Has the UK government proposed a bill to stop changing clocks?

No. The UK government stated in 2019 that it had no plans to change DST. No private member's bill has advanced through Parliament as of October 2026.

Would Scotland get its own time zone if the UK stopped changing clocks?

No. Time is a reserved matter for the UK Parliament. Devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have no power to set their own time zone. Any change would apply to the entire United Kingdom.

What is the difference between GMT and BST?

GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) is UTC+0 and is used in winter. BST (British Summer Time) is UTC+1 and is used from the last Sunday of March to the last Sunday of October. See the article on GMT vs BST for more detail.

Does the UK use daylight saving time?

Yes. The UK observes DST from the last Sunday of March to the last Sunday of October. During that period, clocks are one hour ahead of GMT. See does the UK use daylight saving time for a full explanation.

How does the clock change affect sleep?

The spring change (losing one hour) causes a temporary sleep deficit. The autumn change (gaining one hour) is easier to adjust to. The British Sleep Society recommends permanent GMT to avoid the circadian disruption caused by the spring transition. See how the clock change affects your sleep for practical advice. --- Anyone planning a meeting, a flight, or a holiday beyond March 2027 should assume the UK will keep changing clocks. Anyone who finds the spring clock change harder every year should follow the health evidence and write to their MP in favour of permanent GMT. Anyone who lives in northern Scotland in winter should stay out of the debate entirely. The current system is the only one that keeps winter mornings workable.

Will the UK Abolish Daylight Saving Time? DST Debate

No. As of October 2026, the UK government has no plans to stop changing clocks. But the debate is not dead. Here is what happened, what is proposed, and why it is stuck.

No plans to change, as of October 2026

On 15 January, London sits on GMT (UTC+0) and New York runs five hours behind. On 15 July, London is on BST (UTC+1) and New York is still five hours behind. The offset holds steady. But every March and October, you have to remember which way the clocks go.

The short answer: the UK will keep changing its clocks for the foreseeable future. The UK government stated in 2019 that it had no plans to alter the Daylight Saving Time arrangements. As of October 2026, no legislative action has been taken to amend the Summer Time Act 1972, which defines the British Summer Time period.

The next clock change is Sunday 25 October 2026 at 02:00 local time. Clocks go back 60 minutes to 01:00. BST (UTC+1) becomes GMT (UTC+0). After that, clocks go forward again on Sunday 28 March 2027 at 01:00 local time.

If you are reading this to confirm whether you need to keep dealing with the twice-yearly change, the answer is yes.

The EU DST abolition proposal, 2018 to 2019

The most serious recent push to end clock changes came from the European Union. In 2018, the European Commission proposed abolishing seasonal clock changes across the bloc. The European Parliament voted in 2019 to end the practice by 2021. Member states would have chosen to stay on either summer time or winter time permanently.

Implementation stalled in the Council of the EU. No final decision was reached. The proposal remains in limbo. No EU-wide abolition has taken effect.

Post-Brexit: the UK is not bound by any future EU decision

The United Kingdom left the European Union on 31 January 2020. The transition period ended on 31 December 2020. Because the EU's DST abolition proposal stalled before any binding directive was enacted, the UK was never required to comply with it.

Even if the EU eventually agrees to end DST, the UK is not bound. The UK could choose to follow, or it could ignore the decision entirely. The government's 2019 statement that there are no plans to change DST remains the official position.

The case for permanent BST: the Lighter Later campaign

The Lighter Later campaign, run by the 10:10 climate action group, argues that the UK should adopt BST (UTC+1) all twelve months. Some proposals go further, suggesting double summer time (UTC+2) in the summer.

The argument is straightforward: lighter evenings reduce energy use, boost tourism and outdoor leisure, and improve road safety. The campaign points to the December solstice, when London's first light is at 08:03 and dusk falls at 15:53. An extra hour of daylight in the evening, they argue, is worth a darker start to the day.

The case for permanent GMT: the British Sleep Society and health evidence

In October 2024, the British Sleep Society published a position statement recommending the abolition of DST and the adoption of GMT (UTC+0) across all seasons. Their evidence is based on circadian health.

The human body's internal clock is synchronised by morning light. When we force ourselves to wake up an hour earlier under BST, we cut off that morning light exposure. The result is social jet lag: a mismatch between the clock on the wall and the body's natural rhythm. The society argues that sticking with GMT aligns civil time with solar time, particularly in winter, and reduces the health risks associated with chronic sleep deprivation.

The strongest counter-argument to the "lighter later" camp is this: the health evidence points in the opposite direction. The British Sleep Society is not alone. Many sleep researchers argue that standard time, not daylight saving time, is the healthier option.

The Scottish question: why geography makes it hard

The UK spans roughly 8 degrees of longitude. The westernmost point in Northern Ireland is about 32 minutes of solar time behind the easternmost point in Suffolk. That difference matters when you propose a fixed time zone change.

Scotland is the most consistently opposed region to a permanent shift to BST. The reason is simple: winter mornings would become dangerously dark. Children would walk to school in darkness. Farmers would start their day in near-night.

This is not a theoretical objection. The British Standard Time experiment from 27 October 1968 to 31 October 1971 kept the UK on UTC+1 through the entire calendar. Clocks were not put back. The experiment was abandoned after a vote in the House of Commons, driven largely by opposition from Scottish MPs.

The same political dynamic exists today. Any government that proposes staying on BST would face fierce resistance from Scottish constituencies. A proposal for staying on GMT would face opposition from those who want lighter evenings. The result is a stalemate.

Will the UK stop changing clocks? Three scenarios

If the UK did change, there are three plausible scenarios:

Permanent BST (UTC+1) : London would see first light at 08:03 and dusk at 15:53 on the December solstice. Summer evenings would stay long: sunset at 21:21 on the June solstice. This scenario is politically unlikely without a compromise, such as devolving time zone powers, which is not currently possible.

Permanent GMT (UTC+0) : London would see first light at 04:42 on the June solstice. Summer evenings would be short. This scenario is supported by sleep scientists but unpopular with leisure and tourism industries.

No change : The current system continues. Clocks go forward on the last Sunday of March and back on the last Sunday of October. This is the most likely scenario for the next several years.

How each scenario would change London's daylight

Scenario	Summer first light (London)	Summer sunset (London)	Winter first light (London)	Winter sunset (London)
Current (GMT/BST)	04:42	21:21	08:03	15:53
Permanent BST	05:42	22:21	09:03	16:53
Permanent GMT	03:42	20:21	08:03	15:53

The table uses the June solstice for summer and the December solstice for winter. Under the current system, London gets a 04:42 first light and 21:21 sunset in summer, and an 08:03 first light and 15:53 sunset in winter.

International coordination

If the UK went to permanent BST, it would be one hour ahead of Portugal in winter, and match France and Germany in winter. In summer, the UK would match Central European Summer Time (UTC+2). If the UK went to permanent GMT, it would match Portugal and Iceland all twelve months, but sit one hour behind most of Western Europe in summer.