Vincent Nichols, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster is among 19 senior Catholic clergy who will be created Cardinals by Pope Francis on 22 February, it is announced. [5]
- 13 January – The UK Treasury announces that if Scots vote to leave the UK in September's referendum, it will honour all UK government debt issued up to the date of Scottish independence. [6]
- 15 January – Birmingham City Council says that it could be forced to sell off some of its assets to pay £1bn of legal claims over equality of pay. [7]
- 16 January
- Sir Peter Fahy, the Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police will face prosecution over safety breaches after an unarmed man was shot dead in Cheshire in March 2012, the CPS announces. [8]
- Chancellor George Osborne tells BBC News he wants to see a rise in the minimum wage above the rate of inflation. [9]
- 18 January
- The Labour Party confirms that Del Singh, a candidate for the forthcoming European elections, was among two Britons killed during a suicide bombing at a restaurant in the Afghan capital, Kabul the previous day. [10]
- 16-year-old Lewis Clarke of Bristol sets a new world record after becoming the youngest person to trek to the South Pole. [11]
- 19 January – The UK Independence Party suspends an Oxfordshire councillor who blamed the floods that hit the country earlier in the month on the government's decision to legalise same-sex marriage "because it had angered God". [12]
- 22 January – UK unemployment falls to 7.1%, surpassing economic forecasts and placing pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates. The bank, which said it would consider an increase once unemployment reached 7% says it has no immediate plans to introduce a raise. [13]
- 24 January – Sedgemoor District Council in Somerset declares a "major incident" in flooded areas as forecasters warn of more rain. [14]
- 25 January – Trees are uprooted and structural damage is caused to buildings by lightning as a heavy rainstorm hits the Midlands region. [15]
- 27 January – Research published by the Centre for Cities think tank suggests a widening economic gap between London and the rest of the UK, with ten times more jobs being created in the capital than elsewhere. [16]
- 28 January – Figures released by the Office for National Statistics indicate the UK economy grew by 1.9% in 2013, its highest since 2007, but growth for the final quarter of the year was 0.7%. [17]
- 29 January – During a visit to Scotland, Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England says that in the event of Scottish independence, the country would need to give up some powers in return for a currency union with the United Kingdom. [18]
- 30 January – Figures released by the Met Office indicate Southern England and parts of the Midlands have experienced their highest January rainfall since records began in 1910. The announcement comes as military personnel prepare to help residents in flooded areas of Somerset. [19]
- 31 January – The European Union (Referendum) Bill 2013-14 is rejected by the House of Lords after peers vote not to allow more time for a debate, effectively killing off the proposed legislation. [20]
February
- 1 February – Sally Morgan, the outgoing chair of Ofsted claims she is the victim of a "determined effort" by 10 Downing Street to appoint more Conservatives to key public sector positions. [21]
- 5 February – Part of the South Devon Railway sea wall carrying the railway line linking London with the west of England is washed away by a powerful storm that has hit the UK overnight. Thousands of homes are also left without electricity. [22] Prime Minister David Cameron announces that an extra £100 million will be spent on dealing with the aftermath of the floods that have hit the UK. [23]
- 6 February
- PC Keith Wallis, who wrote to his MP falsely claiming to have witnessed the Plebgate incident in Downing Street is sentenced to 12 months imprisonment. [24]
- The Ministry of Defence sends around 40 Royal Marines to the Somerset Levels to help with flood protection as more storms are expected. The government also provides an extra £30 million for repairs. [25]
- 7–23 February – Great Britain competes at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia and wins 1 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals. This is Great Britain's best performance at a winter games since 1924.
