1992 in the United Kingdom


Events from the year 1992 in the United Kingdom. This year was the Ruby Jubilee of Elizabeth II.
This year is notable for a fourth-term general election victory for the Conservative Party; "Black Wednesday", the suspension of the UK's membership of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism; and an annus horribilis for the Royal Family.

Incumbents

Events

January

  • January – Statistics show that economic growth returned during the final quarter of 1991 after five successive quarters of contraction.
  • 9 January
  • * Liberal Democrat leader Paddy Ashdown proposes a £3billion package which would create 400,000 jobs in 12 months.
  • * Alison Halford, the UK's most senior policewoman, is suspended from duty for a second time following a Merseyside police authority meeting.
  • 10 January – The first full week of 1992 sees some 4,000 jobs lost across the UK, as the nation's recession continues. Almost 20% of those job cuts have been by GEC, the UK's leading telecommunications manufacturer, where 750 redundancies are announced today.
  • 14 January – The Bank of Credit and Commerce International goes into liquidation.
  • 17 January
  • * Eight people are killed in the Teebane bombing carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in Northern Ireland.
  • * The first MORI poll of 1992 shows the Conservatives three points ahead of Labour on 42%, while the Liberal Democrats have their best showing yet with 16% of the vote.
  • 27 January – Actress Dame Gwen Ffrangcon-Davies dies at Halstead, Essex, two days after her 101st birthday, and a month after the screening of her final acting role.
  • 29 January – The Department of Health reveals that AIDS cases among heterosexuals increased by 50% between 1990 and 1991.
  • 30 January – John Major agrees a weapons control deal with new Russian premier Boris Yeltsin at 10 Downing Street.

February

  • 2 February – Neil Kinnock, Labour leader, denies reports that he had a "Kremlin connection" during the 1980s.
  • 6 February – The Queen commemorates her Ruby Jubilee, the first British monarch to do so since her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria in 1877.
  • 7 February – Signing of the Maastricht Treaty.
  • 8–23 February – Great Britain and Northern Ireland compete at the Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, but do not win any medals.
  • 9 February – Prime Minister John Major speaks of his hopes that the recession will soon be over as the economy is now showing signs of recovery.
  • 15 February – Neil Kinnock, Labour Party leader, speaks of his belief that the Conservative government's failure to halt the current recession will win his party the forthcoming general election.
  • 18 February – David Stevens, head of community relations, blames the recession for the recent rise in crime across the UK – most of all in deprived areas.
  • 20 February – Hopes of an end to the recession are dashed by government figures which reveal that GDP fell by 0.3% in the final quarter of 1991.
  • 23 February – The London Business School predicts an economic growth rate of 1.2% for this year, sparking hopes that the recession is nearing its end.

March

April

  • April – Statistics show that the first quarter of this year saw the economy grow for the second quarter running, the sequel to five successive quarters of detraction, though the growth is still too narrow for the recession to be declared over.
  • 1 April – The latest opinion polls show a narrow lead for Labour, which would force a hung parliament in the election next week.
  • 4 April – Party Politics becomes the tallest horse to win the Grand National.
  • 5 April – At his pre-election speech, Neil Kinnock promises a strong economic recovery if he leads the Labour party to election victory on Thursday.
  • 6 April – Women's Royal Army Corps disbanded, its members being fully absorbed into the regular British Army.
  • 7 April – The final MORI poll before the general election shows Labour one point ahead of the Conservatives on 39%, while the Liberal Democrats continue to enjoy a surge in popularity with 20% of the vote. Most opinion polls show a similar situation, hinting at either a narrow Labour majority or a hung parliament.
  • 9 April – General election: the Conservative Party are re-elected for a fourth successive term, in their first election under John Major's leadership. Their majority is reduced to 21 seats but they have attracted more than 14,000,000 votes – the highest number of votes ever attracted to a party in a general election. Notable retirements from parliament at this election include former prime minister Margaret Thatcher and former Labour leader Michael Foot.
  • 10 April
  • * Three people are killed in the Baltic Exchange bombing, a van bomb planted by the IRA in the City of London.
  • * With the government's victory in the election confirmed, John Major assures the public that he will lead the country out of recession that has blighted it for nearly two years.
  • 11 April – Publication of The Sun newspaper's iconic front-page headline 'It's The Sun Wot Won It', as the tabloid newspaper claims it won the general election for the Conservatives with its anti-Kinnock front-page headline on election day.
  • 12 April – Manchester United win the Football League Cup for the first time with a 1–0 win over Nottingham Forest in the Wembley final. Brian McClair scores the only goal of the game.
  • 13 April
  • * Neil Kinnock resigns as leader of the Labour Party following the defeat of his party in the General Election. he had led the party for eight-and-a-half years since October 1983, and is the longest serving opposition leader in British political history.
  • * The Princess Royal announces her divorce from Capt Mark Phillips after 19 years of marriage, having separated in 1989.
  • 16 April – Unemployment has now risen 23 months in succession, but the March rise in unemployment is the smallest monthly rise so far.
  • 17–20 April – Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall first opened to the public.
  • 19 April – Comedian and actor Frankie Howerd dies suddenly from a heart attack, aged 75.
  • 20 April – Comedian and actor Benny Hill dies suddenly from a heart attack at his home in Teddington, London, aged 68.
  • 27 April – Betty Boothroyd, 62-year-old Labour MP for West Bromwich West in the West Midlands, is elected as Speaker of the House of Commons, the first woman to hold the position.

