2009 in England
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Events from 2009 in England
Further information: Politics of England
Events
January
- 2 January – A light aircraft crashes into overhead power cables on the West Coast Main Line near the village of Little Haywood in Staffordshire, causing widespread disruption to train services, and reportedly killing the three occupants of the aircraft.[1]
- 5 January –
- Cold weather consisting of snow and freezing temperatures causes widespread disruption across the UK. Travel routes are severely affected including roads and railways, in addition to Luton and Birmingham airports respectively. The weather also leads to the closure of many schools who were due to return after the Christmas break.[2]
- Waterford Wedgwood, makers of the famous Wedgwood pottery, enters administration.[3]
- 7 January – England Cricket Captain, Kevin Pietersen resigns after months of rows with England Manager, Peter Moores. Moores is sacked from his job by the England and Wales Cricket Board. Andrew Strauss is named as the new Captain.[4]
- 12 January – At the 66th Golden Globe Awards, British actress Kate Winslet wins two awards, Best Actress (Motion Picture Drama) and Best Supporting Actress (Motion Picture); while British film Slumdog Millionaire wins all four of the awards for which it is nominated.[5]
- 15 January –
- Approval is granted for the building of the controversial third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow Airport. As part of the decision, the Secretary of State for Transport, Geoff Hoon, announces restrictions on aircraft using the third runway that are designed to limit noise pollution and carbon dioxide emissions, alongside proposals for a high-speed rail hub, also located at Heathrow.[6]
- John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, the constituency which includes Heathrow Airport, is suspended from Parliament after picking up the ceremonial House of Commons mace in protest at the government's approval of a third runway.[7]
- 23 January – Karen Matthews and Michael Donavon are sentenced to eight years in prison for the kidnap of Shannon Matthews, the former's daughter, having held her captive in Donvon's flat in Dewsbury last year as part of a bid to claim £50,000 for her "safe return" after reporting her missing to the police.[8]
- 26 January – Possession of "extreme pornography" becomes illegal under the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.[9][10]
- 28 January – Hundreds of workers go on strike at the Lindsay Oil Refinery in Lincolnshire in protest at the hiring of foreign construction workers at the site, despite rising unemployment in the UK.[11]
February
- 2 February – Contractors at the Sellafield and Heysham nuclear plants walk out in the ongoing unofficial strike action over foreign workers.[12]
- 3 February – Adverse weather conditions continues to cause widespread disruption to education and transport in large parts of England.[13]
- 5 February –
- Further heavy snow in parts of England and Wales causes fresh school closures and travel disruption.[14]
- Workers participating in unofficial strikes over the use of foreign workers agree to return to work after a compromise deal is struck by Acas.[15]
- 9 February – Chelsea F.C. manager Luiz Felipe Scolari is sacked by the club's board after results deteriorate "at a key time in the season".[16] It comes just hours after fellow Premier League manager, Tony Adams of Portsmouth F.C., is sacked, again after a poor run of results.[17]
- 13 February – A BA CityFlyer flight from Amsterdam loses its nosewheel on arrival at London City Airport due to a "hard landing". One passenger is hospitalised with minor injuries.[18]
- 18 February – The Yorkshire Ripper is released from Broadmoor Hospital to face a life sentence, for killing 13 women and attempting to kill 7 more, after doctors claim he has been treated for schizophrenia.
- 22 February – TV personality, Jade Goody and her boyfriend, Jack Tweed, are married at Down Hall, Essex. Goody, 27, has had cervical cancer for six months and was told earlier this month that she may only have weeks to live after the cancer spread to her bowel, liver and groin.[19] Tweed is free on license following imprisonment for assault.[20]
- 25 February – Labour Party peer Lord Ahmed is sentenced to 12 weeks imprisonment for dangerous driving, having been involved in a fatal crash.[21]
March
- 1 March – Manchester United F.C. win the 2009 Carling Cup, beating Tottenham Hotspur F.C. 4–1 on penalties in the final. The scores stood level at 0–0 after 90 minutes and extra time.[22]
- 4 March – ITV announces it is cutting 600 jobs after it reported a loss of £2.6 billion for 2008. The jobs will go from the company's Yorkshire studios in Leeds and from their headquarters in London.[23]
- 5 March – Michael Jackson announces his last concert series, This Is It to be held at the O2 Arena in London. The concerts are never held due to his death three months later.
