Politics

The Conservative conference opens in Bournemouth (2 Oct.). The leadership aims at convincing the public and the party that it is ready for government. William Hague, the leader, a populist, wishes to recapture the middle ground of the electorate. Since the Conservative party seems to be a one-issue party, one of the tasks of the conference is to flesh out a wide range of policies.

William Hague launches a policy for the Inner Cities based on the use of public and private funds (2 Oct.).

The Conservatives are divided on the euro. The leadership tries to blur the divisions which are detrimental to their image (3 Oct.). Michael Portillo, the Shadow Chancellor, delivers a speech in which he shows he intends to expand the private sector in health care to make up for the shortcomings of the NHS. He does not impress the media since he does not explain how the Conservatives will reduce state intervention and cut taxes.

Baroness Thatcher, the former Prime Minister, denounces the government's pensions policy as "an outright fraud" (3 Oct.).

Ann Widdecombe, the Shadow Home Secretary, delivers a speech in which she claims that the Conservatives will be tough on drugs (4 Oct.): she announces that minor first offenders will be fined £100 for the possession of drugs. This is an attempt to outflank the government with radical policies to meet the concerns of voters.

William Hague delivers his speech (5 Oct.): he appeals to voters beyond the conference hall, but fails to match commitments and resources, e.g. he promises to finance his spending pledges by cutting waste and welfare fraud. He argues that the Conservatives are ready for government.

The Human Rights Act comes into force in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (1 Oct.). Cases can now be taken to British courts rather than to the European Court in Strasbourg, which can take years.

The first two challenges to the Act come before courts (5 Oct.): should two patients who are brain damaged be withdrawn artificial feeding? England's senior family judge rules that doctors can go ahead to withdraw the treatment, a move which will not infringe the patients' right to life.

Tony Blair outlines his vision for Europe in a speech in Warsaw (6 Oct.) He proposes a downgrading of the Commission, which he thinks will bring more accountability as well as a dynamic that reflects the balance of power between the states better. He affirms that Poland must be admitted by 2004. He talks of Europe as a "superpower, not a superstate" to regain the trust of the British public.

The leaders of the European Union meet informally in Biarritz (13 Oct.). They focus on negotiations on the enlargement of the Union and on the Charter of Fundamental Rights, which deals with citizens' entitlements, especially in the social field. Mr Blair tries to water down the Charter, which is purely declaratory, according to him. However, Romano Prodi's objective is radically different.

The new President of Serbia, Vojislav Kostunica, meets the leaders of the countries of the European Union (14 Oct.). During the informal summit, the leaders also discuss the reform of the Commission: countries might have to take it in turns to have Commissioners, which would lead to making decisions that depend on common interests rather than national interests [at the moment each member state has either one or two Commissioners depending on its size]. Britain is reluctant to endorse that reform. A reform of the veto is also on the agenda as well as the potential problems caused by a "two-speed Europe" and enhanced cooperation for the "hard-core" countries.

Ann Widdecombe, the Shadow Home Secretary, announces that she wants to impose a fixed fine of £100 for possession of cannabis (8 Oct.). 

Seven members of the Shadow Cabinet admit they tried cannabis when they were young (8 Oct.), but Tony Blair and his Cabinet refuse to comment. William Hague, the Conservative leader, tries to defuse the row by conceding that Mrs Widdecombe's plans have to be re-worked. 

An eighth member of the Shadow Cabinet, Tim Yeo, admits taking cannabis in his youth and enjoying it. William Hague no longer supports his Shadow Home Secretary's point of view (9 Oct.).

Peter Lilley, a former deputy leader of the Conservative party, is about to publish a pamphlet calling for cannabis to be decriminalised (9 Oct.).

The Health Minister, Yvette Cooper, reveals that she smoked cannabis when she attended university (13 Oct.).

Tony Blair does not want to legalise cannabis, and insists on parental choice. However, scientists point out that cannabis is beneficial for medical use, in particular to reduce pain due to multiple sclerosis (15 Oct.).

Tony Blair authorises a campaign to discourage people from giving money to beggars. Ministers are concerned that the cash could be used to fuel addictions to drink and drugs (8 Oct.). Labour MPs and charities attack the campaign as unfeeling and untimely.