- 8 February
- Immigration minister Mark Harper resigns from the government after it was disclosed that his cleaner did not have permission to work in the UK. [26]
- Rail links to South West England are cut off as fresh storms hit the area. [27]
- 11 February – After visiting some of the country's flood hit areas, David Cameron says that "money is no object" as he announces measures to help those affected by the storms. He also warns that things may get worse before they get better. 1,600 troops are deployed to help in the relief effort, with more available if needed. [28]
- 20 February – A 4.1 magnitude earthquake is recorded under the Bristol Channel. [29]
- 22 February – Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, is created a cardinal at a ceremony in Vatican City. [30]
- 25 February – A suspect in the 1982 IRA Hyde Park bombing will not face trial after a judge ruled he cannot be prosecuted because he was mistakenly given an official assurance that he would not face trial. Some 182 letters have been issued as part of the Northern Ireland peace process. [31]
- 26 February – The two men convicted of the murder of Lee Rigby are sentenced to life imprisonment, Michael Adebolajo without the possibility of parole, and Michael Adebowale with the possibility of parole after 45 years. [32]
- 27 February – Prime Minister David Cameron appoints a judge to review the crisis over letters sent to paramilitary suspects advising them they would not be prosecuted after First Minister of Northern Ireland Peter Robinson threatened to resign over the issue. The inquiry will present its findings by end of May. [33]
- 28 February – Spree killer Joanne Dennehy is given a whole life sentence for three murders and two attempted murders committed in 2013. [34]
March
- 5 March – Birmingham City Council puts the NEC Group up for sale because the authority is facing legal claims over equal pay totalling more than £1bn. [35]
- 6 March
- Prince Harry launches the Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style sporting championship for wounded soldiers. [36]
- Home Secretary Theresa May announces a public inquiry into undercover policing after revelations that officers spied on members of Stephen Lawrence's family. [37]
- 7–16 March – Great Britain finish 10th in the medal table of the 2014 Winter Paralympics, with six medals, the most successful Games since Innsbruck in 1984. Four of Britain's medals were won by visually impaired skier Jade Etherington, making her the greatest British Winter Paralympian of all time. [38]
- 11 March – MPs vote 297–239 to allow the controversial Clause 119 element of the Care Bill that will allow ministers to close hospitals in an NHS trust if a neighbouring trust is in financial difficulty, even if the hospital concerned is performing well. [39]
- 18 March – Scottish Labour's Devolution Commission publishes its long-awaited report setting out proposals for enhanced devolution that will be implemented if Scotland votes no in the referendum and Labour are elected in 2015. [40] [41]
- 19 March – 2014 budget: Chancellor George Osborne announces that a new £1 coin will be introduced from 2017. Current £1 coins are vulnerable to counterfeiting, but the new 12-sided two-metal coin, based on the Threepenny bit will be more difficult to copy. [42]
- 28 March – BBC research suggests that less than 6% of social housing tenants affected by the bedroom tax —an aspect of the 2012 Welfare Reform Act that penalises tenants in receipt of Housing Benefit with spare bedrooms—have moved house as a result of the controversial measure. [43]
Same-sex couple marry on the first day they were able to - 29 March – The first same-sex weddings take place in England and Wales following a change in the law in 2013 allowing same-sex marriage. [44]
- 31 March – A jury is selected to hear a fresh inquest into the 96 deaths caused by the 1989 Hillsborough disaster. [45]
April
- 5 April – In horse racing, Pineau De Re, trained by Dr. Richard Newland and ridden by 37-year-old Leighton Aspell, who returned to racing after coming out of retirement, wins the 2014 Grand National at Aintree Racecourse with the odds of 25/1. [46]
- 6 April
- Sheffield's Half Marathon is cancelled because there were not enough water supplies for runners on the route. [47]
- The Boat Race 2014, contested between Oxford and Cambridge University takes place; Oxford winning by 11 lengths (the biggest winning margin since 1973) after the Cambridge boat suffered damage to an oar early in the race.
