8 January – Ford unveils its new
Mondeo, a range of large family hatchbacks, saloons and estates which will reach showrooms on 22 March as a replacement for the long-running
Sierra.
10 January
British newspapers carry reports that
The Princess of Wales wants a divorce from
The Prince of Wales, despite the announcement of their separation (issued the previous month) stating that there were no plans for a divorce.
Braer Storm at peak intensity across the British Isles, breaking up the wrecked tanker Braer.
11 January –
British Airways admits liability and apologises "unreservedly" for a "dirty tricks" campaign against
Virgin Atlantic.[3]
17 January – Bookmakers cut their odds on the monarchy being abolished by the year 2000 from 100 to 1 to 50 to 1.
21 January – Unemployment has increased for the 31st month running, but is still just short of the 3,000,000 total that was last seen nearly six years ago. Economists warn that it could hit a new high of more than 3,500,000 by the end of this year. However, the
Conservatives have still managed to cut
Labour's lead in the opinion polls from 13 points to eight points, according to the latest
MORI poll.[5]
26 January – The
Bank of England lowers interest rates to 6% – the lowest since 1978.
February
1 February – Economists warn that unemployment could reach a new high of 3,400,000 this year.
12 February –
Murder of James Bulger: a 2-year-old is murdered by two ten-year-old boys on Merseyside.[6]
14 February – Unemployment is reported to be rising faster in Conservative seats than in Labour ones.
15 February – The number of unfit homes in Britain is reported to have increased from 900,000 to more than 1,300,000 between 1986 and 1991.
17 February – Shadow Chancellor
Gordon Brown claims that a Labour government could reduce taxation – a dramatic turn for a party known for high taxation.
18 February – Unemployment has reached 3,000,000 (and a rate of 10.6%) for the first time in six years.
19 February –
Judith Chaplin, Conservative
MP for
Newbury in
Berkshire, dies suddenly at the age of 53 after less than a year in parliament.
20 February – Economists are now warning that unemployment could rise as high at 3,500,000 within the next year.
25 February – A MORI poll shows that 80% of Britons are dissatisfied with the way that
John Major is running the country, and nearly 50% believe that the economy will get worse during this year.
4 March – Former Cabinet minister
Nicholas Ridley dies from lung cancer less than a year after retiring from the House of Commons, aged 64.
16 March – Chancellor
Norman Lamont unveils a budget plan which is centred on economic recovery, together with phased introduction of
Value Added Tax on domestic fuel bills (8% for 1994). This will be the last Spring budget.
19 March – Unemployment has fallen for the first time since May 1990, now standing at 2,970,000, sparking hopes that the recession is nearly over.
20 March –
Warrington bomb attacks: IRA bombs in the town centre of
Warrington claim the life of 3-year-old Jonathan Ball and injure more than 50 other people. On 25 March the blasts claim a second fatality when 12-year-old Timothy Parry dies in hospital from his injuries.[7]
April –
Staples, an
American office superstore chain, opens its first store in Britain in
Swansea.
2 April –
Vauxhall launches its all-new
Corsa supermini, the replacement for the long-running
Nova which like its predecessor is built at the
Zaragoza plant in
Spain.
3 April – A false start forces the
Grand National to be cancelled.[9] The race results are made void for the first time in history.[10]
26 April – Government declares official end of the recession after revealing that the economy grew by 0.6% in the first three months of this year. The recession began nearly three years ago and lasted much longer than most economists expected.[13]
2 May -
Manchester United become the first champions of the new
FA Premier League after their last remaining title contenders,
Aston Villa, lose 1–0 at home to
Oldham Athletic. It is the first time in 26 years that Manchester United have been champions of the top division of English football.[15]
7 May
The Conservatives lose a 12,357 majority in the
Newbury by-election, with the
Liberal Democrats gaining the seat by 22,055 votes under new MP
David Rendel. The Conservative majority now stands at 19 seats.
Grimethorpe Colliery in South Yorkshire is closed.
14 May – The economic recovery continues as business failures are reported to have fallen for the second quarter running.
20 May – The latest MORI poll shows that the Conservative government has yet to benefit from bringing the economy out of recession, as they trail Labour (who have 44% of the vote) by 16 points.[5]
10 June – Comedian and TV presenter
Les Dawson dies suddenly from a heart attack during a medical check-up in
Greater Manchester hospital at the age of 62.
11 June – Actor and comedian
Bernard Bresslaw dies suddenly from a heart attack following a collapse in his dressing room at London's
Open Air Theatre at the age of 59.
17 June – Unemployment now stands at less than 2,900,000 after the fourth successive monthly fall.
20 June – A high speed train makes the first journey from France to England via the
Channel Tunnel, which will open to the public next year.
Despite the recent end of the recession, support for the Conservative government has failed to recover, with the latest MORI poll showing that Labour has an 18-point lead over them with 46% of the vote.[18]
30 June – Michael Hunt, former deputy chairman of
Nissan UK, is jailed for eight years for his involvement in Britain's worst case of tax fraud.
16 July –
MI5 publishes a booklet, The Security Service, revealing publicly for the first time its activities, operations and duties, as well as the identity and photographs of
Stella Rimington as
Director General.[21]
29 July – Conservative Party loses the
Christchurch by-election to the
Liberal Democrats – a seat they have held since 1910. New MP
Diana Maddock gains more than 60% of the vote – twice as many as the Conservative candidate
Robert Hayward. This sees the Conservative parliamentary majority fall to 17 seats.[22]
August
4 August – Labour Party leader John Smith opens
Millwall F.C.'s
New Den stadium in
Bermondsey,
London, which cost £16million to build and is the largest new football stadium to be built in England since before
World War II.[23]
11 August – The
Department of Health reveals that the number of people on hospital waiting lists has reached 1,000,000 for the first time.
16 September – Unemployment has risen for the second month running, now standing at 2,922,100 (10.4% of the workforce), sparking fears that the economic recovery could be stalling and the economy could soon slide back into recession just months after coming out of it.
18 November –
M40 minibus crash: In the early hours of the morning, ten children and a woman teacher from
Hagley RC High School in
Worcestershire are killed in a minibus crash on the
M40 motorway near
Warwick. An eleventh child dies in hospital several hours later[31] and a twelfth in hospital as a result of their injuries on the following day, leaving just two girls surviving.[32]
24 November – Graham Taylor resigns as manager of the England football team after three years in charge.[33]
25 November –
TV entertainer
Roy Castle, 61, announces that he is suffering from a recurrence of the
lung cancer which he was believed to have overcome one year ago.
9 December – Despite the steady economic recovery, the Conservative government is now 18 points behind Labour (who have 47% of the vote) in the latest
MORI poll. The Liberal Democrats have also eaten into their support and now have 20% of the vote.[5]
New car sales enjoy an increase this year for the first time since 1989. The
Ford Escort is Britain's best selling car for the second year running, while the new
Ford Mondeo and
Vauxhall Corsa enjoy strong sales in their first year on the British market.
With the economy growing for the first time since spring 1990, inflation is at a 33-year low of 1.6%.[38]
3 March –
Tony Bland, football supporter injured in
Hillsborough disaster in 1989 allowed to die after a landmark legal challenge by his family[50] (born 1970)