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2026 in the United Kingdom

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Events from the year 2026 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents

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Events

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January

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  • 1 January
    • Scotland's "Not Proven" verdict is abolished in all new trials.[1]
    • Figures indicate that 41,472 migrants crossed the English Channel during 2025, almost 5,000 more than 2024, and the highest annual number since 2022.[2]
  • 2 January
    • The FTSE 100 rises above 10,000 points for the first time in its history.[3]
    • The MMRV vaccine, designed to protect children against measles, mumps, rubella (German measles), and varicella (chickenpox), is made available on the NHS throughout the UK.[4]
    • An amber weather alert for snow, which came into force for Scotland from midday, is extended until Monday 5 January, while there are yellow warnings for snow and ice for parts of England and Wales.[5]
    • BBC News analysis indicates that a record amount of electricity was produced through renewable energy during 2025, with wind being the most prolific.[6]
  • 3 January
  • 4 January – The Met Office issues fresh warnings for snow and ice across the UK on Monday 5 January as people return to work and school following the Christmas break. An amber weather alert for fresh snow is also issued for northern Scotland.[9]
  • 5 January
    • New powers come into force allowing mobile phones belonging to migrants to be seized without their arrest.[10]
    • A ban on junk food advertising comes into effect, as part of a drive to tackle childhood obesity. This affects TV adverts shown before 9pm and online adverts at any time.[11]
  • 6 January
    • The UK experiences its coldest night of the winter so far, with temperatures reaching as low as −12.5 °C (9.5 °F) in Marham, Norfolk. Snow and ice warnings continue to affect much of the country, closing more than 1,000 schools and causing widespread travel disruption.[12]
    • The Met Office issues a fresh yellow warning for ice and snow for much of the UK ahead of the arrival of Storm Goretti. Snow is forecast for the UK for the 6 and 7 January, and for England and Wales for the 8 and 9 January.[13]
    • Technology Secretary Liz Kendall demands that social media company X deals with deepfake nudes generated by its Grok AI model, and says that Ofcom is now "looking into this as a matter of urgency."[14]
    • Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announces that the UK and France have signed a declaration of intent to send peacekeeping troops to Ukraine if a peace agreement is signed with Russia.[15]
  • 7 January
    • The Ministry of Defence confirms that British armed forces supported the US seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker in the North Atlantic.[16]
    • The UK government proposes that learner drivers wait six months between taking their theory test and their practical test as part of plans to improve road safety.[17]
  • 8 January
    • A red "danger to life" wind warning is issued by the Met Office for south-west England as Storm Goretti heads towards the UK, with gusts expected to surpass 100 mph in some areas.[18]
    • Tougher rules for people applying to come to the UK on skilled worker or scale-up visas begin.[19][20][21]
    • The UK government announces it will make changes to plans to increase business rates for pubs.[22]
    • A review finds that two serial rapists were among 131 Metropolitan Police officers and staff who committed crimes or misconduct after they were not properly vetted.[23]
  • 9 January
    • Storm Goretti brings heavy snow, ice and high winds to the UK, with further cold weather forecast. A yellow weather warning for ice is in force for much of the UK for Saturday 10 January, and a yellow warning for northern England and Scotland for Sunday 11 January.[24]
    • Defence Secretary John Healey tells reporters that British bases, personnel or equipment will not be used to support US military action against Greenland, following recent remarks by Donald Trump about the need to acquire the semi-autonomous Danish territory.[25]
  • 10 January
