A Government minister has rejected proposals for Britain to adopt a “Churchill Time” system by moving the clocks forward by two hours during the summer months, dismissing it as impractical despite claims that it could reduce energy use, improve mental health, and prevent road accidents.
Labour MP Alex Mayer led the calls for double British Summer Time (BST), arguing that the move, which was introduced during the Second World War, could help the country combat the modern-day climate crisis. However, Business Minister Justin Madders stated that the Government believes the current system offers the “optimal use of available daylight” across the UK.
The case for ‘Churchill Time’
Speaking during a Commons debate, Ms Mayer, who represents Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard, pointed to the historical precedent for double BST.
“As Britain faced peril, Winston Churchill took the decision to move the clocks two hours in advance of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in the summer and one hour in advance of GMT during the winter months,” she said.
She explained that the measure was introduced to conserve energy at a time of national crisis, arguing that a similar approach could now help tackle climate change.
“Today, we face a different emergency – the climate crisis – but one where the same prescription could really help. I believe we should learn the lessons of wartime Britain and move to double summertime.”
Ms Mayer also highlighted potential environmental and economic benefits, noting that a shift to later daylight hours would reduce energy consumption by delaying the need for artificial lighting and heating in homes and businesses.
“By choosing Churchill Time, we can reduce our energy use and lower our carbon footprint. When it’s lighter in the evenings, households and businesses switch on the lights and heating later. That small shift, spread across millions of homes, adds up to a significant difference,” she said.
She further argued that extended daylight hours could make roads safer by reducing the number of accidents that occur in the dark.
“Changing to lighter evenings can prevent hundreds of accidents and injuries every year,” she said.
Ms Mayer also suggested that the measure could boost mental health by increasing exposure to natural light.
“The NHS says that a lack of sunlight may lead to lower serotonin levels, which is linked to feelings of depression, but getting outside has got many mood-boosting benefits,” she added.
Government says no to time change
In response, Mr Madders acknowledged that there were some benefits to double BST but said that the Government does not intend to make any changes.
“The Government believes the current daylight savings arrangement represents the optimal use of the available daylight across the UK,” he said.
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He stressed that any alteration to the system would require extensive public consultation and an assessment of the impact on businesses and daily life.
“Changing the current arrangements would impact all citizens in the UK and Northern Ireland, and would require public consultation and an assessment on the impact on businesses across all sectors of the economy.”
Mr Madders also pointed to potential unintended consequences, including much darker mornings in the winter, which could pose safety risks.
“In the north of Scotland, there would be no daylight in the winter before 10am under double British Summer Time, while in the rest of Scotland sunrise would be at 9am, so children in Scotland would travel to and from school in darkness.”
Additionally, he warned of difficulties in Northern Ireland, where a change in the UK’s time zone could create a “time border” between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland if Ireland maintained its current approach to daylight savings.
“This non-alignment could cause problems for transport, particularly aviation, the tourism trade, and business in general, with higher impacts if there was only a part-year alignment,” he said.
While the debate over daylight savings continues, the Government has made it clear that it has no immediate plans to follow Churchill’s wartime example. As Britain prepares to move the clocks forward by one hour on March 30, it seems the nation will remain on its current time system – at least for the foreseeable future.