- 9 April – Maria Miller resigns of Culture Secretary following a row over her expenses, describing her decision as "the right thing to do". Sajid Javid is appointed as her successor. [48]
- 20 April – The Anglican Diocese of Leeds, created by merger of the Church of England's West Yorkshire dioceses of Ripon & Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield, comes into being. [49]
- 22 April – David Moyes is sacked as Manager of Manchester United ten months after succeeding Alex Ferguson. Ryan Giggs will take temporary charge of the team until a permanent successor is appointed. [50]
- 24 April – Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander announces that Cornish people will be granted minority status under Council of Europe rules governing the protection of national minorities. [51]
- 25 April – The government launches an inquiry after the Liverpool Echo reports that Whitehall computers were used to post offensive remarks about the Hillsborough disaster on Wikipedia pages relating to the topic. [52]
- 28 April
- A youth is detained by police after a female teacher is stabbed to death in front of students at a school in Leeds. [53]
- Following a trial at Southwark Crown Court, publicist Max Clifford is convicted of eight indecent assaults on women and girls. [54]
- 3D Repo, a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform provider is founded. [55]
- 29 April – Former Conservative MP Patrick Mercer resigns from his Newark seat after he was suspended from Parliament for 6 months for allegedly asking questions in the House of Commons in exchange for money. [56]
May
- 1 May – Barrister and part-time judge Constance Briscoe is convicted of perverting the course of justice after a trial at the Old Bailey heard she lied to police investigating the case of former MP Chris Huhne's speeding points. [57] [58] She is sentenced to 16 months in prison the following day. [59]
- 2 May – Publicist Max Clifford is jailed for eight years. [60]
- 5 May – The World Snooker Championship concludes with Mark Selby defeating defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 18–14 in the final to win his first world title [61]
- 7 May – Former Co-operative Bank chairman Paul Flowers is fined £400 after being convicted of possessing cocaine, methamphetamine and ketamine. Flowers stood down from his role at the bank in 2013 due to allegations concerning drug taking, inappropriate expense payments and use of rent boys. [62]
- 8 May – Defence Secretary Philip Hammond announces a review of the British Armed Forces will be brought forward from 2018 to later this year. The review could allow women to serve in front line combat roles for the first time. [63]
- 9 May – The Giro d'Italia cycle race starts in Belfast. [64]
- 17 May – Arsenal defeat Hull City 3–2 after extra time at Wembley Stadium to win the FA Cup Final. Arsenal equal the record of 11 FA Cup trophy wins with this victory. [65]
- 21 May – Clarence House refuses to comment on claims that Prince Charles compared Russian President Vladimir Putin's stance over Ukraine to the actions of Adolf Hitler before World War II during a visit to Canada. [66]
Ed Miliband talks to a local couple whilst campaigning in Crawley during the run up to elections - 22 May
- 2014 European Parliament election: Results show a significant increase in support for UKIP, as they take the most seats, above both the Conservatives and Labour. The Labour Party also make gains, while the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have poor showings.
- 2014 United Kingdom local elections: The Conservatives record an increase in vote share but a fall in councils and councillors, while Labour make gains, and the Liberal Democrats are dealt with further falls in support.
- 23 May – A major fire damages Glasgow School of Art, one of Scotland's most iconic buildings, [67] for the first time.
- 24 May – Jonny Wilkinson plays his final rugby match in Britain before retiring from the sport, helping Toulon to beat Saracens 23–6 and win the Heineken Cup. [68]
- 31 May – Three people are killed and one injured after a vehicle collides with spectators at the Jim Clark Rally in the Scottish Borders. [69]
June
- 5 June
- US President Barack Obama says the US's interest in the Scottish independence referendum issue is to ensure it retains a "strong, robust, united and effective partner". [70]
- 2014 Newark by-election: Conservative Robert Jenrick is elected as the new MP, becoming the first Tory candidate to win a by-election for 25 years. However, the party's majority is reduced by 10,000 following a significant UKIP vote. [71]
- 7 June – Education Secretary Michael Gove apologises to David Cameron and a Home Office official over a row with Home Secretary Theresa May about how to tackle Islamic extremism following recent revelations about a Muslim plot to take over schools in Birmingham. In addition, May's special adviser, Fiona Cunningham resigns over the row. [72]
- 9 June – The teaching of creationism is banned from free schools and academies. [73]
- 14–24 June – The England national football team competes at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The team is eliminated after the first round, having finished bottom of their group after failing to win any of their 3 matches and gaining just 1 point.
- 17 June – Production of paper at the Whatman plc mill at Maidstone, established in 1740, ceases. [74]
- 21 June – Jane Hedges is installed as the first female Dean of Norwich. [75]
- 24 June – Former News of the World editor and Downing Street Director of Communications Andy Coulson is found guilty of conspiring to hack phones. [76]
- 25 June – The jury in the phone hacking trial is dismissed after failing to reach a verdict on outstanding charges against Andy Coulson. The trial's judge, Mr Justice Saunders, rebukes Prime Minister David Cameron for commenting on Coulson's conviction the previous day while the trial was still ongoing. [77]
- 30 June
- Andy Coulson and Clive Goodman are to face a retrial on charges they bought royal telephone directories from police officers. [78]
- Following a trial at Southwark Crown Court, entertainer Rolf Harris is found guilty on 12 counts of indecent assault between 1968 and 1986. [79]
July
- 4 July
- 5 July – The 2014 Tour de France starts in Leeds.