    • Non-league football team Macclesfield F.C. defeat Crystal Palace 2–1 in the FA Cup third round, technically the biggest upset in the competition's history, with 177 league places separating both teams.[26]
    • Two people are arrested following protests outside the Iranian embassy in London during which a demonstrator climbs on to a balcony of the building.[27]
    • Weather warnings for snow, rain and wind are in place for Scotland, Northern Ireland and the north of England until Monday 12 January, before milder weather is forecast to end the cold snap.[28]
  • 11 January
    • Four people are killed and five others injured in a head-on car crash on Wigan Road, Bolton, Greater Manchester.[29]
    • BBC News reports that the UK government has paid "substantial" compensation to Abu Zubaydah, who was tortured by the CIA and remains imprisoned without trial at Guantanamo Bay after almost 20 years.[30]
    • BBC News reports that the UK government has identified a legal basis by which ships belonging to "shadow fleets" can be boarded and detained if they enter UK territorial waters.[31]
    • The UK government releases a pothole map showing which local authorities have been fixed with a new traffic light rating system.[32]
  • 12 January
    • A major incident is declared as tens of thousands of people across Kent and Sussex remain without water, have low pressure or intermittent supplies, caused by recent cold weather and a subsequent breakout of leaks and bursts.[33]
    • Ofcom launches an investigation into X amid concerns that its Grok AI tool is being used to create sexualised images.[34]
    • Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announces that the UK government will enforce legislation in the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 (passed in June 2025) making it illegal to create non-consensual intimate images, and make it illegal for companies to supply the tools to create such images.[35]
    • A shortfall in UK defence spending prompts Sir Richard Knighton, the Head of the Armed Forces, to warn that the UK is "not as ready as we need to be for the kind of full-scale conflict we might face".[36]
    • Former Conservative Party Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi defects to Reform UK.[37]
  • 13 January
    • Wing Commander Sasha Nash is appointed to lead the Red Arrows, succeeding Wing Commander Adam Collins, and becoming the first woman to take on the role.[38]
    • The UK government drops plans to require people to sign up to their digital ID card scheme in order to prove their eligibility to work in the UK.[39]
    • The UK government outlines its plans for investment in Northern Powerhouse Rail.[40]
  • 14 January
    • Following his conviction on 5 September, actor John Alford is sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for sexually assaulting two girls aged 14 and 15.[41]
    • Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood says she has lost confidence in West Midlands Police chief constable Craig Guildford after Israeli football supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv were banned from a match against Aston Villa after police overstated the threat posed to Israeli fans. Mahmood says that she will reinstate legislative powers allowing chief constables to be dismissed by the Home Secretary.[42]
    • Ofwat is to review the operating licence for South East Water following disruption to water supplies in Sussex and Kent.[43]
    • Fast food outlet TGI Fridays closes 16 of its UK restaurants with the loss of 456 jobs.[44]
  • 15 January
    • Office for National Statistics data indicates the UK economy grew by 0.3% in November, faster than had been forecast, largely as a result of good performance in the automotive and service sectors.[45]
    • Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick is sacked by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch for "plotting to defect". He is later unveiled as Reform UK's latest Member of Parliament.[46]
    • Downing Street announces it no longer has confidence in West Midlands Police chief constable Craig Guildford.[47]
    • Ofwat launches its investigation into South East Water.[48]
    • The Princess of Wales hosts the England women's national rugby union team at Windsor Castle to celebrate their 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup victory.[49]
  • 16 January