- 6 March – Police launch an investigation after a protester throws green custard at the Business and Enterprise Secretary, Peter Mandelson, in protest at the government's decision to approve the construction of a third runway at Heathrow Airport.[24]
- 18 March – Sean Hodgson, who has served 27 years in prison since being convicted of murder in 1982, is acquitted at the Court of Appeal in London.[25]
- 22 March – Jade Goody, the reality TV star, dies at her home in Essex after a seven-month battle against cancer.[26]
April
- 1 April – Protests are held across London ahead of the following day's G-20 summit. Police report 63 arrests across the city, where a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland is targeted by protesters, believed to be as a result of the ongoing anger at the pension of former Chief Executive, Fred Goodwin. The Metropolitan Police later announce that one protester died of a heart-attack during the protests.[27]
- 2 April – The 2009 G-20 London summit is held due to the 2008 financial crisis. The summit ends in the leaders announcing various measures, including a $1.1 trillion investment in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank.[28]
- 8 April – Analogue television signals begin to be switched off in the Westcountry Television area as part of the UK's ongoing process of digital switchover.[29]
- 29 April – Three cases of Swine Flu are confirmed in England. One adult is diagnosed in Redditch, another in South London, whilst a 12-year-old girl is diagnosed in Torbay.[30] Meanwhile, the Scottish Health Secretary, Nicola Sturgeon announces that 15 suspected cases in Scotland are negative.[31]
- 30 April – A further three cases of swine flu are confirmed by the Department of Health. Two of the cases are located in London, with the third being in Newcastle.[32]
May
- 10 May – The decapitated body of Michael Gilbert is found in Arlesey. He had been kept as a slave and subject to year of abuse by the Watt family, six members of which were later jailed for their role in the murder.[33]
- 16 May – Manchester United win the Premier League championship for the third consecutive year after a 0–0 draw against Arsenal F.C. at their home ground, Old Trafford. They have now equalled Liverpool's record tally of 18 top division titles.[34]
- 27 May – Manchester United lose 2–0 to FC Barcelona of Spain in the European Cup final at Rome's Olympic Stadium.[35]
- 30 May – Chelsea win the FA Cup for the fifth time after beating Everton 2–1 in the final at Wembley Stadium. Everton French striker Louis Saha scores the fastest ever FA Cup Final goal, after 23 seconds.[36]
June
- 4 June – Elections are held to the European Parliament, alongside local council elections in England.
- 5 June – The results of the local elections are announced, with the remaining councils under Labour Party control all falling to the Conservative Party's control. The projected national vote shares suggests that the Conservatives achieved 38% of the vote, the Liberal Democrats 28% and Labour 23%.[37]
- 7 June – The results of the European parliamentary elections, held on 4 June, are announced, and show large declines in the vote of the Labour Party. The far-right British National Party also win their first ever seats in a national election, being elected in North West England and Yorkshire and the Humber.[38]
- 8 June – Female paedophile and nursery worker Vanessa George arrested in Plymouth over child pornography and sexual assault offences.[39]
- 21 June – The final British Grand Prix (providing Donington Park is prepared on time) to be held at the Silverstone Circuit is won by Sebastian Vettel. Britain's Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton finish 6th and 16th respectively.