- 6 July – Lewis Hamilton wins the 2014 British Grand Prix, his second British Grand Prix victory. [83]
- 7 July – Home Secretary Theresa May announces a major review and inquiry into allegations of historical child abuse across all areas of UK society. The announcement was prompted by reports that the Home Office failed to act on allegations that a paedophile ring operated at Westminster during the 1980s. [84]
- 10 July – Emergency powers giving police the ability to access phone and internet records will be rushed through Parliament after existing legislation was overturned by the European Court of Justice, Prime Minister David Cameron has announced. [85]
- 14 July
- The Church of England votes to allow women to be ordained as bishops. [86]
- William Hague steps down as Foreign Secretary as David Cameron begins a cabinet reshuffle. Other departures from government include Kenneth Clarke and David Jones. Hague is also planning to leave Parliament at the next election. [87]
- 15 July
- Michael Gove is sacked as Secretary of State for Education and replaced by Nicky Morgan as Cameron seeks to promote more women to his cabinet. [88]
- Philip Hammond is appointed as Foreign Secretary as Cameron continues his cabinet reshuffle. [89]
- 18 July – 10 Britons are confirmed as having been among 298 people killed in the previous day's crash of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, which was shot down over eastern Ukraine near the Russian border by pro-Russian separatists. [90]
- 20 July – Conservative MP Dan Byles, who holds the North Warwickshire constituency with his party's smallest majority of 54, announces he will step down at the next general election, becoming the 23rd Tory MP to announce their departure at the end of the current parliament. [91]
- 23 July – The 2014 Commonwealth Games open in Glasgow.
August
- 2 August – At 40, England's Jo Pavey becomes one of the oldest athletes to win a track-and field-medal at the Commonwealth Games after securing a bronze in the women's 5,000 metres race. [92]
- 3 August – The 2014 Commonwealth Games closing ceremony is held in Glasgow.
- 4 August – Events are held around the UK to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of World War I. [93]
- 5 August – The first of two televised debates between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling is held at Glasgow's Royal Conservatoire of Scotland ahead September's referendum on Scottish independence. [94]
- 6 August – Mayor of London Boris Johnson announces his intention to seek re-election to Parliament at next year's general election. Johnson had previously said he would not stand as an MP before his mayoral term ended in 2016. [95]
- 10 August – In golf, world number one Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland wins the PGA Championship. It is his second consecutive major championship win, following The Open Championship, his second PGA Championship win, and fourth major overall. [96] [97]
- 14 August – Police search a Berkshire property belonging to Cliff Richard in relation to an alleged historical sex offense. [98]
- 18 August – Julian Assange, who is wanted for questioning in Sweden, says that he will leave his refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy in London "soon". [99]
- 21 August – 2014 West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner by-election: David Jamieson is elected, replacing Bob Jones, who died on 1 July. [100]
- 24 August
- A British man who contracted the Ebola virus in Sierra Leone is flown back to the UK for treatment. [101]
- British actor, director, producer, and entrepreneur Richard Attenborough dies, aged 90. [102]
- 25 August – The second televised debate between Alex Salmond and Alistair Darling is aired from Glasgow. [103]
- 26 August
- Publication of the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham, which concludes that at least 1,400 children in the area were subjected to sexual abuse between 1997 and 2013. [104]
- William Pooley, the first Briton to contract Ebola in the current outbreak is being treated with an experimental drug, ZMapp, it is reported. [105]
- UKIP leader Nigel Farage is chosen by his party's members to fight the South Thanet seat at the next election. [106]
- Kate Bush stages a comeback concert at the Hammersmith Apollo, her first live performance since 1979. [107]
- 27 August – West Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Shaun Wright, who was head of Rotherham's children's services between 2005 and 2010 and has come under pressure to step down from his post in the wake of the report into child abuse in the town, resigns from the Labour Party, but says he will not relinquish the role of Commissioner. [108]
Douglas Carswell at the UKIP conference soon after defecting - 28 August
- Douglas Carswell, the MP for Clacton announces his defection from the Conservative Party to the UK Independence Party, and that he will contest a by-election as a UKIP candidate. [109]
- Invincible-class aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious (R06) is decommissioned at Portsmouth as the Royal Navy's oldest active ship, leaving the country without an operational carrier for at least six years.
