Tobias Ellwood MP is shadow tourism minister in the Conservative Culture, Media and Sport frontbench team.
Tonight the nation will once again conduct the annual ritual of moving our clocks forward, providing an instant feel good factor as we bask in lighter evenings and are finally liberated from the shackles of the long dark winter nights. And sure as day follows night, the well rehearsed debate about the wisdom of introducing daylight saving will accompany the clock change. However, this year there is a difference.
As Shadow Tourism Minister I conducted my own detailed study into the merits of changing the clocks and I have now written to all the main political parties inviting them to a roundtable discussion to see if we can reach a cross-party consensus on the idea.
The arguments for moving our clocks forward are now more powerful than ever. Independent studies have shown that shifting the clocks would see a 1.2m ton reduction in the nation’s CO2 emissions, a 2.2% reduction in electricity consumption (with a consequent fall in energy bills) and a net fall of over 300 deaths and injuries on our roads. Add to this NHS (A&E) savings of over £200m, a potential doubling of after school outdoor activities and a boost to tourism to the tune of £3bn and the case for daylight saving does seem quite compelling.
These advantages are of course less apparent in the north of Scotland and this is why a cross party group would look carefully at the impact Single/Double Summer Time (SDST) will have in all corners of Britain before any decision is made.
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