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UK Could Scrap Seasonal Clock Changes And Keep British Summer Time All Year Round

UK Could Scrap Seasonal Clock Changes And Keep British Summer Time All Year Round

A move to change to a single-year-round time is due to come into affect in the EU next year

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

Britain might be ditching the twice-yearly changing of the clocks and sticking to British Summer Time all year round.

According to the Daily Mail, the UK government is 'likely' to get rid of seasonal clock changes.

The European Union announced earlier this year that it planned to drop time-changes from October 2019, with countries being given the option of either sticking with summer or winter time, but, as the UK gets ready to leave the EU, it has yet to be made clear if it would be making the change too.

Now the Daily Mail has released excerpts from a number of emails sent between officials in London and Belfast, which appear to show that the UK might be following suit.


via GIPHY

One senior official from Northern Ireland's Department for the Economy is reported to have written: "My impression... is that officials' advice is likely to be in favour of adopting British Summer Time all year."

Whether the UK keeps the current system or opts to move to a single year-round timezone, has been a matter of debate for many years, with some saying a change could be beneficial for the country and others saying the opposite.

Supporters of a change say there are many benefits to keeping BST all year, including a decrease in the number of road accidents, increased activity levels, lower energy bills and a boost to tourism.

But those who oppose the scrapping of Greenwich Mean Time say that it would be detrimental to some parts of the UK - particularly northern Scotland, where it wouldn't be sunrise until 10am during the winter. According to the BBC, outdoor workers - such as farmer and those in the construction industry - generally support keeping lighter mornings during the winter, too.

Speaking to the Mirror, RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams said: "The debate of whether Britain should scrap the changing of the clocks has been a long-standing issue for many years - ultimately it should be guided by the question of road safety.


"Road casualty data suggests that more collisions occur on our roads in the period between 4pm and 6pm than at any other time of the day, so perhaps an extra hour of light in the evening could reduce casualties during this period.

"However, doing this may then mean a greater number of road traffic collisions earlier in the day. What benefits one part of the country may not benefit another. In particular northern Scotland has far shorter days than southern England in winter.

"In the meantime, the priority should be to make our roads as well-lit and as safe as possible for all road users. Drivers must also obey speed limits and be extra careful when driving in reduced light."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, EU