- 29 August – Home Secretary Theresa May raises the UK's terror alert from "substantial" "to "severe" in the wake of ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. [110]
- 31 August – Kate Bush becomes the first female artist to have eight albums in the UK Albums Chart at the same time. [111]
September
- 5 September – MPs vote 306–231 to back the Affordable Homes Bill, designed to relax controversial housing benefit cuts. The Bill passes its first reading after Labour and Lib Dem MPs voted in favour of the legislation. [112]
- 6 September – A YouGov opinion poll on Scottish independence commissioned for The Sunday Times gives the Yes campaign a majority for the first time. The 51–49 result applies when undecided voters are excluded. [113]
- 7 September – Speaking on the BBC's The Andrew Marr Show , Chancellor George Osborne pledges a "plan of action" for further devolution to Scotland if Scots vote No in the forthcoming referendum. [114]
- 8 September
- Clarence House confirms that Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge is expecting a second child. [115]
- Speaking in Edinburgh, former Prime Minister Gordon Brown sets out a timetable for transferring more powers to Scotland in the event of a No vote. [116]
- 9 September
- The Scottish leaders of the three main UK political parties give their backing to greater devolved powers for the Scottish Parliament as Prime Minister David Cameron and Opposition leader Ed Miliband plan a trip to Scotland to campaign for a No vote. [117]
- Keith Vaz, Chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, says he will write to the Home Secretary about the possibility of emergency legislation to remove Shaun Wright as Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire. [118]
Prince Harry spectates at the first Invictus Games in London with the city's mayor Boris Johnson later in 2014
- 10 September – The first Invictus Games are held in London, [119] beginning with an opening ceremony attended by the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince Harry and Prince William. [120]
- 12 September – Boris Johnson is selected as the Conservative candidate for Uxbridge and South Ruislip. [121] [122]
- 13 September – David Cameron condemns the killing of British hostage David Haines as an "act of pure evil", after the release of a video purporting to show the humanitarian aid worker's beheading. [123]
- 14 September – The closing ceremony of the inaugural Invictus Games takes place in London, with a music concert at Olympic Park featuring artists and groups such as Bryan Adams, Ellie Goulding, James Blunt and the Kaiser Chiefs. [124] [125] [126]
- 15 September – 'The Vow', a joint statement by the leaders of the three main unionist parties, David Cameron, Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg, promising more powers for Scotland in the event of a No vote, is published in the Daily Record. [127]
- 16 September – Shaun Wright resigns as Police and Crime Commissioner for South Yorkshire, triggering a by-election. [128]
A tenement block in Leith with signage indicating occupants allegiances on the day of the referendum. - 18 September – 2014 Scottish independence referendum: Scotland votes "No" to Scottish independence [129] by a majority of 383,937 votes (No: 2,001,926; Yes: 1,627,989) and a margin of 55.3% to 44.7%. [130] Voter turnout in the referendum is 84.5%, a record high for any election held in the UK since the introduction of universal suffrage in 1918. [131]
- 19 September
- Alex Salmond announces his resignation as First Minister of Scotland and leader of the Scottish National Party following the referendum. [132]
- Prime Minister David Cameron announces plans for further devolution of powers to Scotland as well as to the other countries of the United Kingdom with the Smith Commission established under Lord Smith of Kelvin to convene talks. [133]
- 24 September
- Parliament will be recalled on 26 September to allow MPs to discuss possible UK participation in the US led airstrikes against Islamic State, it is announced. [134]
- Nicola Sturgeon launches her campaign to become leader of the Scottish National Party and Scottish First Minister in the forthcoming leadership election. [135]
- 26 September – MPs vote 524–43 vote in favour of endorsing Britain's involvement in the US-led airstrikes against Islamic State following a seven-hour parliamentary debate. [136]
- 27 September – Mark Reckless, the MP for Rochester and Strood, quits the Conservative Party and defects to UKIP, triggering a by-election. The announcement is made as the Conservatives gather for their annual party conference in Birmingham. [137]
- 30 September – Police hunting for missing teenager Alice Gross find a body in the River Brent. A murder inquiry is launched the following day after the body is confirmed to be that of the missing girl. [138]
October
- 1 October – Membership of the Scottish National Party trebles from 25,000 to 75,000 in the 13 days since the referendum on Scottish independence [139]
- 3 October – Prime Minister David Cameron says that Britain will do all it can "to hunt down [and bring] to justice" the killers of British hostage Alan Henning after a video was posted online purporting to show his beheading. [140]
- 6 October – Police confirm that a body found in woodland at Boston Manor Park, west London two days earlier is that of Arnis Zalkalns, the main suspect in the hunt for the killer of Alice Gross. [141]
- 9 October
- 2014 Clacton by-election: Douglas Carswell is re-elected as a UKIP candidate, having defected from the Conservatives, giving UKIP their first elected MP.
