2021 Timeline of News Events
It’s been two and a half years since Boris Johnson entered Downing Street.
Every day through his actions, he demonstrates why he is unfit for any public office, never mind the office of Prime Minister.
In 2021 Britain has suffered under the Eton retard Alexander Boris De Pfeffel Johnson. His attempt to retain control, his lies, his incompetence, his non adherence to the rule book, his dithering earning him the nick name “trolley” like the supermarket trolleys with wonky wheels that steer all over the aisles.
Apart from anti immigrant, anti protest, and anti NHS legislation, Britain’s economy, trade and businesses are in a shambles, because of self inflicted Brexit, and Coronavirus.
It was the big Brexit lie. No, not the £350m a week to spend on the NHS or the “bonfire” of red tape. The lie was that the shambles now enveloping British trade with Europe was an unavoidable price worth paying to leave the EU. That was rubbish.
In order to further his chances of becoming Tory leader Boris Johnson made two commitments. One was to resign from the EU, the other was to depart Europe’s customs union and single market, aspects of which embrace other non-EU states such as Norway. The second decision was an almost casual gesture to make him look macho to the party’s hardline Brexiteers. It was not put to referendum and was beyond stupid.
From plummeting trade to drastic shortages of workers, needlessly leaving the single market has been disastrous.
His handling of Coronavirus has been a disaster from day 1. Always slow to respond, ignoring scientific advice until it is too little too late. 23 months on, he has watched 170,000 people die watched NHS waiting lists for other ailments build to record highs as the bodies of coronavirus victims piled high.
Boris Johnson is a walking disaster, and he has achieved nothing in his tenure, nothing at all.
This is a timeline of the main events of 2021, not to be forgotten.
The Year in Review 2021
January
The prime minister urged the public to stay at home once again as he announced a strict new coronavirus lockdown in England. Johnson said the measure was necessary to contain the rapid rise in cases of the new, more transmissible variant of Covid-19.
Boris Johnson claims new year ‘an amazing moment’ for UK as 2021 ushers in Brexit amid Covid crisis.
The PM voices confidence that the UK will return to normal life.
Highest daily death toll 1,820.
We have secured supplies of the Pfizer/BioNTech paediatric vaccine which will start to arrive in the UK from mid-January. "Vaccines are our best defence”
Brexit Deal or no deal, free movement of people will end on 1 January 2021. The UK will apply a points-based immigration system to EU citizens.
Mr Johnson said the EU had provided the UK with a "safe European home" during the 1970s but the country had now "changed out of all recognition" with global perspectives.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the PM added the "great new deal" honoured the "most basic promises" of the 2016 referendum, and added that the UK has "taken back control of our money, our laws and our waters".
"And yet it is also the essence of this treaty that it provides certainty for UK business and industry, because it means that we can continue to trade freely - with zero tariffs and zero quotas - with the EU."
Fishing lorries from Scotland and Devon have descended on Westminster to stage a protest against the Brexit red tape.
Flu cases are reported to have fallen by more than 95%, reaching the lowest levels seen in 130 years, believed to be due to the COVID-19 lockdown and new health habits.
February
We're on a 'one-way road to freedom,' Boris Johnson tells Britain
Boris Johnson says more deaths inevitable
Boris Johnson sets out four-step road map plan to ease lockdown in England .
'Too early' to book summer holidays even in UK, says Johnson .
Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer clashed on government plans for hotel ... in Northern Ireland had been "betrayed" by post-Brexit border rules.
Boris Johnson 'a liar' who will blame Brexit costs on Covid, says diplomat.
The High Court rules that Matt Hancock "acted unlawfully by failing to comply with the Transparency Policy" and "breached his legal obligation to publish Contract Award Notices within 30 days" when awarding contracts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hancock explained the delay in publishing the contracts as being on average "just after a fortnight late", and reasoned it was "because my team were working seven days a week, often 18 hours a day, to get hold of the equipment that was saving lives".
