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In an unsuccessful effort to dump Gordon Brown as party leader, former Labour cabinet ministers Patricia Hewitt and Geoffrey Hoon call on Labour MPs to hold a secret ballot for the Labour leadership.
Jan. 11, 2010
Northern Ireland First Minister Peter Robinson, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party, announces that he will stand aside temporarily following revelations that his wife, Iris, an MP for Strangford, engaged in an extramarital affair.
Jan. 12, 2010
Alastair Campbell, former spokesman for Prime Minister Tony Blair, gives testimony to the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq War, declaring that he stands by “every single word” of the 2002 report that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and could launch an attack within 45 minutes.
Jan. 19, 2010
Geoffrey Hoon, former defense secretary, becomes the first former cabinet minister to appear before the Chilcot inquiry into the Iraq War.
Jan. 22, 2010
It is announced that Gordon Brown will appear before the Chilcot inquiry before the general election.
Jan. 25, 2010
Gordon Brown and Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen meet in Northern Ireland on policing and justice in an effort to stem a crisis that threatens power sharing between unionists and nationalists; the talks last overnight and eventually include the Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin.
Jan. 26, 2010
The Office of National Statistics reports that the country emerged from recession, growing by 0.1 percent in the last quarter of 2009.
Jan. 29, 2010
Tony Blair, appearing before the Chilcot inquiry and denying that the government manipulated evidence in the run-up to the Iraq War, says that Iraqi Pres. Ṣaddām Ḥussein was a “monster and I believe he threatened not just the region but the world.”
Feb. 3, 2010
Peter Robinson resumes his role as first minister for Northern Ireland.
Feb. 4, 2010
A parliamentary report by Sir Thomas Legg, who was appointed in 2009 to conduct an inquiry into allowances claimed by MPs on second homes, recommends that 390 MPs repay some £1.3 million (some £800,000 was already repaid from April 1, 2009); about £163,000 was claimed for gardening and another £105,000 for cleaning.
Feb. 5, 2010
The Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin finally agree to a deal on justice and policing in the hope of devolving those powers to Northern Ireland by April 12.
Feb. 7, 2010
Director of Public Prosecutions Keir Starmer announces that three Labour MPs (Elliott Morley, Jim Devine, and David Chaytor) and one Conservative peer (Lord Hanningfield) will be charged with criminal activities related to their expense claims.
Feb. 14, 2010
The British National Party, which calls for an end to immigration, voluntary repatriation of immigrants, and Britain’s withdrawal from the European Union, votes to end its prohibition against party membership for nonwhites. The vote was prompted by a threatened legal injunction against the discriminatory policy by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
Feb. 25, 2010
The SNP-led Scottish government publishes a draft bill with its plans to hold a referendum which would give Scottish voters the options that potentially would give the Scottish Parliament more powers or provide Scotland with independence.
March 2, 2010
Ian Paisley, former Democratic Unionist Party leader and a member of Parliament since 1970, announces that he will not seek reelection in 2010.
March 5, 2010
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, appearing before the Chilcot inquiry, claims that the invasion of Iraq was the “right decision made for the right reasons.”
March 6, 2010
The Scottish National Party kicks off its general election campaign. Alex Salmond claimed that the party would be “local champions” for Scotland and that more SNP MPs would mean fewer cuts to Scottish jobs and social services.
March 9, 2010
The Northern Ireland Assembly approves the deal to devolve policing and justice powers to Northern Ireland. The Ulster Unionist Party voted against the agreement, though the vote in the assembly was overwhelmingly in favour (88–17). The powers would be devolved on April 12.
March 14, 2010
Nick Clegg, leader of the Liberal Democrats, declares at the party’s spring conference that he is “not the kingmaker” in the upcoming election and that the party is the best opportunity for voters to call for “real change.” The kingmaker statement comes amid polls suggesting that a hung Parliament, in which no party would gain an absolute majority, is a likely outcome and that the Liberal Democrats could hold the balance of power.
March 15, 2010
Ashok Kumar, the Labour MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, is found dead. The Indian-born MP, who served as an aide to Hilary Benn, the secretary of state for the environment, food and rural affairs, was called by his boss a “doughty fighter for his constituents” and by fellow Labour MP Sir Stuart Bell a parliamentarian of “untarnished reputation.”
March 24, 2010
Alistair Darling, the chancellor of the Exchequer, unveils the preelection budget. Among its provisions are no major immediate spending cuts but halving the budget deficit over four years and eliminating the stamp duty on homes costing £250,000 for first-time home buyers (but raising the duty from 4 percent to 5 percent for homes costing £1 million or more). Conservative leader David Cameron accuses the government of stealing some Tory policies (such as the stamp duty), while Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg accuses the government and the Conservatives of being “in denial” about the scale of spending cuts needed.
March 29, 2010
Alistair Darling, the chancellor of the Exchequer, and his two counterparts, Conservative shadow chancellor George Osborne and Liberal Democrat Vince Cable, participate in a televised “chancellors debate.” It is a precursor of the unprecedented three televised leaders debates scheduled for the upcoming election.
April 6, 2010
Saying “Let’s go to it,” Prime Minister Gordon Brown announces that the general election will be held on May 6.
April 7, 2010
Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Conservative leader David Cameron duel at the dispatch box for the last prime minister’s question session before the election.
April 15, 2010
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Conservative leader David Cameron, and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg meet in the first of three televised debates. Alastair Stewart of ITV moderates the domestic-focused debate—the first-ever televised prime ministerial debate in British election campaign history.
April 19, 2010
In the aftermath of his strong debate performance, Nick Clegg and his Liberal Democrats move into second place for the first time in a poll of polls. The Conservatives top the poll, with 33 percent, with the Liberal Democrats at 30 and Labour at 28 percent. Because of Britain’s first-past-the-post system, analysts say that such a result would likely leave Labour with the most seats but without a majority.
April 22, 2010
Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Conservative leader David Cameron, and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg meet in a debate, televised on Sky News, on foreign affairs. The debate is moderated by Adam Boulton.
April 28, 2010
Following a campaign walkabout in Rochdale, Prime Minister Gordon Brown is asked about immigration by a local woman and is caught on an open microphone referring to her as a “bigoted woman.” The incident is immediately labeled a “catastrophe” for Brown, who subsequently returns to the woman’s residence to apologize in person.
April 29, 2010
David Dimbleby of the BBC moderates the third and final debate between Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Conservative leader David Cameron, and Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg. The event focuses primarily on the economy.
May 6, 2010
British voters head to the polls in the general election of 2010, delivering a hung Parliament for the first time since 1974.
May 10, 2010
As negotiations continue between David Cameron and Nick Clegg on an agreement that would enable Cameron to become prime minister, Gordon Brown announces his intention to resign as Labour leader.
May 11, 2010
Gordon Brown announces that he will tender his resignation as prime minister to Queen Elizabeth II and will ask her to invite David Cameron to form a government. Cameron subsequently becomes prime minister of the United Kingdom—the youngest leader of the country since 1812. Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats becomes deputy prime minister.