- 2014 Heywood and Middleton: Liz McInnes is elected as the new MP, narrowly beating UKIP, who are boosted by a huge surge in support.
Nicola Sturgeon is elected leader of the SNP
- 15 October – Nicola Sturgeon is confirmed as the next leader of the Scottish National Party, succeeding Alex Salmond, after she was the only candidate to put their name forward in the leadership election. She will officially become leader at the party's conference next month, and subsequently be appointed First Minister of Scotland. [142]
- 20 October – 45 people are injured after a bus overturns and collides with a car in Hertfordshire. [143]
- 23 October – Senior politicians and the Metropolitan Police criticise a decision by the Parole Board to release prisoner Harry Roberts, who shot dead three police officers in 1966. [144]
- 24 October – Johann Lamont resigns as leader of the Scottish Labour Party with immediate effect, triggering a leadership election. [145]
- 26 October – Three people are killed after a group of seven surfers get into trouble in the sea at Mawgan Porth, Cornwall. [146]
- 27 October – Plans are unveiled by the Met Office for a £97m supercomputer to study weather and climate. Using 13 times more processing power than previous systems, it will perform 16,000 trillion calculations per second. [147] [148]
- 30 October – 2014 South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner by-election: Labour's Alan Billings wins the election, replacing Shaun Wright, who resigned in the wake of the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal. [149]
- 31 October
- With a temperature of 23.6C recorded in Gravesend, Kent and Kew Gardens, Greater London, this year's Halloween becomes the warmest on record, surpassing the previous record of 20.0C set in 1968. [150]
November
- 2 November – Alistair Darling, leader of the Better Together campaign and former Chancellor of the Exchequer and announces he will step down as an MP at the next general election. [151]
- 3 November
- The youth who fatally stabbed Ann Maguire at a Leeds school in April is named as 16-year-old Will Cornick. He is sentenced to be detained at Her Majesty's pleasure with a minimum tariff of 20 years. [152]
- Liberal Democrat Home Office Minister Norman Baker resigns from his post, claiming that working in the department is like "walking through mud". [153]
- 6 November – A woman is murdered in an act of cannibalism at a hostel in Argoed, Wales. The suspect Matthew Williams dies after Gwent Police fire a Taser at him. [154]
- 7 November – Chancellor George Osborne is criticised as he reveals that the UK will pay its EU budget surcharge in two interest-free sums next year totalling £850m, instead of a larger lump sum of £1.7bn by 1 December, after a rebate from Brussels due in 2016 appears to have been brought forward. Labour describes the announcement as "smoke and mirrors", whilst Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls says it is a "diplomatic disaster for the government". [155]
- 11 November – The last ceramic poppy is laid at the Tower of London memorial art installation and joins the 888,245 flowers commemorating the armistice and centenary of World War I. [156]
- 14 November
- Nicola Sturgeon succeeds Alex Salmond as leader of the Scottish National Party at their annual conference in Perth, while Stewart Hosie is elected to the deputy leadership role vacated by Sturgeon. [157]
- Angus Sinclair, the serial killer and rapist who murdered Helen Scott and Christine Eadie in Edinburgh's Old Town in 1977 is jailed for 37 years, the longest ever sentence handed out by a Scottish court. [158]
- Former BBC DJ Chris Denning pleads guilty to further sexual abuse of boys aged 9 to 16 during the 1970s and 1980s. [159]
- 16 November
- 17 November
- The Church of England adopts legislation paving the way for the appointment of women as bishops. [162]
- Band Aid 30 release their cover of the track "Do They Know It's Christmas?", thirty years after the original, this time to raise money towards the Ebola crisis in Western Africa. [163]
- 19 November
- A British-led Moon mission – Lunar Mission One – is announced. [164] [165]
- The Scottish Parliament elects Nicola Sturgeon as the first female First Minister of Scotland. [166]
- 20 November
- 2014 Rochester and Strood by-election: Voters go to the polls after MP Mark Reckless seeks re-election under the UKIP label, having defected from the Conservative Party. The results are announced the following day: Reckless is re-elected, but with a smaller than expected majority of less than 3,000. [167] [168]
- Sheffield United withdraws its offer to allow footballer and convicted rapist Ched Evans to use its training facilities following a public backlash against the club. [169]
- 21 November – The launch is announced of The National , Scotland's first daily newspaper to take a pro-independence stance. [170]
- 23 November – Britain's Lewis Hamilton wins the 2014 Formula One world title after finishing first in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. [171]