The Liberal Democrats and Labour announce they are forming a coalition government in Wales (5 Oct.). The deal, which includes about 100 joint pledges, follows months of negotiations between Rhodri Morgan, the Labour Welsh Assembly leader, and the Liberal Democrats. Tony Blair and Charles Kennedy approve. The deal, which is due to last until the next Welsh Assembly election in 2003, gives the Liberal Democrats two seats on the six-strong executive.

Donald Dewar, Scotland's First Minister, falls outside his official residence (10 Oct.). He is critically ill on a life support machine. There is enormous sympathy for the leader of the Scottish Labour party, who was the architect of devolution.

Donald Dewar dies from a brain haemorrhage (11 Oct.). Jim Wallace, his deputy, replaces him. The Scottish Labour party has to choose a successor and the Scottish Parliament has to elect a new First Minister within four weeks, a difficult task when there is no obvious successor.

The Prime Minister and the Prince of Wales attend the funeral (18 Oct.).

The new leader of the Scottish Labour party, Henry McLeish, is elected (21 Oct.). He was born in Methil Fife, in 1948, to a home help and a miner. He was a professional footballer. He was elected an MP in 1987 for the first time. He gave up Westminster for the Scottish Parliament in 1999. He is Labour's nominee for the post of First Minister. He has said he will work closely with John Reid, the Secretary of State for Scotland, to introduce a range of social policies for the young, the old and the unemployed.

Farmers' incomes drop sharply: their profits have fallen by 90 per cent over the past five years. Their average income is £8,000.

Robin Cook, the Foreign Secretary, goes to the Middle East to help revive the peace process and attempt to stem the bloodshed after nearly two weeks of Israeli-Palestinian clashes (11 Oct.).

There is an explosion in the British embassy in Yemen at 6.10 local time (13 Oct.). Nobody is hurt. It is probably linked to the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis since an American warship, the destroyer USS Cole, which was at anchor in Aden, is also attacked by two suicide bombers; seventeen Americans die.

The Financial Times reports that Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has held secret talks with road haulage firms to ward off a renewal of their protests against high fuel taxes (11 Oct.).

The Government tries to counter a potential resumption of petrol protests in November (13 Oct.). Ministers suggest that foreign hauliers should buy a special disk before driving in the United Kingdom. However, this is against European Union legislation. British hauliers would have to buy the disk as well, so the Government proposes that British hauliers buy their disk at a discount. Ministers also meet representatives of oil companies, which have increased petrol prices too much, and warn them that they are using anti-competitive practice. 

The government's task force, which was set up in September to prevent further lorry blockades, meets in London (19 Oct.) to investigate intimidation of drivers who were alledgedly abused and threatened when they chose to make deliveries during the dispute over the cost of fuel.

Petrol increases by two pence (20 Oct.). The police say they will take stronger action next time there is blockade. They have a double role: support legal protests and prevent intimidation in people's homes, since Jack Straw, the Home Secretary, admits that some drivers were "treated in a brutish way" during the September blockades. In future, the police will not tolerate such intimidations.

Concerns about a new round of petrol protests rise (23 Oct.). The Sun claims that a "special force of soldiers" are training to drive civilian oil tankers. Gordon Brown denies that he intends to increase fuel tax. 

Hauliers and farmers meet to decide on their next moves (30 Oct.), with two weeks to go before their deadline.

Lorry drivers and hauliers are preparing more protests (31 Oct), such as a slow-moving convoy from Tyneside to London which they call the "Jarrow March," while Jack Straw tells industry and hospitals to stockpile fuel.

An NOP poll shows that Labour has regained a healthy lead over the Conservatives (15 Oct.): 42 per cent to 35 per cent.

A Mori poll (26 Oct.) puts Labour support at 45 per cent, the Conservatives at 32 per cent and the Liberal Democrats at 17 per cent. The Government has suffered damage from the fuel protest and leadership rivalries, but the Conservatives' split over drug policy and disastrous party conference account for their poor result.

In his serialised memoirs in the Daily Mail, Geoffrey Robinson, the former Paymaster General who resigned in December 1998, accuses Peter Mandelson of lying over the £373,000 home loan he received from Mr Robinson (16 Oct.).

