As l spend one less hour in bed this morning as the clocks go back for winter, l wonder

 

what the benefits are for it any longer.  Indeed when at the London Assembly, this issue

 

had been brought up by other Assembly Members. 

 

 

Now the London Assembly does not have a direct role in changing the UK’s daylight

 

saving time (DST) laws, as these are determined by the UK government. The practice of

 

changing clocks for DST continues in the UK. 

 

 

Today we saw the clocks go back one hour from 2am to 1am. This follows the “spring

 

forward”  in March 2025, marking the end of British Summer Time and the return to

 

Greenwich Mean  Time (GMT)  for the winter.  So winter time begins, as the clocks go

 

back one hour on today, October 26, 2025, at 2am, turning back to 1am. This is

 

sometimes referred to as “fall back” and marks the end of British Summer Time. 

There is no recent London Assembly motion to end summer and winter time (daylight

saving), but there is a 2019 document from the Greater London Authority (GLA) that

discusses the  potential move to Single/Double Summer Time (SDST) and its implications

for London. The GLA  document highlights potential benefits and challenges, such as

fewer casualties from more rest  but disorientation for drivers from earlier darkness and

environmental, 80,000 tonnes of CO2 reduction annually. 

An analysis of the GLA Economics document called – Single/Double Summer Time: The

Time is Right for London  gives analyses of the theoretical implications of moving

to SDST, which would mean canceling the clock change in October and keeping the clocks

permanently on GMT+1 throughout the year.

For example on the transport front, increased rest for drivers might lead to fewer

accidents. Yet we have the challenge that the sudden onset of darkness an hour earlier

in the evening  during the winter could disorient drivers and make casualties more likely.

Transport timetables would require adjustment.

While there is no specific recent “motion” about ending summer and winter time, the

document serves as a policy analysis that could inform future discussions or motions by

Assembly members and Londoners more critically.