- 22 June – English Conservative MP John Bercow is elected as the 157th Speaker of the House of Commons.[40]
- 27 June – The English Defence League is formed by protesters who claim that the government has been weak and ineffectual against extreme Islam.[41]
July
- 1 July – The government announces that it is taking the InterCity East Coast franchise into a period of public ownership, after the incumbent operator, National Express East Coast, said it planned to default on its franchise agreement.[42]
- 3 July – Six people, including three children, are killed after a fire in a high rise residential tower block in Camberwell, south London.[43]
- 5 July – The Staffordshire Hoard, the largest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure ever found, is uncovered. The 1,500 gold and silver pieces are discovered buried beneath a field in Staffordshire by metal detecting enthusiast Terry Herbert. This is made public on 24 September.[44][45]
- 8 July – The First Test of the 2009 Ashes series takes place at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens
- 18 July – Henry Allingham, the world's oldest man and one of the last surviving First World War servicemen, dies aged 113.[46]
- 24 July – The results of the previous day's Norwich North by-election are announced. The Conservatives win with a majority of more than 7,000, making their candidate, 27-year-old Chloe Smith the youngest MP in the UK. The election was held following the resignation of Labour's Ian Gibson over the MPs expenses row earlier in the year.[47]
- 25 July – Harry Patch, the last British survivor of the First World War trenches and briefly the oldest man in the United Kingdom, dies aged 111.[48] Claude Choules, a 108-year-old former Royal Navy serviceman who was born in Worcestershire but now lives in Australia, is the last surviving British veteran of the war and one of just three surviving of any nationality.[49]
- 28 July – The International Rugby Board confirms that the United Kingdom has won the rights to stage both the 2013 Rugby League and the 2015 Rugby Union World Cups.[50]
- 30 July – Multiple sclerosis sufferer Debbie Purdy makes legal history by winning her battle to have the law on assisted suicide clarified after the Law Lords rule in her favour.[51]
- 31 July – Gary McKinnon, an English man with Asperger syndrome loses his latest High Court bid to avoid extradition to the United States to face charges of hacking into US Government computers.[52]
August
- 6 August – Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs, who is gravely ill, is granted release from prison on compassionate grounds.[53]
- 23 August – In cricket, the Ashes series concludes with England defeating Australia 2–1.[54]
- August – A metal detectorist discovers the Shrewsbury Hoard, about 10,000 Roman coins.[55]
- 31 August - Temple School in Strood closes, merging with Chapter Girls School, to become Strood Academy, which opened in September 2009.[56]
September
- 7 September – Convictions and acquittals in the trial for those charged over the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot.[57]
- 9 September – Westcountry Television completes the digital switchover process with the turning off of all analogue signals from the Caradon Hill transmitter.[58]
- 14 September – Those convicted for their role in the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot are sentenced.
- September - Strood Academy opens, following the closure of Chapter School and Temple School.[59]
October
- 18 October – England's Jenson Button wins the 2009 Formula One Drivers' Championship after finishing in 5th place at the Brazilian Grand Prix.[60] English based team Brawn GP, who Button drives for, secures the Constructors' Championship at the same race, in their debut season.[61]
- 22 October – British National Party leader Nick Griffin makes a controversial first appearance on the BBC One political debate programme Question Time.[62] He later announces his intention to make a formal complaint to the BBC for the way he believed he was treated by the programme's audience, who he described as a "lynch mob" and the show's other guests.[63]
November
- 4 November – Granada Television begins the process of digital switchover.[64]
- 14 November – Severe gales and heavy rain from an Atlantic storm cause floods and damage across southern England and Wales.[65]
- 19 November – Highest ever UK 24-hour rainfall total, 314.4 mm, recorded at Seathwaite Farm, Cumbria[66] – a record which stands until December 2015.