Geoffrey Robinson causes further damage to the government in a new instalment of his memoirs (17 Oct.): he accuses Mr Mandelson of creating a rift over the euro inside the government despite an uneasy truce between Tony Blair and Gordon Brown. He says that Mr Mandelson is a "destabilising influence" on the government.

Jonathan Porritt, chairman of the government's Sustainable Development Commission, says that Labour has failed to live up to its promise of putting the environment at the heart of government (16 Oct.).

Tony Blair delivers his first major speech on the environment (24 Oct.) in an attempt to answer claims that the government has failed to meet its manifesto pledges. He announces new initiatives, such as the development of green energy. 

The Prime Minister unveils a £100m package of anti-pollution measures.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh arrive in Rome for a four-day state visit (16 Oct.). 

The Queen meets the Pope (17 Oct.): they discuss the peace process in Northern Ireland and Christian unity. 

There are thirteen contestants for the post of Speaker in the House of Commons, following Betty Boothroyd's resignation (17 Oct.). All candidates are asked to make a personal written statement. The reform of the Commons is high on the agenda, in particular the question of more family-friendly hours.

Michael Martin, Labour MP for Glasgow Springburn, is elected (23 Oct.) after seven hours of frantic activity in the House. He beats eleven other candidates. He now has a difficult task, since he must show he can carry the whole House and not just the Labour majority which elected him. He is the first Roman Catholic to become Speaker since the Reformation.

Michael Martin gives a news conference (25 Oct.), which is something new for a Speaker. He talks of the modernisation of the House of Commons and of the overhaul of the Speaker's election procedures, which are considered archaic.

The President of the Central European Bank, Wim Duisenberg, is criticised by European finance ministers after openly discussing intervention strategy over the euro with The Times (18 Oct.). Consequently, the euro drops sharply (19 Oct.).

Tony Blair's remark that if there was a referendum on the euro today, he would vote No, provokes outrage (19 Oct.). Although his sentence was meant to say that conditions for entry are not right, it makes the euro fall further on international exchanges (one euro is now worth less than $0.85).

European central bankers appear powerless to halt the decline of the euro, as it slides to new lows against the dollar—under $0.83 (26 Oct.). That may be due to the European Union's lack of unified political and economic goals.

The unemployment figures fall below one million for the first time in decades (18 Oct.). Manufacturing only accounts for 20 per cent of jobs.

Robin Cook, the Foreign Secretary, plans to resume diplomatic relations between North Korea and Britain for the first time in 50 years (19 Oct.).

Twelve hunter-killer submarines are taken out of service because of a fault (21 Oct.). The repair work will take several months, which reduces the protection of the country drastically.

Tony Blair and José Maria Aznar, the Spanish Prime Minister, meet in Spain (27 Oct.) to discuss European economic reform. There are tensions during the meeting because HMS Tireless, one of Britain's nuclear submarines, has been in Gibraltar for several months to undergo major repairs. Spain would like the repair work to be done in Britain, whereas Britain believes it can be carried out in Gibraltar, which is British territory.

The Royal Navy hires a German U-boat for training because all its submarines are tied up for urgent safety checks (31 Oct.).

Extracts from Paddy Ashdown's diaries (he was the leader of the LibDems from 1988 to 1999) are serialised in The Times (23 Oct.). He says that, before the 1997 election, he and Tony Blair agreed on a secret pact to set up a coalition government if Labour won. Blair also promised to introduce Proportional Representation for future general elections. Most senior figures in the Labour party were kept in the dark. However, Gordon Brown opposed the voting reform and the deal did not go through.

Sir Edward Heath, the Father of the House, who was Prime Minister from 1970 to 1974, says he will not be a candidate in the next general election (25 Oct.). He is 84 and has sat in the House of Commons since 1950.

The Commons Select Committee on Defence criticises Britain's role in the 1999 NATO campaign in Kosovo: the MPs condemn Tony Blair for ruling out a ground operation, which worsened the ethnic cleansing crisis. Military equipment was found to be failing and RAF planes lacked "smart" bombs. The Committee also argues that there was poor planning.

The government plans to privatise the air-traffic control service are close to collapse, because of mounting opposition in the House of Lords (26 Oct.) and increasing chaos in the privatised rail industry.

