Events from the year 2022 in the United Kingdom.
This year saw Boris Johnson resign as prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party, with Liz Truss being elected as his successor in September, before resigning in October and being succeeded by Rishi Sunak. After 70 years on the throne, marked by her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in June, Queen Elizabeth II died on 8 September at the age of 96. The Queen was succeeded by her son, Prince Charles. Other significant events of the year included the UK's response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a record-breaking 40°C heatwave during the summer and nearly 25,000 wildfires, and a cost of living crisis marked by high inflation and rising energy bills.
Incumbents Monarch Elizabeth II (until 8 September) Charles III (starting 8 September) Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Conservative) (until 6 September) Liz Truss (Conservative) (6 September – 25 October) Rishi Sunak (Conservative) (starting 25 October)
Events January 1 January – The warmest New Year's Day on record is reported, with temperatures of 16.2 °C (61.2 °F) in St James's Park, Central London. 3 January – COVID-19 in the UK: A critical incident is declared at several hospitals in Lincolnshire after the increased spread of COVID-19 causes "extreme and unprecedented" staff shortages. 4 January – COVID-19 in the UK: The daily infection number exceeds 200,000 for the first time, with a total of 218,724 cases, partly caused by a backlog in reporting over the New Year. 5 January – Four defendants (known as 'the Colston 4') accused of pulling down the Statue of Edward Colston in Bristol in June 2020 as part of the Black Lives Matter protests are found not guilty of criminal damage in a jury trial. 6 January – COVID-19 in the UK: A survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that 1.3 million people in the UK are living with long COVID, about 506,000 (40%) of whom caught the virus over a year ago, and still have symptoms such as fatigue, loss of smell, shortness of breath, and difficulty concentrating. 8 January – COVID-19 in the UK: The number of deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test exceeds 150,000. 10 January – The Met Police contacts the government over "widespread reporting relating to alleged breaches" of Covid rules, following an email obtained by ITV News dated 20 May 2020, in which 100 people were invited to a "bring-your-own-booze" event in the Downing Street garden during the first lockdown. Boris Johnson declines to say whether he was among those there. 12 January The High Court rules that the government's use of a "VIP lane" to award contracts for personal protective equipment (PPE) to two companies was unlawful. At Prime Minister's Questions, Johnson confirms he did attend a party in the No 10 garden during the first lockdown in May 2020 and offers his "heartfelt apology". Opposition MPs and the leader of the Scottish Conservatives Douglas Ross call for his resignation. Prince Andrew fails in his bid to dismiss a US civil sex assault case brought against him by Virginia Giuffre. 13 January MI5 warns that a Chinese spy, who they identify as Christine Ching Kui Lee, has been active in the British Parliament. Prince Andrew's military affiliations and royal patronages, which includes the use of "His Royal Highness", are returned to the Queen. It is announced that he will defend the Giuffre lawsuit as a "private citizen". 14 January The Daily Telegraph reports that two parties were held at Downing Street the night before Prince Philip's funeral, at a time when Covid restrictions banned indoor mixing. Downing Street issues an apology to the Queen. The Daily Telegraph also reports that Kate Josephs, who was the head of the Covid taskforce, was given a leaving do on 17 December 2020. Josephs apologises for the event, saying she is 'truly sorry.' Tortoise Media reports Boris Johnson commuted between Downing Street and his second home, Chequers, between 16 and 27 March 2020, when non-essential travel was banned. This is confirmed by Downing Street. The Daily Mirror reports that Number 10 staff had 'wine-time Fridays' throughout the pandemic, with pictures of a wine fridge bought especially for it being released alongside the story. 17 January GB News announces it will play God Save the Queen at the start of live programming every day. A 50-year-old woman from Brighton is reported among the fatalities in the Hunga Tonga eruption and tsunami. 19 January Inflation reaches 5.4%, the highest level since March 1992. Conservative MP Christian Wakeford defects to Labour, after submitting a letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson in light of the "partygate" scandal. 20 January Conservative MP William Wragg accuses whips of blackmail against Conservative MPs who are believed to support the ousting of Johnson. The Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, tells the Commons that potentially criminal offences would be a matter for the police. A Downing Street spokesperson says: "We are not aware of any evidence to support what are clearly serious allegations." 30 elite British troops are sent to Ukraine amid fears of an imminent Russian invasion. The troops deliver 2,000 NLAW anti-tank missile launchers to Ukrainian forces to bolster their defences. 21 January – COVID-19 in the UK: The UK Health Security Agency formally designates BA.2 as a "variant under investigation". 24 January Johnson orders an inquiry into allegations by Conservative MP Nus Ghani that she was dismissed as a minister after being told her "Muslim-ness" was "making colleagues uncomfortable". Conservative peer Lord Agnew publicly resigns in the House of Lords after criticising the government's handling of fraudulent Covid business loans. ITV News reports that Johnson attended a party to celebrate his 56th birthday on 20 June 2020, despite Covid rules forbidding social gatherings indoors at the time. Yasmin Chkaifi, 43, is stabbed to death in Maida Vale, West London. 25 January – At a London Assembly committee meeting, Cressida Dick confirms that the Metropolitan Police are now investigating "potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations" in Downing Street and Whitehall since 2020, as a "result of the information provided by the Cabinet Office inquiry team", led by Sue Gray. 27 January – COVID-19 in the UK: The government's "Plan B" restrictions in England come to an end, meaning that face masks and COVID passes are no longer legally required. 29 January – Storm Malik hits the UK, killing a 9-year-old boy and a 60-year-old woman and leaving tens of thousands of homes in Scotland and England without power. 30 January – Manchester United footballer Mason Greenwood is arrested on suspicion of raping and assaulting his girlfriend. The club suspends him "until further notice". 31 January – The initial findings of a report by Sue Gray into Downing Street parties are published. She notes that, "At least some of the gatherings in question represent a serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working at the heart of Government but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time," and concludes that "a number of these gatherings should not have been allowed to take place or to develop in the way that they did. There is significant learning to be drawn from these events which must be addressed immediately across Government."
