2004 in the United Kingdom

2004 in the United Kingdom:

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2004 in British music

Events from the year 2004 in the United Kingdom.

Events

January

• January 1 - Papers released under the Thirty Year Rule reveal that, contrary to what was believed at the time, Princess Margaret would not have lost her title nor Civil List payments had she married Group Captain Peter Townsend, a divorced War hero, in the 1950s.
• January 3 - The BBC cancels the appearance of Coca Cola sponsorship credits in the music charts in its BBC ONE Top of the Pops show, after criticism from politicians and health campaigners that it would be promoting junk food and unhealthy drink products to teenagers.
• January 6 - The coroner's inquest into the death of Diana, Princess of Wales and her lover Dodi Al-Fayed is officially opened.
• January 6 - The Daily Mirror publishes the blacked out portion of a letter wherein Diana, Princess of Wales alleged that someone was trying to kill her.
• January 8 - The Queen Mary 2 is christened by Queen Elizabeth II.
• January 13 - Robin Cook says that the British Museum's Parthenon Marbles must be returned to Greece.
• January 13 - Serial killer Dr. Harold Shipman is found dead in his cell.
• January 13 - The Bichard Inquiry into events preceding the Soham murders formally opens.
• January 14 - A 45-year old Sudanese man travelling from Washington Dulles International Airport to airport Dubai is arrested en route at London's Heathrow Airport on suspicion of carrying 5 bullets in his coat pocket.
• January 19 - The English Court of Appeal calls for an end to the prosecution of parents whose babies may have died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (cot death) in cases where the only evidence is contended expert testimony.
• January 27 - British Prime Minister Tony Blair narrowly defeats a rebellion in his own party over the Higher Education Bill - a highly controversial bill to reform higher education funding, including the introduction of increased and variable tuition fees - in the House of Commons by 316 votes to 311.
• January 28 - The Hutton Inquiry into the circumstances of the death of Dr. David Kelly is published. This is taken by most of the press to strongly condemn the BBC's handling of the David Kelly affair and to exonerate the government; the BBC's Director-General, Greg Dyke, chairman of the Board of Governors, Gavyn Davies, and the journalist at the centre of the controversy, Andrew Gilligan, resign. The UK media in general condemns the report as a whitewash.

February

• February 3 - Foreign Secretary Jack Straw announces an independent inquiry, to be chaired by Lord Butler, to examine the reliability of intelligence on weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.
• February 5/February 6 - A party of Chinese cockle pickers is caught by the tides at night in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire, drowning 23 people. 21 bodies are recovered.
• February 6 - The Home Office confirms that Maxine Carr, convicted with Ian Huntley concerning the Soham murders of 2001, could be released from prison in the next few days.
• February 11 - Richard Desmond, the owner of the Daily Express and Daily Star tabloids, confirms that he has made a bid for the troubled Daily Telegraph.
• February 15 - The government are reported to have drawn up plans to break up the BBC in the wake of the Hutton inquiry.
• February 19 - Foreign Secretary Jack Straw announces that five of the nine Britons held without trial as terror suspects at the Guantanamo Bay prison camp in Cuba, along with a Dane, are to be released.
• February 21 - Prime Minister Tony Blair comes under pressure from British human rights groups and MPs because of the government's sweeping powers under the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act, which have allowed the detention of 14 foreign terrorist suspects in the UK at what has been described as 'Britain's Guantanamo Bay'.
• February 24 - The British Olympic Association bans European 100 meter champion Dwain Chambers from competing in the Olympic Games for life for a positive test for the designer steroid THG.
• February 25 - Katharine Gun, formerly an employee of British spy agency GCHQ, has a charge of breaching the Official Secrets Act dropped after prosecutors offered no evidence, apparently on the advice of the Attorney-General. Gun had admitted leaking American plans to bug UN delegates to a newspaper.
• February 26 - Clare Short, former British Cabinet Minister, alleges on the BBC Today radio programme that British spies regularly intercept UN communications, including those of Kofi Annan, its Secretary-General.