- 20 November – Many towns and villages in Cumbria are flooded following several days of heavy rain. Three bridges collapse, one of them leading to the death of a police officer, who was standing on the bridge when it collapsed.[67]
December
- 2 December – The Winter Hill transmitter has its remaining analogue signals turned off, completing the digital switchover process in the Granada Television region.[64]
- The England 2018 FIFA World Cup bidding team announce the 12 cities which will be part of their campaign to host the tournament. Wembley Stadium, Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, Manchester United's Old Trafford and Liverpool's Anfield or proposed new stadium are among the venues, as is the Stadium:mk in Milton Keynes which only opened in 2007.[68]
- 15 December – Paedophile nursery worker Vanessa George is jailed indefinitely after previously admitting to seven sexual assaults and six counts of making and distributing indecent pictures of children.[69]
- 18 December – Heavy snowfall causes widespread disruption across large parts of South East England, East Anglia, the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber.[70]
Undated
- The Church of England has designated 2009 as 'The Year of Child'[71]
See also
References
- ↑ "Three feared dead in plane crash". BBC News. 3 January 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Warnings issued amid Arctic chill". BBC News. 6 January 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Wedgwood goes into administration". BBC News. 5 January 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "BBC Sport – England captain Pietersen resigns". BBC News. 7 January 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Winslett and Slumdog sweep Globes". BBC News. 12 January 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Go-ahead for new Heathrow runway". BBC News. 15 January 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "MP suspended after mace protest". BBC News. 15 January 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ Stokes, Paul (23 January 2009). "Karen Matthews jailed for eight years over daughter Shannon's kidnap". London: Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
- ↑ "Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 – 153: Commencement". Opsi.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 (Commencement No. 4 and Saving Provision) Order 2008". Opsi.gov.uk. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Mass walkout over foreign labour". BBC News. 28 January 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Nuclear workers join strikes wave". BBC News. 2 February 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Further disruption for commuters". BBC News. 3 February 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Fresh snow brings travel problems". BBC News. 5 February 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Refinery staff vote to end strike". BBC News. 5 February 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "BBC Sport – Scolari sacked as Chelsea manager". BBC News. 9 February 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "BBC Sport – Portsmouth confirm Adams sacking". BBC News. 9 February 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "BA jet in airport 'hard landing". BBC News. 14 February 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Terminally ill Jade Goody marries". BBC News. 22 February 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
- ↑ "Kisses as Jade Goody Greets Her Boyfriend Outside Prison Gates". This is London. 27 January 2009. Archived from the original on 8 March 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- ↑ Lord Ahmed jailed for 12 weeks for dangerous driving – Manchester Evening News
- ↑ McNulty, Phil (1 March 2009). "BBC Sport – Manchester Utd 0–0 Tottenham (aet)". BBC News. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Troubled ITV cuts jobs and costs". BBC News. 4 March 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Mandelson custard attack probed". BBC News. 6 March 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Man freed after 27 years in jail". BBC News. 18 March 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Reality TV star Jade Goody dies". BBC News. 22 March 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
- ↑ "Police clash with G20 protesters". BBC News. 1 April 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "G20 leaders seal $1tn global deal". BBC News. 2 April 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Westcountry". Digital UK. Archived from the original on 2009-08-15. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Three new swine flu cases in UK". BBC News. 29 April 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Suspected Scots flu cases hits 32". BBC News. 29 April 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "UK confirms eight swine flu cases". BBC News. 30 April 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Three guilty of murdering "slave"". BBC News. 23 April 2010.
- ↑ McNulty, Phil (18 May 2009). "BBC Sport – Man Utd 0–0 Arsenal". BBC News. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "United lose Champions League final". Manchester Evening News. 27 May 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
- ↑ Mole, Giles (30 May 2009). "FA Cup final 2009: Chelsea win at Wembley "highlight" of my stay, says Guus Hiddink". London: Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 1 June 2009. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
- ↑ "Labour loses council strongholds". BBC News. 5 June 2009. Archived from the original on 7 June 2009. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
- ↑ "Labour slump to historic defeat". BBC News. 8 June 2009. Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
- ↑ Simon, de Bruxelles (11 June 2009). "Little Ted's nursery worker Vanessa George charged with child abuse". The Times. London: Times Newspapers Ltd. Retrieved 15 December 2009.[dead link]
- ↑ "Tory MP Bercow is elected Speaker". BBC News. 22 June 2009. Archived from the original on 22 June 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2009.
