31 January - British Aerospace sells its 80% stake in Rover to BMW, leaving Britain without an independent volume carmaker.[2] It is envisaged that the new Rover Group will produce more than 1million cars per year worldwide, and will be Europe's seventh largest carmaker.
21 February - Honda sells its 20% stake of the Rover Group, allowing BMW to take full control. This marks the end of the 13-year venture between the two carmakers, although the Honda-based Rover 400 will still go into production next year, becoming the seventh and final product of the venture.
1 March - Fred West is charged with the murders of three women who remains were found buried at his house. One of the bodies is believed to be that of his daughter Heather, who was last seen alive in 1987 at the age of 16.[4]
December - Rover Group ends production of its long-running Maestro and Montego ranges, which were strong sellers during the 1980s but in recent years had been produced in lower volumes due to the success of models like the Rover 200.
9 December - First meeting between the British government and Sinn Féin in more than 70 years.[5]
13 December - Fred West is charged with the murders of 12 people who are believed to died between 1967 and 1987, including his daughter Heather. His wife Rose is charged with 10 of the murders, including that of Heather and her stepdaughter Charmaine, who is believed to have died in June 1971 at the age of eight.
14 December - Moors MurdererMyra Hindley receives a letter from the Home Office that informs her of former Home SecretaryDavid Waddington's decision (taken in four years ago) that she should spend the rest of her life in prison. Hindley, 52, was involving in the torture and murder of five children during the 1960s with her lover Ian Brady. She was convicted of murdering two children at her 1966 trial as well as being an accessory to the murder of a third, but admitted two more murders in 1986 and subsequently helped police uncover the body of her fourth victim. On the same day, Brady is also informed that he will remain incarcerated for the rest of his natural life.