Captain Tom Moore dies of Covid
Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge Collapse
March
The UK's departure from the EU's Single Market and Customs Union has brought significant disruption to trade, particularly to UK exports to the EU, due to new border rules and red tape. In the UK, an exodus of European workers and tighter immigration rules have contributed to a shortage of people to fill jobs.
However, the impact of Brexit on shortages has at times been difficult to distinguish from that of the coronavirus pandemic. The UK has repeatedly delayed imposing new border checks on EU imports, citing supply chain issues.
EU-UK relations have continued to be strained. London and Brussels have clashed over several issues including diplomatic representation, coronavirus vaccine exports — and above all, new arrangements for Northern Ireland.
The tensions have played into arguments between the British and French governments over fishing permits and migration across the English Channel.
Police searching for a missing 33-year-old woman, Sarah Everard, discover human remains in Kent woodland. A serving Met Police officer is arrested on suspicion of her kidnap and murder. Two days later, police confirm the body is that of Ms Everard.
Demonstrators attack police in Bristol during "Kill the Bill" protests against the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.
The UK experiences its second warmest March day on record, with temperatures of 24.5 °C (76.1 °F) in Kew Gardens, the highest since 1968.
Northern Ireland riots begin.
April
The next stage of lockdown easing begins with non-essential shops, gyms, hairdressers, and pub gardens opening across England. Rules are also eased in the rest of the UK.
The Electoral Commission begins an investigation into the funding of Boris Johnson's Downing Street flat, saying there are "reasonable grounds to suspect an offence".
COVID-19 in the UK: India is added to the "Red List" of countries from which most travel to the UK is banned, amid concerns over a new viral strain.
May
Hartlepool by-election: Jill Mortimer becomes the constituency's first Conservative MP since 1974, marking a significant defeat for Labour.
Boris Johnson and Chris Whitty provide an update on the Indian variant, warning that its spread in the UK could potentially delay the government's planned easing of lockdown restrictions
June
The High Court rules that the government acted unlawfully by awarding a £560,000 contract to a company run by friends of Dominic Cummings
Manchester Arena bombing: A public inquiry into the 2017 suicide bombing at Manchester Arena identifies "serious shortcomings" by those in charge of security
Chesham and Amersham by-election: Liberal Democrat candidate Sarah Green wins the constituency of Chesham and Amersham with 56.7% of the vote, a swing from the Conservatives of 25.2%. She is the first non-Conservative candidate to win this seat since its formation in 1974
GB News, a new TV channel aimed at right-leaning viewers, is launched
Health Secretary Matt Hancock apologises for breaking social distancing rules after pictures of him kissing an aide, Gina Coladangelo, are published in The Sun newspaper
Matt Hancock resigns as health secretary, following the previous day's revelations. His successor is Sajid Javid
Police Constable Benjamin Monk, who unlawfully killed Dalian Atkinson by tasering him to the ground and kicking him in the head is jailed for eight years
COVID-19 in the UK: The UK records 26,068 new coronavirus cases, the highest number since 29 January 2021
July
Batley and Spen by-election: Labour holds the seat of Batley and Spen in West Yorkshire. The new MP is Kim Leadbeater, younger sister of the murdered MP Jo Cox, who had previously held the seat.
The House of Commons passes the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill by 365 votes to 265
UEFA Euro 2020: England lose 2–3 on penalties to Italy, following a 1–1 draw after extra time, in the UEFA European Championship final at Wembley Stadium. The game has an estimated peak TV audience of almost 31 million, making it the most-watched UK event since the funeral of Princess Diana in 1997
Southern Water is fined a record £90m for illegally dumping an estimated 16 to 21 billion tons of raw sewage between 2010 and 2015
Unforeseen floods cause travel chaos in parts of London.
The House of Commons votes by 333 to 298 (a majority of 35) to keep the budget for international development at 0.5% of national income, below the previous commitment of 0.7%.[246]
John Lewis and Waitrose announce that they plan to cut one thousand jobs.
The Health and Care Bill passes its second reading in the House of Commons.
Europe's largest battery storage project, a 100-megawatt system delivered by Shell-owned Limejump, begins operations at Minety in Wiltshire.