- ↑ "ESSEX: Right-wing group English Defence League setting up new division in county | This is Essex". Archived from the original on 2012-03-20. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
- ↑ "East Coast rail to be state run". BBC News. 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on October 12, 2011. Retrieved 2 July 2009.
- ↑ "Six killed in tower block blaze". BBC News. 3 July 2009. Archived from the original on 4 July 2009. Retrieved 4 July 2009.
- ↑ "Huge Anglo-Saxon gold hoard found". BBC News. 24 September 2009. Retrieved 24 September 2009.
- ↑ Kennedy, Maev (25 September 2009). "A beep, and Mr Lucky opened the door on a lost world". The Guardian. pp. 6–7.
- ↑ "Oldest WWI veteran dies aged 113". BBC News. 18 July 2009. Archived from the original on 18 July 2009. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
- ↑ "Tories beat Labour in by-election". BBC News. 24 July 2009. Retrieved 24 July 2009.
- ↑ "WWI veteran Patch dies aged 111". BBC News. 25 July 2009. Archived from the original on July 26, 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2009.
- ↑ Malkin, Bonnie (27 July 2009). "Britain's last surviving First World War veteran Claude Choules says war was boring". London: Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
- ↑ Gibson, Owen (28 July 2009). "Britain lands rugby World Cup double". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 30 July 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
- ↑ "MS woman wins right-to-die fight". BBC News. 30 July 2009. Retrieved 30 July 2009.
- ↑ "Hacker loses extradition appeal". BBC News. 31 July 2009. Archived from the original on 31 July 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2009.
- ↑ "Train robber Biggs wins freedom". BBC News. 6 August 2009. Retrieved 6 August 2009.
- ↑ Lillywhite, Jamie (23 August 2009). "Victorious England regain Ashes". BBC Sport. Retrieved 26 August 2009.
- ↑ Pett, Daniel (2009-09-07). "Recent discovery of a Roman Coin Hoard in the Shrewsbury Area". Portable Antiquities Scheme. Archived from the original on 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2010-07-09.
- ↑ "New Strood Academy ready to open doors in Medway". BBC News. 2012-07-21. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
- ↑ Gardham, Duncan (7 September 2009). "Three guilty of plotting biggest ever airline bombing". London: Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 December 2009.
- ↑ "Caradon Hill". Digital UK. 6 November 2008. Archived from the original on August 22, 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Go-ahead for Medway and Kent academies welcomed". BBC News. 2010-08-07. Retrieved 2025-12-14.
- ↑ Whyatt, Chris (18 October 2009). "Brilliant Button clinches title". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 20 October 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
- ↑ "Brawn win title in debut F1 year". BBC Sport. 18 October 2009. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. Retrieved 19 October 2009.
- ↑ "Angry scenes face Griffin at BBC". BBC News. 22 October 2009. Archived from the original on July 25, 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
- ↑ "Griffin complaint over BBC 'mob'". BBC News. 23 October 2009. Archived from the original on 25 October 2009. Retrieved 23 October 2009.
- 1 2 "Winter Hill". Digital UK. Archived from the original on August 4, 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
- ↑ "Stormy weather 13 and 14 November 2009". The Met Office. 17 November 2009. Archived from the original on 9 December 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ↑ Met Office (20 November 2009). "Recent heavy rain over north-west Britain". News Archive. Met Office. Archived from the original on 9 December 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2009.
- ↑ "Body found in floods search is missing policeman". BBC News. London. 20 November 2009. Archived from the original on 23 November 2009. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
- ↑ "Milton Keynes among winners as England 2018 host cities revealed". The Guardian. London. 16 December 2009. Retrieved 6 July 2011.
- ↑ "Jail term for nursery abuse woman". 15 December 2009 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ↑ "Heavy snow causes travel chaos in parts of England". BBC News. 18 December 2009. Archived from the original on 31 January 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2009.
- ↑ "Year of the Child Website". Yearofthechild2009.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 28 March 2010.
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