April

• April 10 - Tony Blair announces a change in government policy: there is to be a refendum on the proposed EU Constitution.

May

• May 11 - Stockline Plastics factory explosion: four people die in an explosion at a factory in Glasgow.^[1]
• May 14 - Piers Morgan is sacked as editor of the Daily Mirror after the newspaper published fake pictures of Iraqi prisoner abuse.
• May 19 - Fathers 4 Justice stage a protest in the House of Commons at Prime Minister's Question Time by throwing purple powder at Tony Blair. See Fathers 4 Justice House of Commons protest.
• May 22 - Manchester United beat Millwall three-nil in the FA Cup final.
• May 27 - The Member of Parliament for Leicester South, Jim Marshall dies, triggering a by-election.

June

• June 6 - Sixtieth anniversary of D-Day. Last minute pressure forces First Minister of Scotland Jack McConnell to attend commemorations. Rhodri Morgan, the First Minister of Wales takes flak for not doing the same.
• June 10 - European, local and regional elections take place. Labour lose many council seats.
• June 11 - The incumbent Ken Livingstone is announced as the winner of the election for Mayor of London.
• June 13 - Results of the European elections are announced. United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) are the main gainers, increasing from 3 to 12 MEPs.
• June 24 - England are knocked out of Euro 2004 by Portugal, on penalties.
• June 28 - the Coalition Provisional Authority hands sovereignty of Iraq over to the Iraqi Provisional Government, two days ahead of schedule.

July

• July 2 - An openly gay cleric, Jeffrey John is installed as the Dean of St Albans.
• July 2 - A court rules that Humberside Police Authority must suspend the Chief Constable, David Westwood, in accordance with the Home Secretary (David Blunkett)'s demands
• July 6 - Her Majesty The Queen unveils a memorial fountain to Diana, Princess of Wales
• July 12 - Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown announces the massive loss of 100,000 civil service jobs in the UK; the savings to be put into front-line services such as Health and Education
• July 13 - The Public Administration Committee of the House of Commons recommends massive changes to the British Honours System including scrapping knighthoods and renaming the Order of the British Empire to the 'Order of British Excellence'
• July 13 - The Countryside Agency publicises a new Countryside Code in advance of the 'Right to Roam' coming into effect in September
• July 13 - The House of Lords makes a hostile amendment to the Constitutional Reform Bill that would retain the name of the office of Lord Chancellor
• July 14 - The Butler Inquiry releases its report, mildly criticising the government in their use of intelligence relating to Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq
• July 15 - Leicester South and Birmingham Hodge Hill by-elections held. Labour lose the former to the Liberal Democrats but narrowly retain the latter.
• July 19 - The Government announces backing for the Crossrail project.
• July 20 - Government to publish results of review into Council Tax

November

• November 4 - a referendum was held in North East England on the establishment of elected regional assemblies. The majority of voters said no to the plans.

Deaths

• January 13 - Harold Shipman, serial killer (born 1946)
• January 26 - Hugh Jenkins, politician (born 1908)
• January 27 - Hugh Scanlon, trade union leader (born 1913)
• March 28 - Peter Ustinov, actor, writer, dramatist and raconteur (born 1921)
• April 13 - Caron Keating, television presenter (born 1962)
• April 19 - Norris McWhirter, political activist and television presenter (born 1925)
• May 3 - Anthony Ainley, actor (born 1930)
• July 18 - Paul Foot, journalist (born 1937)
• July 28 - Francis Crick, scientist, discoverer of the structure of DNA (born 1916)
• October 20 - Lynda Lee-Potter Daily Mail columnist (born 1935)
• October 25 - John Peel, DJ and radio presenter (born 1939)
• October 29 - Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester, princess (born 1901)
• November 6 - Fred Dibnah, steeplejack and television personality (born 1938)
• November 9 - Emlyn Hughes, football player (born 1947)

References

1. ^ Factory explosion kills four (BBC)

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