The House of Lords rejects the plan to privatise the air-traffic control service (26 Oct.).

The government plans to seek to reverse the defeat in the House of Commons (27 Oct.).

A report shows that London Transport is in chaos (27 Oct.). Ken Livingstone, London's first elected mayor, blames underinvestment during the past ten years. More investment will improve the Tube service. More bus lanes, with cameras, are going to open. He announces a public consultation before introducing charges for driving into London. If there is a consensus, he will push the decision through.

Several hundred British troops which are training in the Mediterranean are likely to be sent to Sierra Leone, to provide reassurance in case of trouble (28 Oct.). The United Nations has asked for more British troops because India and Jordan are pulling out theirs. The British will remain off-shore and will not take part in the fighting.

Michael Portillo, the Shadow Chancellor, promises to cut taxes if the Conservatives win the general election (30 Oct.).

Business

Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, orders an inquiry (1 Oct.) into the rising cost of Britain's utility regulators, e.g. OFTEL, OFGAS. He appoints W. S. Atkins, independent consultants, to probe the efficiency of the railway, water, electricity, telecommunications and gas regulators.

MG Rover, the carmaker, alarms suppliers (2 Oct.) by seeking an overhaul of its payment terms to help cut costs and protect its cash flow.

The last old-style Mini rolls off the production line (4 Oct.).

The new Mini, which was exhibited at the Paris Motor Showin September, is launched at the Birmingham Motor Show (17 Oct.)

Sixty per cent of British people have a mobile phone (4 Oct.).

Railtrack fails to meet its performance improvement target for the second year running (6 Oct.). It faces a potential fine of £ 70m. Delays have increased by 10 per cent between March and September, whereas the privatised monopoly aimed at improving reliability by 7.5 per cent. Now autumn has set in, there could be delays because of leaves on the tracks.

A high-speed train derails near Hatfield (Hertfordshire). Four people die (17 Oct.) in the accident, which is the third serious one in three years. The police thoroughly search the area and declare there was no explosion.

The crash was caused by a cracked rail which was due to be replaced in November, since Railtrack, the network operator, knew there was a fault at the site of the crash as early as February. It accepts that the infrastructure was wholly unacceptable. Gerald Corbett, the chief executive of Railtrack, resigns (18 Oct.).

The Board of Railtrack refuses Gerald Corbett's resignation (19 Oct.) because he is the best qualified person to help the industry recover after its fragmentation following privatisation in 1996. He is largely responsible for the credibility Railtrack has regained in the City.

A report of the Health and Safety Commission proves the derailment was due to a cracked rail (20 Oct.). Gerald Corbett says that the system has been designed to make maximum profit for the Treasury. It does not aim at optimising investment or safety, or at taking into account the large increase in the number of passengers. He argues that mistakes were made at the time of privatisation, especially the creation of a large number of companies. He says that Tom Winsor, the Rail Operator appointed by John Prescott, the deputy Prime Minister who is also responsible for transport, has been adversarial. According to him, stability and solidarity between the Government and the industry are essential to carry out necessary reforms. The top priority now is to replace cracked rails, which means that large sections of the network will have to close down. In the meantime, Gerald Corbett talks of a slower and less punctual service, to improve safety: widespread disruption is expected because of the imposition of new speed limits.

Work to clear the site of the crash starts (21 Oct.), but it could take weeks before the line operates properly.

Tom Winsor announces a £4.7b five-year aid package to Railtrack to improve safety (23 Oct.). He calls for better management of repair work.

Connex South Central, a commuter rail company owned by the French conglomerate Vivendi, loses its franchise after just four years (24 Oct.) because of poor punctuality and old, dirty trains. The new company which is to run the trains is the Govia group, led by Go-Ahead, which operates Thames Trains and Thames Link. This is an attempt to cut the number of rail companies and improve efficiency.

There is severe disruption on the main west coast rail services in Scotland (25 Oct.). The line was closed without any notice for safety checks to be carried out. The work is expected to last for three days. Yet a fifty-mile section reopens (26 Oct.) two days earlier than anticipated.

On some main lines in South-East England, twenty-mile-an-hour speed limits are imposed on all trains while safety checks are carried out, which causes major delays (26 Oct.). The delays may last for months during emergency repair work.