    • Hutchison and others v County Durham and Darlington NHS Trust, an employment tribunal case between a group of eight female nurses and the NHS Trust, rules that the NHS trust had harassed and discriminated against eight nurses by requiring them to share a changing room with a transgender women and by not taking the nurses concerns seriously.[50][51]
    • Following his conviction on 12 December, Robert Rhodes is sentenced to at least 29 years and six months in prison for murdering his wife, after new evidence disclosed by their child led to a second trial.[52]
    • Craig Guildford announces his retirement from the role of chief constable of West Midlands Police.[53]
  • 17 January
    • US President Trump announces that the UK, along with other European countries, will be hit with a 10% tariff on "all or any goods" exported to the US from 1 February, amid an ongoing dispute over the annexation of Greenland. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer describes the threat as "completely wrong".[54]
    • Justice Secretary David Lammy blocks plans to move Jake Fahri, convicted of the murder of Jimmy Mizen in 2008, to an open prison.[55]
  • 18 January
    • The UK government withdraws an amendment to its Hillsborough Bill that would require MI5 and MI6 employees to only give evidence at the discretion of their boss.[56]
    • South East Water apologises as 4,000 homes in Kent experience problems with their water supply.[57]
  • 19 January
    • During a speech about the Greenland crisis, Starmer says a trade war is "in no-one's interest" and that the "right approach" is "through calm discussion".[58]
    • The Criminal Cases Review Commission confirms it is holding a review into the conviction of Michael Stone for the 1996 murders of Lin and Megan Russell following an application from his legal team.[59]
    • The Independent Office for Police Conduct launches an investigation into West Midlands Police's decision to ban Maccabi Tel Aviv fans from an away match in Birmingham in November 2025.[60]
    • The UK government is to launch a consultation on a potential social media ban for children under the age of 16.[61]
    • Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds announces an overhaul of the water industry, including unannounced inspections, compulsory water efficiency labels and MOT-style checks on companies.[62]
  • 20 January
    • Plans for a controversial new Chinese "mega-embassy" in London are approved by the UK government, amid ongoing debate over the security risks.[63] Downing Street hopes that the 20,000 square metre complex, set to become the largest embassy in Europe if built, will pave the way for trade deals with China.[64]
    • The UK government announces its £15bn Warm Homes Plan, which will make households eligible for grants to install solar panels and other green energy saving technology in order to reduce household bills.[65]
    • The Crown Prosecution Service announces that Lucy Letby will not face any further charges over baby deaths and collapses.[66]
  • 21 January
    • Inflation rose from 3.2% in November to 3.4% in December, the ONS reports, driven by higher air fares, tobacco, and food prices.[67]
    • The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards rules that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage breached MPs' rules 17 times by failing to register financial interests totalling £384,000 within the 28-day limit, but concludes that the breaches were "inadvertent" and do not require sanctions.[68]
    • Chancellor Rachel Reeves says she "would never rule anything out" when asked if the UK would impose retaliatory tariffs on the US.[69]
    • Data from the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency indicates that instances of driving test cheating in England, Scotland and Wales rose by 50% during 2025, with bluetooth and imposters two common ways of cheating.[70]
  • 22 January
  • 23 January – MPs from both sides of the House condemn remarks by US President Trump downplaying the involvement of NATO in the Afghanistan War, during which 457 British service personnel lost their lives.[73]
  • 24 January
  • 25 January
    • Andy Burnham is blocked by Labour's National Executive Committee from standing as a candidate in the forthcoming Gorton and Denton by-election.[77]