May

June

July

  • July – Statistics show that the economy contracted during the second quarter of this year.
  • 2 July – The IRA admits to murdering three men whose bodies were found by the army at various locations around Armagh last night. The men are believed to have been informers employed by MI5.
  • 9 July – Riots break out in Ordsall, Greater Manchester.
  • 10 July – Another sign of economic recovery is shown as inflation falls from 4.3% to 3.9%.
  • 15 July – Killing of Rachel Nickell: a 23-year-old mother is stabbed to death in broad daylight while out walking her dog on Wimbledon Common; her murderer, Robert Napper, will not be convicted until 2008.
  • 16 July – Riots break out in Hartcliffe, Bristol, following the deaths of two local men who died when the stolen police motorcycle they were riding was hit by a police car.
  • 17 July
  • * John Smith is elected leader of the Labour Party.
  • * Official opening of Manchester Metrolink, the first new-generation light rail system with street running in the British Isles.
  • 21 July – British Airways announces a takeover of USAir.
  • 22 July – Riots break out in Blackburn, Burnley and Huddersfield.
  • 23 July – Three months after losing the general election, Labour finish four points ahead of the Conservatives in a MORI poll, with 43% of the vote.
  • 25 July–9 August – Great Britain and Northern Ireland compete at the Olympics in Barcelona and win 5 gold, 3 silver and 12 bronze medals.
  • 26 July – Riots break out in the Peckham and Southwark districts of South London.
  • 27 July – Alan Shearer becomes England's most expensive footballer in a £3.6 million transfer from Southampton to Blackburn Rovers. Shearer, who turns 22 next month, was a member of England's Euro 92 national squad, having scored on his debut in a friendly international against France in February this year.

August

September

  • 5 September – Italian supercar manufacturer Ferrari announces that its Formula One division will be designing and manufacturing cars in the UK.
  • 7 September – Britain's first national commercial radio station, Classic FM, launches, broadcasting classical music.
  • 13 September – Nigel Mansell announces his retirement from Formula One racing.
  • 16 September – "Black Wednesday" sees the government suspending the UK's membership of the European Exchange Rate Mechanism following a wave of speculation against the Pound.
  • 17 September – There is more bad news for the economy as unemployment is at a five-year high of 2,845,508, and experts warn that it will soon hit 3,000,000 for the first time since early 1987.
  • 18 September – The latest MORI poll shows the Labour Party four points ahead of the Conservatives at 43%, following the events of Black Wednesday two days earlier.
  • 19 September – Operatic bass-baritone Sir Geraint Evans dies in Bronglais Hospital, Aberystwyth, aged 70.
  • 24 September – David Mellor resigns as Heritage Minister amid tabloid press speculation that he had been conducting an adulterous affair with actress Antonia de Sancha.
  • 30 September – The Royal Mint introduces a new 10-pence coin which is lighter and smaller than the previous coin.

