The biggest stories of 2022: Three PMs, two monarchs and a war that plunged the world into chaos

30 December 2022, 11:57

The past year has been full of many ups and downs for Brits, from celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee to the revelation of countless Westminster scandals. Take a look back at some of the biggest stories of 2022.

January

Brits began 2022 on a high, with temperatures soaring to 16.2C - the warmest New Year's Day on record.

The Colston Four - accused of pulling down the Edward Colston statue in Bristol during 2020's Black Lives Matter protests - were found not guilty of criminal damage in a jury trial.

The beginning of the year also saw the beginning of the Partygate scandal after an email revealing details of a bring your own bottle party was leaked.

At the time, PM Boris Johnson confirmed he attended a party in the No10 garden during the first lockdown in May 2020 and offers his "heartfelt apology".

Details of further gatherings during the pandemic were also revealed during the month, leading to Sue Gray's infamous report on the scandal.

Her initial findings revealed that there had been "a serious failure to observe not just the high standards expected of those working at the heart of Government but also of the standards expected of the entire British population at the time".

February

The looming energy crisis first came to attention in February, after Ofgem announced it would be lifting its energy price cap from £1,277 to £1,971, an increase of 54%.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine later in the month worsened the crisis after Putin cut off gas supply as the West rallied behind Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Meanwhile, in the UK, Met Police Commissioner stood down from her role following a string of scandals, with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan having also confirmed her had lost confidence in her.

Labour MP Sir David Amess was also murdered in February, putting the spotlight on the abuse MPs face day-to-day both in real life and online.

March

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was finally freed from Iran in March after being detained for six years.

She was allowed to return after the UK finally agreed to settle a £400 million debt dating back to the 1970s.

March also saw P&O Ferries abruptly suspend its services, making 800 employees redundant via video call. The company saw a backlash over choosing to use third-party agency staff to sail their ships moving forward.

Meanwhile, in the evolving Partygate scandal, the Met Police announced that 20 fixed penalty notices had been handed out - including to the PM and Rishi Sunak.

April

The increased energy price cap came into force in April, with spiralling bills taking their toll on Brits.

The UK government also signed the Rwanda asylum plan in a bid to curb Channel crossings by giving migrants a one-way ticket to the east African nation.

The controversial move was widely criticised but is now said to have been shelved.

May

Following on from Partygate was Labour's very own Beergate, after an image emerged of leader Sir Keir Starmer eating a takeaway and drinking a beer.

Police launched an investigation into the potential breach of lockdown rules, with Sir Keir vowing to step down if he was found to have broken them. He was later cleared from any wrongdoing.

Brits were also hit with a Monkeypox outbreak in May, with cases rapidly spreading across the UK.

However, it was soon overshadowed by more optimistic news when the UK came second only to Ukraine in Eurovision - a success after spendings years at the other end of the results board.

The Elizabeth Line - named after the late Queen - also opened its first phase in London, making journeys to the capital just that bit easier.

June

The late Queen's Platinum Jubilee - marking 70 years on the throne - led the news over summer, with extravagant plans in place to celebrate the monarch.

Prince Louis stole the show on more than one occasion while the Queen stole the hearts of the nation with a sketch with the iconic Paddington Bear.

With the cost of living crisis beginning to hit Brits hard, strikes officially began in June too, gradually building further over the summer.

July

Boris Johnson's government collapsed in July - initiated by the resignation of then-health secretary Sajid Javid and Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

The domino effect saw over 30 MPs step down from their roles in the space of 24 hours.

As a result, Boris Johnson announced his intention to resign as Conservative Party leader, triggering a leadership election.

The leadership race consisted of Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman, Jeremy Hunt, Penny Mordaunt, Rishi Sunak, Tom Tugendhat, Liz Truss and Nadhim Zahawi – going into the leadership race.

Meanwhile, the captivating 'Wagatha Christie' libel case between Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney came to a head at the end of the month, with Rebekah Vardy losing.

The month ended on a high when the England women's football team won the Euros, beating Germany 2–1.

August

A sign of worse things to come reared its head when the Bank of England raised its interest rates from 1.25% to 1.75% - the biggest increase in 27 years.

Extreme weather conditions also meant a drought was declared across large parts of England, with hosepipe bans introduced too.

The month was filled with hustings in the race between Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to become the next PM as the pair toured the UK to win support.

August also saw 12-year-old Archie Battersbee have his life support machine switched off following a gruelling legal battle from his family.

The boy was believed to have been taking part in an online blackout challenge before he was found unconscious by his mum.

September

Perhaps the most eventful month of the year, September kicked off with Liz Truss being elected as the leader of the Conservative Party and PM.

But just days later - on September 8 - it was announced that Queen Elizabeth II had died peacefully.

The world came out to mourn the monarch, with hundreds of thousands of Brits seizing the opportunity to see the monarch lying in state.

The infamous queue, which continued on throughout the night, snaked the Thames as everyone awaited their turn to pay their respects.

The end of the mourning period was marked by the Queen's state funeral.

After the Queen's death, Charles officially became King, with Camilla becoming Queen Consort and Will and Kate becoming Prince and Princess of Wales.

The month was capped off with the announcement of the emergency mini-budget, which revealed major tax cuts resulting in the pound plummeting.

October

After the fierce response to the emergency budget, Liz Truss sacked Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng in favour of Jeremy Hunt.

However, the backlash didn't end there for the PM and it wasn't long before she too was stood on the podium outside No10 announcing that she had quit.

Rishi Sunak was announced as the next leader of the Conservative Party, and the Prime minister.

Rail strikes also hit commuters hard in October, with unions warning of several walkouts to come if disputes over pay and working conditions were not resolved.

October also saw the first televised sentencing at a murder trial in England and Wales takes place at the Old Bailey.

November

Matt Hancock was revealed as one of the stars in I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, triggering an uproar from the public and leading to him losing the whip.

While Hancock briefly left politics behind, Jeremy Hunt delivered his autumn statement, which included changes such as the windfall tax on energy firms rising to 35%, living wage rising to £10.42 per hour and income tax thresholds being frozen.

Meanwhile, nurses announced that they would officially be striking, marking the largest strike in RCN history.

December

The world said goodbye to football icon Pelé after his battle with cancer and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood passed away surrounded by loved ones.

The UKHSA also announced a string of a deaths connected to Strep A among children.

Freezing weather conditions swept the UK, with the coldest day since December 2010 being recorded by the Met Office.

December also saw mass strikes across several industries as thousands have joined together to dispute their pay amid the cost of living crisis.

From the beginning of the month up until Christmas there were strikes held every day, with health workers and Royal Mail staff among those wreaking havoc over the festive period.