There are more delays as around 300 stretches of lines suffer temporary speed restrictions as engineers replace cracked rails (27 Oct.). 

Although as many as 24,000 workers do maintenance work on the railways (28 Oct.), there is disruption on all railway lines in Britain, especially in the Midlands and near Clapham Junction, which is said to be the busiest line in the world. Emergency repair work is likely to last until well into next year.

Rail companies bring in emergency timetables, which take account of the speed limits (30 Oct.). There are long delays, for example there is a one-hour delay for the journey from London to Birmingham.

Marks and Spencer's profits plummet in the chain's food departments (12 Oct.). This is dire news for shareholders and employees since the clothing division has already experienced many problems.

BMW tells Rover it will receive nothing more than the £500m loan agreed when the Phoenix Consortium bought Rover for £10 in May 2000 (18 Oct.).

Two non-executive directors of Rover, Brian Parker and Terry Whitmore, resign (27 Oct.) just before a meeting in which the non-executive directors are to press John Towers, who bought the company in May, on whether he intends to sell the company to Proton, a Malaysian car maker.

British Telecom is planning to offer American-style unmetered local telephone calls on 1 Dec. The new service is to be called BT Talk Together (19 Oct.).

Honda abandons its plan to build its new small car in its Swindon factory, because of the high value of the pound (31 Oct.).

Society

A BBC investigation reveals serious concerns over some deaths at the Oxford heart centre at the John Radcliffe hospital (2 Oct.). It shows that relationships within staff are poor, junior doctors are unsupervised, and patients' families are not fully informed. There is a tradition of secrecy in the centre. An external inquiry is to report, although the results of the centre are good on the whole.

The death toll from the Bristol Royal Infirmary heart babies scandal may be three times higher than previously thought, according to medical experts at a public inquiry into the deaths and brain damage of scores of children who had passed through the hospital from 1984 to 1997 (2 Oct.). James Wisheart, the department head, was struck off the register by the General Medical Council. Dhasmana, the surgeon, was suspended from operating upon children for three years.

A public inquiry in the sinking of the Marchioness opens (2 Oct.). The accident occurred in London in 1989. First-hand accounts of the disaster are heard. Most papers argue that it was an accident waiting to happen because of numerous collisions between dredgers and passenger boats in years preceding the accident. One of them involved the Bowbelle, the dredger which collided with the Marchioness.

Dame Helena Shovelton, the chairman of the National Lottery Commission, resigns (4 Oct.). 

Camelot's licence to run the lottery is extended by four months to December 2001 (19 Oct.), even if Richard Branson's rival bid is successful. This could affect charities and good causes which face a loss of £10m: the money will have to be used to pay for the shambles over the selection of the lottery's new operator.

The new chairman of the National Lottery Commission, Lord Burns, says that a decision about the revised bids for the lottery franchise might be made by the middle of November (25 Oct.). The Commission has to decide whether the bids from the People's Lottery and Camelot, which has made a new submission, meet the criteria relating to "all due propriety" and "the protection of the interests of every participant in the lottery."

A memorial service is held at Paddington station (5 Oct.): prayers, flowers and a one-minute silence mark the first anniversay of the rail crash which claimed 31 lives.

A new report on British universities shows that prestigious institutions fail to attract students from poor backgrounds and to recruit students from state schools (6 Oct.). Former polytechnics, which now have university status, have a more mixed intake. The research has been compiled since the introduction of fees in universities.

The NHS writes to 20,000 nurses aged 50 or over, begging them to delay retirement or return to work to help ward off another winter flu crisis (9 Oct.).

The Royal College of Nursing launches a hotline for nurses, which it is hoped will prevent staff shortages in NHS hopitals (16 Oct.). The RCN publishes a resource pack of solutions, including flexible working to allow staff to adjust work to fit family life.

Pupils at Corby Community College in Northamptonshire are starting a four-day week because of a shortage of teachers (9 Oct.).