October

  • October
  • * First Cochrane Centre opens.
  • * Statistics show a return to economic growth for the third quarter of this year.
  • 7 October – The murder of Nikki Allan, a seven-year-old girl, happened in Sunderland, which went unsolved until May 2023.
  • 9 October – Two suspected IRA bombs explode in London, but there are no injuries.
  • 13 October – The government announces the closure of a third of Britain's deep coal mines, with the loss of 31,000 jobs.
  • 14 October – The England football team begins its qualification campaign for the 1994 FIFA World Cup with a 1–1 draw against Norway at Wembley Stadium.
  • 15 October – The value of the pound sterling is reported to have dipped further as the recession deepens.
  • 16 October – The government attempts to tackle the recession by cutting the base interest rate to 8% – the lowest since June 1988.
  • 19 October – John Major announces that only ten deep coal mines will be closed.
  • 21 October – Commodore UK release the new Amiga 1200 computer.
  • 25 October – Around 100,000 people protest in London against the government's pit closure plans.
  • 26 October – British Steel Corporation announces a 20% production cut as a result in falling demand from its worldwide customer base.
  • 30 October – IRA terrorists force a taxi driver to drive to Downing Street at gunpoint and once there they detonate a bomb, but there are no injuries.

November

  • 11 November – The Church of England votes to allow women to become priests.
  • 12 November
  • * British Telecom reports a £1.03 billion profit for the half year ending 30 September – a fall of 36.2% on the previous half year figure, as a result of the thousands of redundancies it has made this year due to the recession.
  • * Unemployment has continued to climb and is now approaching 2,900,000. It has risen every month since June 1990, when it was below 1,700,000. The current level has not been seen since mid-1987.
  • 16 November – The Hoxne Hoard is discovered by metal detectorist Eric Lawes in Suffolk.
  • 19 November – The High Court rules that doctors can disconnect feeding tubes from Tony Bland, a young man who has been in a coma since the Hillsborough disaster in 1989. Bland, of Liverpool, suffered massive brain damage in the disaster and doctors treating him say that there is no reasonable possibility that he could recover consciousness and in his current condition would be unlikely to survive more than five years.
  • 20 November – Part of Windsor Castle is gutted in a fire, causing millions of pounds worth of damage.
  • 23 November – Ford unveils the new Mondeo, which succeeds the long-running Sierra and goes on sale in March 1993.
  • 24 November – The Queen describes this year as an Annus Horribilis due to various scandals damaging the image of the Royal Family, as well as the Windsor Castle fire.
  • 26 November
  • * The Queen is to be taxed from next year, marking the end of almost 60 tax-free years for the British monarchy.
  • * Pepper v Hart, a landmark case, is decided in the House of Lords on the use of legislative history in statutory interpretation, establishing the principle that when primary legislation is ambiguous then, under certain circumstances, the courts may refer to statements made during its passage through parliament in an attempt to interpret its intended meaning, an action previously regarded as a breach of parliamentary privilege.
  • 29 November – Ethnic minorities now account for more than 3,000,000 of the British population.

December

  • 3 December – Two IRA bombings take place in Manchester.
  • 9 December – The separation of the Prince and Princess of Wales is announced following months of speculation about their marriage, but there are no plans for a divorce and John Major announces that Diana could still become Queen.
  • 11 December – The last MORI poll of 1992 shows Labour thirteen points ahead of the Conservatives on 47%, just three months after several polls had shown a Conservative lead. Black Wednesday, which has damaged much of the government's reputation for monetary excellence, is largely blamed for the fall in Conservative support.
  • 12 December – The marriage of Anne, Princess Royal, and Timothy Laurence takes place.
  • 16 December
  • * Four people are injured by IRA bombs in Oxford Street, London.
  • * Japanese carmaker Toyota opens a factory at Burnaston, near Derby, which produces the Carina family saloon.
  • 17 December
  • * The national unemployment level has risen to more than 2.9 million, with the unemployment rate in the south-east of England now above 10% for the first time.
  • * Jonathan Zito is stabbed to death by Christopher Clunis, a partially treated schizophrenic patient.
  • 23 December – The Queen's Royal Christmas Message is leaked in The Sun newspaper, 48 hours ahead of its traditional Christmas Day broadcast on television.
  • 31 December
  • * Thames Television, TVS, TSW and TV-am broadcast for the last time. The ORACLE teletext service is discontinued on ITV and Channel 4 to be replaced by a new service operated by the Teletext Ltd. consortium, having been launched on ITV in 1978 and used by Channel 4 since its inception in 1982.
  • * The economy has grown in the final quarter of this year – the second successive quarter of economic growth – but the recovery is still too weak for the end of the recession to be declared.

Undated

Publications

Births

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Deaths

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December