2008 in the United Kingdom
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2008 in the United Kingdom

Other years

2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010

Constituent countries

England | Northern Ireland | Scotland | Wales

Sport, Television and music

2008 British Grand Prix

2008 English cricket season

Football: England | Scotland | Wales

2008 in British television

2008 in British music

UK in the Eurovision Song Contest 2008

Events from the year 2008 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents

• Monarch - HM Queen Elizabeth II
• Prime Minister - Gordon Brown, Labour Party

Events

January

• January 4 - An unforecasted blizzard creates havoc across eastern Northern Ireland, with falls of 8 inches in one hour.
• 12 January - The city of Liverpool officially becomes European Capital of Culture for 2008, a title it will share with Stavanger, Norway.
• 24 January - Peter Hain resigns as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions over irregular donations.^[1]
• 31 January - Conservative Party MP Derek Conway suspended from the House of Commons for 10 days over payments made to his son from his parliamentary allowances.^[2]

February

• 6 February - The England National Football team defeat Switzerland 2–1 in Fabio Capello's first game as manager at Wembley Stadium in London.
• 17 February - The Government announced that the Northern Rock bank would be temporarily taken into public ownership.
• 21 February - A jury at Ipswich Crown Court finds Steve Wright, 49, guilty of murdering five prostitutes in a spree during late 2006.^[3]
• 22 February
  • Steve Wright is sentenced to life imprisonment with a recommendation that he should never be released.^[4]
  • Mark Dixie, 37, is found guilty of the September 2005 murder of Surrey model Sally Anne Bowman (18). He is sentenced to life imprisonment at the Old Bailey, where the trial judge recommends that he serves at least 34 years before parole can be considered.^[5]
• 26 February - Levi Bellfield, 38, is found guilty of murdering two women in London in sexually-motivated attacks; the first in 2001, the second in 2004. He receives a life sentence with a recommendation that he should never be released.
• 27 February - An earthquake with an epicentre in Lincolnshire is felt across most of Britain, with several buildings suffering substantial damage.

March

• 12 March - The British Budget is unveiled by Alistair Darling as his first in the position of Chancellor of the Exchequer.

April

• 2 April - A cross human-cow embryo survives a third straight day after being fertilized at Newcastle University, England. A director for embryonic stem cell laboratories at the Australian Stem Cell Centre said that the "99 per cent human" embryo could improve research within the field of human diseases. The Catholic Church in England however said that the creation was "monstrous" and says that the later destruction of it is unethical. ^[6]
• April 6 - The Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 came into force.^[7]

May

• 1 May
  • The London mayoral election are held.^[8]
  • Local elections are held in England and Wales.

August

• 8 August–24 August - Great Britain and Northern Ireland compete at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

Publications

• Iain M. Banks' novel Matter.

Deaths

• 2 January - George MacDonald Fraser, author (born 1925)
• 3 January - Jimmy Stewart, racing driver (born 1931)
• 30 January - Jeremy Beadle, television presenter, writer and producer (born 1948)
• 18 March - Anthony Minghella, film director (born 1954)
• 19 March - Arthur C. Clarke, science fiction author and inventor (born 1917)
• 25 April - Humphrey Lyttelton, jazz musician and broadcaster (born 1921)

References