Mr Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Margaret Hodge, the Employment Minister, start an advertising campaign to invite lone parents into work (9 Oct.); they think that work is the escape route from poverty. However, since there are few facilities for child care, most lone parents find it difficult to return to work. Consequently, the government offers extra money, childcare places and employment flexibility to get people back to work. Five of Britain's leading firms, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter, Schroder Salomon Smith Barney, Sainsbury, Direct line and Granada, have agreed to be the trailblazers for the scheme with family-friendly working practices.

The Future of Multi-ethnic Britain, a report into race relations written by a commission set up by the Runnymede Trust, makes recommendations on multi-ethnic and multi-faith Britain, which aim at making it a country built on equality and mutual respect (11 Oct.). It criticises the over-use by police of stop-and-search of Irish people as well as African-Caribbeans. It recommends that universities should ensure that minority groups are represented among students and staff. It proposes to replace the Commission for Racial Equality, the Equal Opportunities Commission and the new Disability Rights Commission by a new Equality Commission, which should also protect other disadvantaged groups, such as homosexuals and older people.

Peter Hain, the veteran anti-apartheid campaigner and Foreign Office Minister, warns that Britain is creating an underclass similar to South Africa's (16 Oct.): he says that a gulf has opened between a small black middle class and a "vast pool of ethnic minority citizens" who are "doing extremely badly."

More than half of Health Authorities refuse to supply some remedies for Alzheimer's disease because they argue that the drugs are too expensive or not cost-effective (10 or 11 Oct.).

Age Concern, the charity, reports that women over 70 underestimate the risk of getting breast cancer (11 Oct.), which is four times higher than for other age groups. They campaign to urge the government to start screening schemes for women of that age group.

The government thinks its literacy and numeracy campaign is working well at primary school. It decides to extend the drive to raise standards in English and maths to all eleven- to fourteen-year-olds in an effort to improve standards (16 Oct.).

In order to meet its manifesto target over truancy, the government plans to set up "truancy sweeps" (i.e. teams of local authority staff) to force children to go to school. Every day, about 50,000 children play truant in Britain, which is often condoned by parents. Fines for parents of truant children will be higher.

The overall crime rate has dropped by 10 per cent in the last two years according to the British Crime Survey (17 Oct.). This is due to low unemployment, economic growth and tougher sentencing.

The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service's annual report reveals that the number of workers complaining about pay and other employment issues has increased by a third over the past year (25 Oct.).

The sixteen-volume report into the BSE crisis is published (26 Oct.). It is the result of a two-and-a-half-year inquiry. It criticises the handling of the crisis by civil servants and by former Conservative ministers: British scientists were shut out by the Ministry of Agriculture, so researchers started their work from scratch without benefiting from earlier findings. It claims that there was a gap between the information given to ministers and information to the public which was misleadingly reassuring. It reveals that patients suffering from CJD lack adequate care and calls for an improved care package for sick people. It recommends that compensation should be given to the families of patients who died of the disease.

Following the publication of Lord Phillips' report, the government makes plans for a compensation package for the families of those who died from CJD (27 Oct.). It has to decide whether to discipline some civil servants, in spite of Lord Phillips' recommendation that nobody should face sanctions.

Zoe Jeffries, who is 14 years old, dies of CJD (28 Oct.). She is Britain's 81^st person confirmed to have died of the disease, and the youngest victim. Scientists estimate that the death toll will increase.

The government calls for a Europewide ban of animal feed partly made of animal waste (31 Oct.). Although this type of food is no longer given to oxen and cows, it is still fed to pigs, poultry, etc.

A new police study reveals evidence of widespread domestic violence in Britain (26 Oct.). Ten women are raped, stabbed or beaten by their partners every minute.

Research carried out by OFSTED, the Office for Standards in Education, shows that black pupils do better at school than white ones initially, but that they fall far behind ten years later (27 Oct.). Over the years, the gap widens. It blames teachers' low expectations of children of Afro-Caribbean origin.

A leaked copy of the rural white paper shows that the government expects to build at least 2,500 "affordable homes" a year in villages and rural settlements (30 Oct.).

Alan Milburn, the Health Secretary, signs an agreement with private health care companies (31 Oct.): more NHS patients are to be treated in the private sector free of charge, which is a dramatic change in the Labour Party's view of private medicine.