Five people are arrested after England footballers were racially abused online following their Euro 2020 final defeat.
The selection process for eight new hospitals in England is launched.
16 July – COVID-19 in the UK: The daily infection count from the virus exceeds 50,000 for the first time since mid-January, with 51,870 new cases reported
July 19 Freedom Day end of all coronavirus restrictions, 3 days after 6 month high of cases.
The Met Office issues its first ever "Amber Extreme Heat Warning", as temperatures exceed 30 °C across large swathes of the UK, with conditions expected to continue for several days.
The FTSE 100 falls by 150 points, dropping below the 7000 mark and to its lowest level for several months, as part of a global sell-off.
Thousands of racehorses are killed in slaughterhouses. Thousands of pigs are culled. Food and flowers rot in fields. Govt allows sewage dumping in rivers and beaches.
Iceland and Greene King shut sites due to staff being forced to isolate by the NHS COVID-19 app.
Liverpool is stripped of its UNESCO World Heritage status after developments along the city's waterfront.
COVID-19 in the UK: Retail industry leaders warn of supermarkets being under increasing pressure to keep shelves fully stocked, due to thousands of shop workers having to self-isolate and shortage of HGV drivers.
Labour MP Dawn Butler is ejected from the House of Commons by deputy speaker Judith Cummins after repeatedly calling Boris Johnson a liar.
Orbital O2, the world's most powerful tidal turbine device, begins generating electricity via the grid in Eday, the Orkney islands.
COVID-19 in the UK: Public Health England reports that the UK's vaccination programme has prevented an estimated 60,000 deaths and 22,057,000 infections.
Climate change in the United Kingdom: according to the latest State of the UK Climate report published by the Met Office, 2020 was the third warmest, fifth wettest and eighth sunniest year on record. The lead author says this and the trend since 1990 shows climate change is already happening in the UK
European floods: Torrential rain causes flooding in many parts of London. East London's Whipps Cross and Newham hospitals declare major incidents, and tell patients to use other A&Es for urgent care, while ambulances are redirected. Almost 200 people die in Belgium and Germany floods.
August
Parliament is recalled from its summer recess to discuss the situation in Afghanistan following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban
Raab has to cut short sunlounger holiday in Crete Russian owned hotel.
The Office for National Statistics reports that UK job vacancies reached a record high of 953,000 in the three months to July,
COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom: The government agrees a contract for 35 million more doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, to be administered in 2022.
September
Johnson reveals the government's long-awaited plan for social care reforms, including a 1.25% rise in National Insurance to raise £36bn over three years, and a cap of £86,000 on lifetime care costs in England.
The Consumer Price Index jumps from 2 to 3.2%, its biggest increase since 1997.
Johnson reshuffles the cabinet. Dominic Raab is appointed Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
COVID-19 vaccination in the United Kingdom: The booster programme begins in England and Wales, starting with NHS staff.
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng holds crisis talks with industry bosses, as firms struggle to stay afloat amid a surge in natural gas wholesale prices.
Amid panic buying at petrol stations during the fuel supply crisis, ministers suspend competition laws, use Army to drive tankers.
Former police officer Wayne Couzens, who pleaded guilty to the murder of Sarah Everard, is sentenced at the Old Bailey to a whole-life tariff. Lord Justice Fulford calls the case "devastating, tragic and wholly brutal" and tells Couzens he has eroded public confidence in the police.
Brexodus is blamed for staff shortages across the board, crop picking, food packaging, deliveries, social care. 200,000 EU citizens left Boris Brexit Britain, all were employed.
October
Flooding hits parts of London following torrential rain overnight, with Knightsbridge and Kensington particularly badly affected.
COVID-19 in the UK: A joint report from the Health & Social Care and Science and Technology Select Committee describes the decisions on lockdowns and social distancing during the early weeks of the pandemic, and the advice that led to them, as "one of the most important public health failures the UK has ever experienced".
The government announces grants of £5,000 to replace old gas boilers with heat pumps and other low-carbon technology, as part of its plan to phase out the sale of new gas boilers by 2035. Experts criticise the plans as unambitious, given that only 90,000 heat pumps will be installed over three years, out of 25 million homes with gas boilers.
