Minister rejects call for Britain to adopt ‘Churchill Time’ in the summer

Calls for Britain to learn “wartime lessons” by moving the clocks forward by two hours during the summer months have been rejected by the Government.

Labour MP Alex Mayer pressed the case for double British Summer Time (BST), dubbed “Churchill Time”, as a way of reducing energy usage, improving mental health and potentially reducing road accidents.

Business minister Justin Madders acknowledged there are “a number of benefits” to the proposal, which was adopted during the Second World War, but said the Government believes the existing approach provides the “optimal use of the available daylight across the UK”.

I believe we should learn the lessons of wartime Britain and move to double summertime

Clocks go forward one hour at 1am on the last Sunday in March to provide more daylight in the evenings during what is known as British Summer Time, with the change taking place this year on March 30.

They then go back one hour at 2am on the last Sunday in October, with the next change due on October 26.

Ms Mayer, the MP for Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard, noted BST was established during the First World War in 1916, before she highlighted the “experiment” of double British Summer Time during the next global conflict.

She told the House of Commons: “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.

“Why? To save energy. The crisis at the time meant that bold ideas were required.

“We needed to think outside the box. 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 said such a change could help reduce emissions by “making better use of the daylight that we have”, adding: “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.”

Moving to double British summer time would also create a time border between Ireland and Northern Ireland in a scenario where Ireland maintained its current approach to time

Ms Mayer added changing to lighter evenings “can prevent hundreds of accidents and injuries every year” on the roads.

She went on: “And sunshine cheers us up. 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.”

Replying to the adjournment debate, Mr Madders said: “The Government believes the current daylight savings arrangement represent the optimal use of the available daylight across the UK and 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.”

He said moving to double British summer time would result in darker mornings in the winter and he cast doubt on the impact of the proposed change on reducing road accidents and energy usage.

Mr Madders went on: “Moving to double British summer time would also create a time border between Ireland and Northern Ireland in a scenario where Ireland maintained its current approach to time.

“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.”

Mr Madders said the north of Scotland would have “no daylight in the winter before 10am” under double British summer time, adding: “While in the rest of Scotland sunrise would be at 9am, so children in Scotland would travel to and from school in darkness.”