- 24 November – The National launches on a five-day trial basis. [172]
- 25 November – A report into the murder of Lee Rigby by the Intelligence and Security Committee suggests that MI5 could have prevented the killing had they been allowed access to an online forum in which one of the perpetrators discussed murdering a soldier five months before the May 2013 incident. [173]
- 27 November
- The Smith Commission, established by David Cameron to look at enhanced devolution for Scotland following the referendum, publishes its report, recommending the Scottish Parliament should be given the power to set income tax rates and bands. [174]
- A judge says he is satisfied MP and former chief whip Andrew Mitchell called police officers "plebs" during a 2012 row in Downing Street as he rejects a High Court libel action brought by the politician against The Sun newspaper. [175]
- 28 November – Black Friday promotions spark chaos and violence in stores across the country. Police are called to at least ten supermarkets amid large crowd surges as people hunt for the best offers. [176]
December
- 1 December
- Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown announces he is to stand down as an MP at the next general election after 32 years. [177]
- Suffolk doctor Myles Bradbury pleads guilty to abusing eighteen young cancer patients in his care at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge between 2009 and 2013. He is sentenced to 22 years. [178]
- 3 December – As part of the Autumn Statement, Chancellor George Osborne replaces stamp duty for home buyers with a graduated scheme similar to income tax. [179]
- 5 December – Scotland reduces its drink-drive limit from 80 mg to 50 mg, bringing the country's legal limit into line with much of mainland Europe. [180]
- 6 December – Reports surface that former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond will stand for Parliament in the Gordon constituency at the 2015 general election. [181] Salmond confirms his intention to contest the constituency the following day. [182]
- 7 December – Greetings card retailer Clintons withdraws a 'tongue-in-cheek' Christmas card detailing ten reasons why Santa Claus "must live on a council estate" after it was deemed to be offensive by the public. [183]
- 10 December – A "weather bomb" hits the north of the UK, causing winds of up to 144 mph, cutting power from tens of thousands of homes, and creating travel disruptions across land and sea. [184]
- 12 December – Disruption is caused at airports across the country due to a computer system failure at the UK's air traffic control centre, causing hundreds of delays and over eighty cancellations at Heathrow. Delays and cancellations continue the following day. [185]
- 13 December – MP Jim Murphy is elected as the new Scottish Labour leader, beating MSPs Neil Findlay and Sarah Boyack with 55.7% of the vote, declaring it his "driving purpose" to end poverty and inequality. Meanwhile, Kezia Dugdale is elected as the party's new deputy leader. [186]
- 16 December – Leader of the House of Commons William Hague sets out Conservative plans for English votes for English laws to prevent MPs representing constituencies in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland from voting on legalisation that does not effect their parts of the UK. [187]
- 17 December – Libby Lane becomes the new Bishop of Stockport and the first woman to become a bishop of the Church of England since the change to canon law just a month ago. [188]
- 19 December
- An off-duty police officer dies in hospital after he was attacked during a night out in Liverpool. [189]
- A High Court judge orders the winding up of Hereford United football club following a petition from the Inland Revenue over unpaid tax debts. [190]
- 22 December – Six people are killed after a refuse lorry crashes into a group of people in Glasgow's George Square. [191]
- 25 December – Parcel delivery firm City Link announces that it has gone into administration after substantial losses. The general secretary of the RMT union calls the timing of the announcement a "disgrace". [192]
- 29 December – The Scottish Government confirms a case of Ebola being treated in a Glasgow hospital. The victim is a healthcare worker who had travelled back from Sierra Leone the previous day. [193]
- 31 December
- Healthcare worker Pauline Cafferkey receives an unnamed experimental anti-viral drug and blood plasma from Ebola survivors as part of her treatment. [194]
- City Link's administrators announce the loss of 2,356 jobs after a deal to buy the firm fell through. [195]
Undated
- 2014 was the UK's warmest year since records began with an average temperature of 9.9C, 0.2C higher than the previous record set in 2006, according to a Met Office report of 5 January 2015. This means that eight of the UK's top ten warmest years have occurred since 2002. [196]
- New car sales reach a 10-year high of nearly 2.5 million. The Ford Fiesta was Britain's best selling car for the sixth successive year, while the likes of Audi and Fiat also enjoy impressive sales figures.
