MPs started the year with a show of cross-party support, giving a rare standing ovation to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February after he provided the House of Commons with an update on his country’s war with Russia.
![MPs give a standing ovation after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed the Commons via videolink](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/3deab94cc20d239905ae73bd1793a873Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAxMzQ4NTU2/2.65739224.jpg?w=640)
Later in the month, Nicola Sturgeon fought back tears as she announced her resignation as First Minister of Scotland and leader of the SNP after eight years in the role.
![Nicola Sturgeon resignation](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/b24bb71fe68e7a2666436f08302b5da2Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAxMzQ5MDY4/2.70999041.jpg?w=640)
Jeremy Hunt delivered his first full Budget since becoming Chancellor, which included a hike in corporation tax, in March.
![Chancellor Jeremy Hunt leaves 11 Downing Street with his ministerial box and members of his ministerial team before delivering his Budget in Parliament](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/e2e140df54d82bfe85829ca2caf91b02Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAxMzQ5NzUx/2.71385062.jpg?w=640)
Meanwhile, Humza Yousaf fended off competition from Kate Forbes and Ash Regan to become the SNP’s new leader and First Minister of Scotland.
![From left, Ash Regan, Humza Yousaf and Kate Forbes after the winner of the SNP's leadership contest was announced](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/1db669eb8a1b5fa25e6c720208b0b676Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAxMzUwMzU2/2.71537973.jpg?w=640)
The Conservatives suffered significant losses in May’s local elections while Labour and the Lib Dems gained control of a number of councils. The Green Party also made record gains.
![Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey celebrates with campaigners after his party won control of Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council from the Conservatives in the local elections](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/82df5e3f4c970c11cad21f94547d2037Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAxMzUyMDI3/2.72024315.jpg?w=640)
Former prime minister Boris Johnson resigned as an MP with immediate effect in June after receiving the Commons Select Committee of Privileges report into the “Partygate” scandal.
The report concluded that Mr Johnson deliberately misled the Commons over lockdown parties at 10 Downing Street, and would be suspended for 90 days if still an MP.
Three parilamentary by-elections were triggered by Mr Johnson’s decision to quit, including in his own constituency, after loyalists Nadine Dorries and Nigel Adams also announced their resignations.
![Boris Johnson leaving his home in Oxford following his resignation as an MP](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/e26972af0ade55badf70edfc9df6f673Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAyNDE0MjI5/2.72591719.jpg?w=640)
Labour and the Liberal Democrats overturned Tory majorities of around 20,000 votes in July after by-elections in the constituencies of Selby and Ainsty and Somerset and Frome respectively.
The Conservatives held onto Mr Johnson’s former seat with a reduced majority of 495 votes in a third by-election influenced by the proposed expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone.
![Labour's Keir Mather delivering his victory speech after overturning a majority of more than 20,000 votes in the Selby and Ainsty by-election](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/8363fd65ed8acd4d72962d2e2fda5072Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAzMDY2MzY1/2.73066897.jpg?w=640)
One year on from the only budget of her brief tenure as prime minister, Liz Truss defended her policies. During a speech at the Institute for Government think tank in September, the ex-PM said the “political and economic establishment” prevented her from enacting her economic plans.
![Liz Truss gives a speech on the economy at the Institute for Government](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/2ad37c5cdd01271d2726eebd0d52f509Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAzMDcwMzUw/2.73776076.jpg?w=640)
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan was left teary eyed by Rishi Sunak’s speech at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester. The Prime Minister used his speech at the start of October to announce his plan to stub out smoking and confirm that the Birmingham to Manchester leg of the High Speed 2 rail link would be scrapped.
![An emotional Education Secretary Gillian Keegan watches Prime Minister Rishi Sunak deliver his speech during the Conservative Party conference](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/9eed96cba08b643fc4778bb7cf521dcbY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAzMDcyNjE2/2.74015584.jpg?w=640)
Despite having glitter thrown over him by a protester near the beginning of his speech at Labour’s conference, Sir Keir Starmer celebrated two more by-election wins for his party later in October as Alistair Strathern and Sarah Edwards overturned big Conservative majorities in Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth respectively.
![A protester throws glitter over Sir Keir Starmer during his keynote speech at the Labour Party Conference](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/21f245889056b5a043f80d19af153fb8Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAzMDcyMjc4/2.74109916.jpg?w=640)
![Sir Keir Starmer and the Parliamentary Labour Party welcome newly-elected MPs Alistair Strathern and Sarah Edwards to Parliament](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/4a8d017e7eaf5ab7c65f5048be31575eY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAzMDczNTE4/2.74287526.jpg?w=640)
US vice president Kamala Harris and Tesla co-founder Elon Musk were among the guests at the AI Safety Summit hosted at Bletchley Park in November, during which the Government announced a “world first agreement” between 28 countries on how to manage the riskiest forms of artificial intelligence.
![Rishi Sunak and Elon Musk in conversation at the AI Safety Summit](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/e6febc12058c574017e8d65e95338abdY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAzMDc2MTky/2.74424916.jpg?w=640)
Mr Sunak put law and order at the centre of the first King’s speech in more than 70 years.
![The King delivers his speech beside the Queen during the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/e16b67e59607682e893ec3b46746ae09Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAzNTI1MjU2/2.74482949.jpg?w=640)
Later in the month Suella Braverman was sacked as home secretary after coming under heavy criticism for
writing an opinion piece in The Times newspaper in which she questioned the impartiality of police over the way they handle demonstrations.
![Suella Braverman outside her home in, Bushey, Hertfordshire, after her sacking by the Prime Minister](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/1e20291a809e60e46484efdf7934ccd0Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAzMDc2ODIx/2.74573082.jpg?w=640)
Her position was filled by James Cleverly who, in turn, was replaced as foreign secretary by former prime minister Lord David Cameron who received a surprise peerage which enabled him to return to the Cabinet.
![(Left to right) Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Foreign Secretary Lord David Cameron and Home Secretary James Cleverly at the ceremonial welcome for President of South Korea, Yoon Suk Yeol, and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, at Horse Guards Parade in central London](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/01647211cc9d7ec188a53c793fd1d169Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAzMTkyNzQ5/2.74626673.jpg?w=640)
The Government’s plan to deport migrants to Rwanda was ruled unlawful by the Supreme Court. This prompted Mr Cleverly to travel to Rwanda to sign a new immigration treaty, which he says addresses the concerns of the court.
Mr Sunak’s new plan was not enough to satisfy Robert Jenrick, however, who resigned as immigration minister, arguing the legislation “does not go far enough”. But, despite much hand-wringing by MPs on the right of the Tory party, the Safety of Rwanda Bill passed second reading in the Commons by 313 votes to 269.
![Home Secretary James Cleverly and Rwandan minister of foreign affairs Vincent Biruta hold a bilateral meeting after they signed a new treaty in Kigali](http://image.assets.pressassociation.io/v2/image/production/4857a1dd02fb192d6d997cc8318b739eY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzAzNTIzMzIy/2.74766686.jpg?w=640)
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