Police make 31 arrests as members of Insulate Britain glue themselves to roads around London and Kent.
The two-week United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) is held in Glasgow, after being postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[365] A compromise deal is agreed by world leaders, which includes a "phasedown" of unabated coal power, a 30% cut in methane emissions by 2030, plans for a halt to deforestation by 2030, and increased financial support for developing countries. 2050 is the date most countries agree to try and do something by.
November
After the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards found that Conservative MP Owen Paterson breached lobbying rules, with a recommended 30-day suspension, the House of Commons votes by 250 to 232 to postpone the decision whilst a review of the investigating watchdog is undertaken. Paterson then resigns.
Footballer Marcus Rashford is awarded an MBE for his campaigning to help vulnerable children.
A record daily number of migrant crossings between France and the UK is reported, with around 1,000 people intercepted by border patrols. The cumulative total of 23,000 for the year is far higher than previous years.
The UK inflation rate hits 4.2%, its highest level for 10 years and more than double the Bank of England's target, driven mainly by higher fuel and energy prices.
High Speed 2: The government announces that the HS2 sections to Leeds from both the East Midlands and Manchester will be scrapped in favour of an earlier upgrade to the existing route between Manchester and Leeds. The transport secretary, Grant Shapps says the plan is "ambitious and unparalleled" and that it reduces journey times from Manchester to Leeds from 55 to 33 minutes, and from Birmingham to Nottingham by more than an hour to 26 minutes. The £96bn plans are criticised by shadow transport secretary, Jim McMahon, who says in the Commons that the government has broken its promise and "completely sold out" the north.
English Channel disaster: An inflatable dinghy carrying 30 migrants capsizes while attempting to reach the UK from France, resulting in 27 deaths and one missing. The victims include a pregnant woman and three children. The incident is the deadliest of its kind on record.
The UK becomes the fourth country to surpass 10 million COVID-19 cases after the United States, India and Brazil.
Two people are killed as Storm Arwen hits the British Isles. Widespread damage and travel disruption is reported in Scotland and North East England, with 100,000 people losing power.
Two cases of B.1.1.529, now designated by the WHO as the Omicron variant, are reported in the UK. Face coverings will become compulsory on public transport and in shops (excluding hospitality)
December
Downing Street Press Secretary Allegra Stratton resigns as government spokesperson for COP26, after footage emerges of her and colleagues during a mock press conference on 22 December 2020, making joking references to an alleged Christmas gathering in 10 Downing Street four days earlier. Boris Johnson apologises for the video in the House of Commons during Prime Minister's Questions, with opposition parties criticising him.
The first UK death from the Omicron variant is reported.
Shortages of lateral flow tests are reported
Inflation reaches 5.1%, up from 4.2% the previous month and its highest level in 10 years.
A leaked photo emerges of former London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey and 23 colleagues holding a Christmas party at the Conservative headquarters in London, during the COVID-19 restrictions of December 2020
North Shropshire by-election: Liberal Democrats candidate Helen Morgan wins the seat vacated by Owen Paterson. The swing of 34.16% is the seventh largest in UK by-election history and the seat had been held by Conservatives since 1906.
Brexit Minister David Frost resigns citing "concerns about the current direction of travel" of the government.
Simon Case recuses himself from his role of leading an inquiry into alleged government staff parties during lockdown, after it is reported that a similar event was also held in his own office.
The Guardian publishes a photo of Boris Johnson, his wife, and 17 staff members in the Downing Street garden with cheese and wine in May 2020, at a time when large social gatherings were prohibited due to COVID-19. Johnson's spokesman tells the newspaper that the photo shows a work meeting, not a social event.
Preliminary studies of the Omicron variant suggest that it could be milder than Delta, with a 30% to 70% reduction in those needing hospital treatment; however, the increased transmissibility may still overwhelm hospitals, through the sheer number of cases. Record new daily cases reach 122,000.
That was the News that Was
Allan Sharpe founder
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