    • Storm Ingrid: A clean up operation begins following damage caused by the storm in Devon and Cornwall, with a limited service on the Great Western Main Line following the collapse of a sea wall at Dawlish.[78]
    • A group of 86 protesters demonstrating in support of a Palestine Action prisoner on hunger strike are arrested after breaching the grounds of HMP Wormwood Scrubs.[79]
  • 26 January
    • UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband signs the Hamburg Declaration, a joint effort by 10 European nations to establish 100 GW of offshore wind power in the North Sea.[80][81]
    • Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood announces plans to restructure policing in England and Wales, with the creation of a National Police Service for the most complex crimes, and a reduction in the number of local police forces by two thirds from the current 43.[82]
    • Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman becomes the latest Conservative MP to defect to Reform UK.[83]
    • The Met Office issues a severe weather warning for wind and rain ahead of the arrival of Storm Chandra, the third major storm to make landfall in the UK during January.[84]
    • The World Health Organization removes the UK's measles elimination status, based on 3,600 suspected cases of the illness reported in 2024.[85]
    • Revel Collective, owners of Revolucion de Cuba and Peach Pubs, is to go into administration, with 2,200 jobs at risk.[86]
    • A study by the Centre for Social Justice suggests there are 700,000 UK university graduates out of work and claiming benefits.[87]
  • 27 January
    • Storm Chandra hits the UK, bringing heavy rain and strong winds. Weather warnings and flood alerts are in place for many areas, causing travel disruption and closing hundreds of schools.[88]
    • A plan to cap ground rents at £250 a year in England and Wales is announced, along with proposals to ban the sale of new leasehold flats and give homeowners greater control over how their buildings are managed.[89]
    • 50 Labour MPs have signed a letter objecting to the decision to block Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham from standing in a forthcoming parliamentary by-election.[90]
    • Carol Kirkwood announces that she will step down as BBC Weather presenter after 28 years.[91]
    • US Coast Guards abduct the captain and first officer of a Russian-flagged oil tanker and remove them from UK territory. The US force sailed the vessel, the Marinera, into UK waters after seizing it south of Iceland on 7 January.[92]
  • 28 January
  • 29 January
    • The ONS reports that homicides in England and Wales have reached their lowest level in almost 50 years, largely due to a 23% drop in knife murders.[95]
    • Downing Street announces that China has agreed to relax travel restrictions for UK citizens, allowing them to visit the country for up to 30 days without a visa.[96]
    • A Great Ormond Street Hospital review into limb reconstruction surgeon Yaser Jabbar finds that more than 100 children were harmed as a result of operations performed by him.[97]
    • The UK government rejects a compensation claim by the group Women Against State Pension Inequality for those affected by the raising of the state pension age during the 2010s.[98]
    • The UK government announces the continuation of the Warm Home Discount for a further five years, giving around six million low-income households a £150 discount on their annual energy bills.[99]
  • 30 January
    • Asylum seeker Deng Majek is sentenced to a minimum term of 29 years in prison for stabbing to death Rhiannon Whyte, a hotel worker in Walsall.[100]
    • Train services on the West Coast Main Line face major disruption following a large fire at a commercial property in Chalk Farm, London.[101]
    • Seven new shops selling Labubu dolls will open in the UK following Starmer's trip to China.[102]
  • 31 January
    • The Epstein files:
      • Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor appears in the latest batch of Epstein files released by the US Department of Justice. Photographs appear to show him kneeling on all fours over a female lying on the ground.[103]
      • A second woman alleges that she was sent to the UK by Jeffrey Epstein for a sexual encounter with Mountbatten-Windsor.[104]
      • The files also reveal that Epstein sent £10,000 to Peter Mandelson's partner in 2009.[105]

