As clocks go back the double summer time debate hots up

I don't care what they do in the winter- they can keep it as is - but in summer we should definitely be on European time as we get long evenings and don't waste so much daylight early in the morning. If the Scotts don't like it they don't have to join us. Actually I work at home so if it wasn't for the school-run I could keep to my own hours anyway.

The real problem is we work too many hours... The rest is swings & roundabouts, You can't create more or less daylight... giving with one hand & taking away with the other! some will suffer & some benefit!

What a pointless argument this is... if you are really affected by daylight hours i.e deppresion move to a country that gets more daylight

As far as I know the experiment in 1971 (which wasn't the same as what is being proposed it was BST all year round) did not have any quantifiable benefit. That does not make it a failure.

The fact is that people are more tired in the evenings than the mornings, which is why safety organisations are backing this move. It will also mean that your cycling club can have an extra four 19:00 time trials during the year (or any other evening event).

Let's hope that the whole of the UK will back this change.

The nonsense continues.
Saving daylight saves light, heat (heaven knows the economy needs it and its for free) and most importantly it saves lives - every statistic supports that fact.
I have also yet to meet a Scotish cow that can tell the time.
Stop messing about and use BST now and forever

The problem, particularly in the Highlands of Scotland, is the dark PLUS the often horrendous winter weather up there can combine to produce absolutely treacherous conditions on roads which are already tricky.

Rather than legislate for changing the clocks, legislation allowing employers/schools and employees to alter their working day to suit the prevailing conditions in their location would be better, surely?

Last week i rode to work in the dark, this week i ride home in the dark, to be honest i feel safer this week.

People haven't just fallen out of bed, and aren't rushing to clock in.

I think we should stay as we are.

"But in line with other posters comments, I really don't see why different areas of the UK (or perhaps eventually different nations of the British Isles?) can't have different time zones" mad_scot_rider

Britain used to be like this until they standardised the time due to the railways. Nearly every town had their own 'local' time!!

In some ways I can see the argument BUT those of us up north and in particular Scotland it is still going to be dark before quiting work and then the double whammy of being dark before work! This whole thing can only mean an increase in accidents at both sides of the day. The Double Summer Time will also mean even shorter nights as well - how many of us have tried sleeping when still light at 1am!!

@Gkam84

Done & done

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics-news/2011/10/29/snp-blast-tor...

AS has been said, its a no win all lose up here once you get past the borders of Scotland, its dark enough already in winter without changing the times from what people are used to

Yes it MIGHT have an economic benefit down south but not up here and i feel the Scottish government will say NO NO NO NO or else i hope they will

@the_mikey

You're exactly right - for the Scots this is no win & all lose

But in line with other posters comments, I really don't see why different areas of the UK (or perhaps eventually different nations of the British Isles?) can't have different timezones

It works elsewhere - perhaps we British just aren't capable of proper management?

what about moving it by half an hour and leaving it at that?

Changing the clocks doesn't actually alter the amount of daylight hours and, in the modern world and its global economy, probably as many people are inconvenienced by the clocks changing as benefit from any temporary benefit.

Where it would make a difference is during the summer time, using CET instead of BST would at least grant people an extra hour of outdoor evening leisure time. Winter is dark no matter how you try to shift it around. You'll never win the hearts of the Scots on this, it's even darker in the winter and they already get extra time in the summer thanks to their northern lattitude.

Taking the longest day (summer solstice) as an example:

Glasgow 17h 35m 15s of daylight
Bristol 16h 37m 53s of daylight

And the shortest day (winter solstice):

Glasgow 6h 58m 42s of daylight
Bristol 7h 50m 10s of daylight

This comes up every year, but I hadn't realised before why it got abandoned in 1971.

For me it makes no difference in the evenings - I was already riding home in the dark last week. In the mornings, well, I just find it easier and less depressing not to have to get up when it's still pitch black.

Tony,

Thanks. Now that Scotland is almost independent, I think it's time to switch over. If they decide to keep to GMT, that's up to them. And two time zones can work in proximity as anyone who has ever lived on the Portuguese/Spanish border will confirm.

just make the change in England and let the scots do whatever they want , its a different country isnt it?..

what were the reasons for abandoning the double BST in 1971? It would be interesting to know what changed their minds.

Hi-viz alone is not enough. You need something written on the back that can be mistaken for something official. Drivers are reluctant to run over official types. Social conditioning FTW. Promotional hi-vizes from council projects were good but maybe they'll have gone in the cuts.

i am not looking forward to commuting next week, there is always a couple of weeks as the drivers discover that you can't see as well in the dark...

I can avoid most of the dark issues on the way to work, but going home not a chance.