3 January – COVID-19 in the United Kingdom: A critical incident is declared at several hospitals in Lincolnshire after the increased spread of COVID-19 causes "extreme and unprecedented" staff shortages.
4 January – COVID-19 in the United Kingdom: The daily infection number exceeds 200,000 for the first time, with a total of 218,724 cases, partly caused by a backlog in reporting over the New Year.[4]
5 January – Four defendants (known as 'the Colston 4') accused of pulling down the Statue of Edward Colston in Bristol in June 2020 as part of the Black Lives Matter protests are found not guilty of criminal damage in a jury trial.[5]
6 January – COVID-19 in the United Kingdom: A survey by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that 1.3 million people in the UK are living with long COVID, about 506,000 (40%) of whom caught the virus over a year ago, and still have symptoms such as fatigue, loss of smell, shortness of breath, and difficulty concentrating.[6]
8 January – COVID-19 in the United Kingdom: The number of deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test exceeds 150,000.
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12 JanuaryThe High Court rules that the government's use of a "VIP lane" to award contracts for personal protective equipment (PPE) to two companies was unlawful.[10]
At Prime Minister's Questions, Johnson confirms he did attend a party in the No 10 garden during the first lockdown in May 2020 and offers his "heartfelt apology". Opposition MPs and the leader of the Scottish Conservatives Douglas Ross call for his resignation.[11]
Prince Andrew fails in his bid to dismiss a US civil sex assault case brought against him by Virginia Giuffre.[12][13]
13 JanuaryMI5 warns that a Chinese spy, who they identify as Christine Ching Kui Lee, has been active in the British Parliament.[14]
Prince Andrew's military affiliations and royal patronages, which includes the use of "His Royal Highness", are returned to the Queen. It is announced that he will defend the Giuffre lawsuit as a "private citizen".[15][16]
14 JanuaryThe Daily Telegraph reports that two parties were held at Downing Street the night before Prince Philip's funeral, at a time when Covid restrictions banned indoor mixing.[17][18] Downing Street issues an apology to the Queen.[19]
The Daily Telegraph also reports that Kate Josephs, who was the head of the Covid taskforce, was given a leaving do on 17 December 2020.[20] Josephs apologises for the event, saying she is 'truly sorry.'[21]
Tortoise Media reports Boris Johnson commuted between Downing Street and his second home, Chequers, between 16 March and 27 March 2020, when non-essential travel was banned. This is confirmed by Downing Street.[22]
The Daily Mirror reports that Number 10 staff had 'wine-time Fridays' throughout the pandemic, with pictures of a wine fridge bought especially for it being released alongside the story.[23]
17 JanuaryGB News announces it will play God Save the Queen at the start of live programming every day.[24][25]
A 50-year-old woman from Brighton is reported among the fatalities in the Hunga Tonga eruption and tsunami.[26]
19 JanuaryInflation reaches 5.4%, the highest level since March 1992.[27]
Conservative MP Christian Wakeford defects to Labour, after submitting a letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson in light of the "partygate" scandal.[28]
20 JanuaryConservative MP William Wragg accuses whips of blackmail against Conservative MPs who are believed to support the ousting of Johnson. The Speaker, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, tells the Commons that potentially criminal offences would be a matter for the police. A Downing Street spokesperson says: "We are not aware of any evidence to support what are clearly serious allegations."[29][30]
30 elite British troops are sent to Ukraine amid fears of an imminent Russian invasion. The troops deliver 2,000 NLAW anti-tank missile launchers to Ukrainian forces to bolster their defences.[31]
21 January – COVID-19 in the United Kingdom: The UK Health Security Agency formally designates BA.2 as a "variant under investigation".[32][33]
24 JanuaryJohnson orders an inquiry into allegations by Conservative MP Nusrat Ghani that she was sacked as a minister after being told her "Muslim-ness” was "making colleagues uncomfortable".[34]
Conservative peer Lord Agnew publicly resigns in the House of Lords after criticising the government's handling of fraudulent Covid business loans.[35]
ITV News reports that Johnson attended a party to celebrate his 56th birthday on 20 June 2020, despite Covid rules forbidding social gatherings indoors at the time.[36]
Murder of Yasmin Chkaifi
25 January – At a London Assembly committee meeting, Cressida Dick confirms that the Metropolitan Police are now investigating "potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations" in Downing Street and Whitehall since 2020, as a "result of the information provided by the Cabinet Office inquiry team", led by Sue Gray.[37]
27 January – COVID-19 in the United Kingdom: The government's "Plan B" restrictions in England come to an end, meaning that face masks and Covid passes are no longer legally required.[38]
29 January – Storm Malik hits the UK, killing a 9-year-old boy and a 60-year-old woman and leaving tens of thousands of homes in Scotland and England without power.[39]
30 January – Manchester United footballer Mason Greenwood is arrested on suspicion of raping and assaulting his girlfriend. The club suspends him "until further notice".[40]
31 January – The initial findings of a report by Sue Gray into Downing Street parties are published. She notes that, "At least some of the gatherings in question represent 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," and concludes that "a number of these gatherings should not have been allowed to take place or to develop in the way that they did. There is significant learning to be drawn from these events which must be addressed immediately across Government.
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