Miscellaneous

The Olympic Games end (1 Oct.): Great Britain has 28 medals (11 gold medals, 10 silver medals and 7 bronze medals), which is the country's best result since the 1920 Games. 

Reginald Kray, the notorious east London gangster, dies (1 Oct). He was famous for his sadism, e. g. he invented the "cigarette punch", achieved by hitting his victim when he opened his mouth to accept a cigarette "so that his jaw breaks more easily."

Lord Archer, the millionaire author, appears at magistrates court (3 Oct.) to face five charges of perverting the course of justice and perjury. He intends to plead not guilty in the trial.

Two Hovercraft that have carried cars and passengers from Dover to France for over 30 years are taken out of service (1 Oct.).

Some government inspectors smuggle a gun and a bomb past security at Stansted airport, near London (2 Oct.). The staff fail to detect the weapons although no sophisticated attempt was made to conceal them.

Security at Manchester airport is questioned (3 Oct.), when an experiment similar to the Stansted one is made.

The BBC moves its Nine O' Clock News to ten o' clock, although politicians are critical of the move (17 Oct.).

There is extensive flooding in the south east of England from the Isle of Wight to Kent (12 Oct.) and it is still raining. Many people are rescued and spend the night in shelters in Lewes (13 Oct.) which has been affected by a month's rainfall in 24 hours.

The Environment Agency warns of the risk of pollution after the floods in the south-east (16 Oct.).

High winds and heavy rain affect the south of England and Wales (30 Oct.). Twenty rivers have burst their banks, and more are expected to. Thousand of trees have fallen and thousands of homes are without electricity. The severe gales worsen the conditions on the railways [see above in the business section]. Railtrack closes down most of the network, including all commuter lines. Although this storm is not as bad as that of October 1987, five people die. 

The weather improves. Hundreds of homes have been flooded, in some cases for the second time in a fortnight, and river levels remain high on 33 rivers (31 Oct.). More trains are running but the service is chaotic. John Prescott, the deputy Prime Minister, says that the storms that have battered Britain should serve as a "wake-up call" on climate change.

A Saudi airliner bound for London is hijacked (14 Oct.) with around 40 Britons on board. The plane flies to Baghdad. The hostages are freed (15 Oct.) and flown to London (16 Oct.).

Confidential documents show that the Dome's senior management repeatedly misled Nomura's chief negotiator, Guy Hands, (14 Oct.), which led to the collapse of the deal.

The Dome will close down on 31 Dec. without any celebrations (25 Oct.).

James Mawdsley, the British pro-democracy activist, is freed after 411 days in solitary confinement in a Burmese jail and is deported to Britain (17 Oct.); he arrives on 20 Oct.

Five men and one woman have been held in Cuba for two weeks in mysterious circumstances (24 Oct.). The Foreign Office is concerned and frustrated because embassy diplomats have been denied access to the prisoners and because they do not know why they are being detained. Neither their whereabouts nor the charges are known.

It turns out that there are seven prisoners in Cuba (25 Oct.).

Embassy staff meet the prisoners (26 Oct.).

Patrick Green, a paedophile, is jailed for five years for luring a 13-year-old girl for sex with e-mails and chatroom conversation on the Internet (25 Oct.).

Marjorie Evans, the 56-year-old head teacher of St Mary's junior school in Caldicot (Monmouthshire) who had been suspended for a year after slapping an unruly pupil and was subsequently cleared by the courts, is free to go back to work (26 Oct.). However, she is too ill to take up her post immediately.

Robert Thompson and Jon Venables, the killers of James Bulger, hear what minimum sentences they have to serve (26 Oct.). The Conservative Home Secretary, Michael Howard, has decided that they should be imprisoned for 15 years. The European Court of Human Rights has ruled that it is up to judges, not politicians, to make such decisions. At the moment, the young men, who were 10 years old at the time of the murder, are in local authority security accommodation. If they are not freed, they are due to be transferred to prison next summer. Lord Woolf, the Lord Chief Justice, says that the two boys have shown remorse and that they should be released early next year, less than eight years after the trial. 

Lord Melchett resigns from his post as executive director of Greenpeace UK (26 Oct.). He was acquitted of destroying GM crops in September 2000. He has decided to concentrate on running his organic farm.

by Marie-José Arquié (Université de Metz)