February 1 February – Johnson travels to Kyiv for talks with President Zelensky, amid rising concerns over the Russo-Ukrainian crisis. 2 February The government publishes a white paper on its "levelling up" strategy, which aims to reduce the gap between rich and poor parts of the country by 2030. This includes a 40% increase in research and development spending for the North, Midlands, South West, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. COVID-19 in the UK: 534 coronavirus-related deaths are reported, the highest daily figure since February 2021. 3 February Ofgem announces a lifting of the energy price cap from £1,277 to £1,971, an increase of 54%. The regulator estimates that nearly 18 million households in England, Wales and Scotland will pay an average of £693 extra a year for gas and electricity. The Bank of England raises the interest rate from 0.25 to 0.5%, in a bid to restrain inflation. Munira Mirza resigns as Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit, saying it was in protest at Johnson's comments about Keir Starmer being responsible for the failure to prosecute serial sex offender Jimmy Savile. Three other senior aides resign hours later – Director of Communications Jack Doyle, Chief of Staff Dan Rosenfield, and principal private secretary to the prime minister Martin Reynolds. Paul Givan resigns as First Minister of Northern Ireland in protest over Brexit checks in the Irish Sea, which are part of the Northern Ireland protocol. The 2022 Southend West by-election, following the murder of Sir David Amess, is won by the Conservative candidate, Anna Firth. The by-election is not contested by the major opposition parties out of respect for Amess. 4 February Policy adviser Elena Narozanski becomes the fifth of Johnson's aides to resign within 24 hours. Peer Nazir Ahmed is jailed for sexual offences against children. 6 February – The Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II marks the 70th anniversary of her accession to the throne as Queen of the United Kingdom. 7 February The football associations of the four nations of the United Kingdom and Ireland announce they have agreed not to bid for the 2030 World Cup, and will instead attempt a joint bid to host Euro 2028. Footage emerges of West Ham United player Kurt Zouma kicking and punching his pet cat. Essex Police announce they are liaising with the RSPCA and "urgent enquiries are ongoing". Police arrest two people after protesters shouting "traitor" surround Keir Starmer in Westminster. 8 February In the Commons, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle condemns the abuse of Starmer, while Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy links the incident to Johnson's recent comments. Hoyle tells MPs: "Those sorts of comments only inflame opinions and generate disregard for the house and it is not acceptable. Our words have consequences. And we should always be mindful of that fact." Johnson implements a cabinet reshuffle, which includes Jacob Rees-Mogg becoming Minister of State for Brexit Opportunities and Government Efficiency, with Mark Spencer replacing him as Leader of the House. Health Secretary Sajid Javid sets out the government's plans to reduce the NHS backlog resulting from the pandemic, including new facilities paid for by an extra £8bn of investment over the next three years. 9 February Ian Stewart, already convicted for the murder of children's author Helen Bailey, is sentenced to a whole-life order for the killing of his previous wife, Diane Stewart, six years earlier. The UK's terror threat level is lowered from severe to substantial, meaning a terror attack on British soil is considered "likely". Partygate: Another new photo of Johnson is leaked, this time appearing to show him next to a bottle of champagne, with a tinsel-wearing official and other staff members, apparently taken on 15 December 2020. The biggest breakthrough in fusion energy since 1997 is reported by Oxford's JET lab, with 59 megajoules produced over five seconds (11 megawatts of power), more than double the previous record. 10 February Foreign Secretary Liz Truss meets her Russian counterpart in Moscow, Sergey Lavrov. Her visit, the first by a UK foreign secretary in four years, sees her urge Russia to "respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine". At a visit to NATO in Brussels, Boris Johnson says that Europe faces "the most dangerous moment" in its "biggest security crisis" for decades. He tells reporters that he hopes "strong deterrence" and "patient diplomacy" can solve the crisis, but the stakes are "very high".