We call for the clocks to be put forward by an hour in late February rather than at the end of March, starting in 2021.  That would create an extra hour of daylight in the evening at a time when people could enjoy it, instead of having sunrise when most people are still in bed (daylight starts before 6am when the clocks go forward now!).

Currently we put the clocks back by an hour at the end of October, when there is 9 hrs 40 mins of daylight, and about 7 weeks before the winter solstice (shortest day).  We then wait nearly 14 weeks to put the clocks forward again at the end of March, by which time there is nearly 13 hours of daylight.  That makes no sense at all!  Putting the clocks forward on the last Sunday in February instead would mean it is still reasonably light in the morning and provide more daylight in the evening when it would be better used. 

More sunlight earlier would:

- help fight Covid as people would spend more time outdoors earlier in the year

- support mental health, happiness and wellbeing

- help the leisure industry with more spending in early evenings

- support health and clean air with more people cycling, walking and running

- reduce carbon emissions because lights would be on for less time per day

- make it feel like winter has ended and spring has begun a month earlier –  providing something to look forward to in a bleak winter.

Making this change would cost nothing, benefit nearly everybody and be possible right now.  Let's do it as one step in the battle to beat Covid, as a beacon of hope in the darkest of winters, and because it will make sense every year in the future too.