February

[edit]
  • 1 February
  • 2 February
    • The Epstein files:
      • Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch calls for a "full Cabinet Office investigation" into whether Mandelson and his husband accepted money from Epstein during his time as a minister, while Lib Dem leader Ed Davey says Mandelson should be stripped of his peerage.[108]
      • The SNP and Reform UK report Peter Mandelson to the Metropolitan Police after emails suggest he forwarded internal government information to Jeffrey Epstein when he was business secretary in 2009.[108]
    • Former Labour MP Dan Norris, 66, is arrested for a second time on suspicion of a string of sexual offences between the 2000s and 2020s.[109]
    • During a hearing at the Old Bailey, serial killer Steve Wright pleads guilty to the September 1999 murder of Victoria Hall, as well as the attempted kidnap of another woman.[110]
    • Data released by the Met Office confirms that January 2026 has been the wettest for a number of years for many parts of the UK.[111]
  • 3 February
    • The Epstein files:
    • Two men are killed after a light plane crashes near Manchester.[116]
    • The UK government publishes its ten year cancer strategy for England, which aims to ensure that three quarters of cancer patients are surviving for at least five years by 2035.[117]
  • 4 February
    • MPs approve the release of government documents relating to Peter Mandelson's appointment as the British Ambassador to the United States.[118]
    • An 18-year-old man is arrested on suspicion of murder after a student from De Montfort University is stabbed to death in Leicester city centre.[119]
    • Five Palestine Action members are cleared of aggravated burglary after breaching the premises of an Israeli defence company based in Bristol, and are released on bail ahead of a potential retrial for other charges which the jury failed to reach verdicts on.[120]
    • A ban on asylum seekers using taxis to travel to and from medical appointments comes into force.[121]
  • 5 February
    • The Bank of England holds interest rates unchanged at 3.75%.[122]
    • 2025 North Sea ship collision: At the Old Bailey, 59-year-old Vladimir Motin, captain of the container ship MV Solong, is sentenced to six years in prison for gross negligence manslaughter that left 38-year-old Mark Angelo Pernia missing presumed dead.[123]
    • During a speech in East Sussex, Keir Starmer apologises to Epstein victims for appointing Peter Mandelson and "believing his lies".[124]
    • 2021 English Channel disaster: An inquiry into the deaths of at least 30 people who drowned while attempting to cross the English Channel in 2021 is concluded. It reports a "significant, systemic failure on the part of government" and highlights three fatal errors – people smugglers overloading the boats, the slow response of a French Naval vessel, and flaws in the Coastguard's search and rescue operations – finding that several of the casualties were preventable. Inquiry chair Sir Ross Cranston points to chronic staff shortages and limited capacity of HM Coastguard in Dover.[125]
    • The King grants Scotland a one-off extra Bank Holiday for Monday 15 June to coincide with Scotland's first FIFA World Cup match since 1998, which takes place the day before.[126]
    • The Met Office confirms that rain has fallen on every day of 2026 so far in South West England and South Wales, with both areas receiving 50% more rainfall than usual.[127]
  • 6 February
    • Building society Halifax reports that in January, the average price of a house in the UK exceeded £300,000 for the first time.[128][129]
    • More than 70 flood warnings remain in place across the UK, following prolonged and record-breaking rainfall.[130]
    • Steven Wright, already serving a whole-life sentence for the Ipswich serial murders, is given a further 40-year prison term for the murder of 17-year-old Victoria Hall in 1999.[131]
    • The Metropolitan Police confirm that two properties linked to Peter Mandelson have been searched following allegations of misconduct in public office.[132]
    • Benjamin Wegg-Prosser, chief executive of Global Counsel, a company co-founded by Peter Mandelson, announces his resignation following revelations about the firm's potential links with Jeffrey Epstein.[133]
  • 7 February
    • The Foreign and Commonwealth Office announces a review into a pay-off given to Peter Mandelson after he was dismissed as the UK's ambassador to the United States.[134]
    • Brioche Pasquier issues a recall of some packets of chocolate and hazelnut-filled brioches amid concerns they may contain small pieces of plastic that could pose a choking hazard.[135]
  • 8 February
    • Morgan McSweeney resigns as Downing Street Chief of Staff over his role in the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK's ambassador to the United States.[136]
    • Documents released as part of the Epstein files suggest Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor shared confidential information with Jeffrey Epstein during his role as trade envoy during 2010 and 2011.[137]
    • The Met Office confirms there are 88 flood warnings and 223 flood alerts in place in England as the rainfall continues.[138]

Predicted and scheduled events

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Publications

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Deaths

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Main article: 2026 deaths in the United Kingdom

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Scotland's not proven verdict abolished in all new trials". STV News. 1 January 2026. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  2. ^ Dale, Bob (1 January 2026). "Channel migrant crossings for 2025 highest in three years". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 1 January 2026.
  3. ^ "FTSE 100 hits 10,000 mark for first time". BBC News. BBC. 2 January 2026. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  4. ^ Roxby, Philippa; Mundasad, Smitha (2 January 2026). "Chickenpox vaccines for children on NHS starts across UK". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  5. ^ Curry, Alicia; Chater, James (2 January 2026). "UK weather: Ice and snow around UK in wintry start to 2026". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  6. ^ Poynting, Mark; Dale, Becky; Carr, Jess (2 January 2026). "Record year for wind and solar electricity in Great Britain in 2025". BBC News. BBC. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  7. ^ Drury, Sam (3 January 2026). "World Darts Championship 2026 results: Luke Littler wins title with masterclass against Gian van Veen". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 3 January 2026.
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