1993 in the United Kingdom


Events from the year 1993 in the United Kingdom.

Incumbents

Events

January

  • 1 January
  • * Carlton Television, Meridian, Westcountry and GMTV begin broadcasting. Teletext Ltd. launches a new Teletext service on ITV and Channel 4, replacing the 14-year-old ORACLE teletext service.
  • * Ben Silcock, an inadequately treated schizophrenic patient, enters the lion enclosure in London Zoo.
  • 5 January – Oil tanker runs aground on the South Mainland of Shetland, spilling 84,700 tonnes of crude oil into the sea.
  • 6 January – The first episode of the children's series The Animals of Farthing Wood begins on BBC One.
  • 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 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.
  • 13 January – Wayne Edwards, a 26-year-old Lance corporal, becomes the first British fatality in the conflict in Bosnia, former Yugoslavia.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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 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.
  • 25–26 February – Warrington bomb attacks: Provisional Irish Republican Army bombs are planted and explode at gas holders in Warrington, Cheshire.

March

  • 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. 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.
  • 22 March – The Ford Mondeo goes on sale.

April

May

June

  • Sunday newspaper The Observer is acquired by Guardian Media Group.
  • 3–5 June – Hollbeck Hall Hotel in Scarborough collapses into the sea following a landslide.
  • 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.
  • 21 June – Andrew Wiles announces a proof to Fermat's Last Theorem at the Isaac Newton Institute. The proof is slightly flawed, but Wiles announces a revised proof the following year.
  • 24 June
  • * Northern Ireland Minister Michael Mates resigns over links with fugitive tycoon Asil Nadir.
  • * 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.
  • 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.

July

August

September

October

November

December

Undated

  • Completion of Thames Water Ring Main beneath London.
  • 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%.

Publications

Births

Deaths

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December