The clocks go back this weekend thanks to the great, great grandfather of someone who wrote a Grammy-winning song called Clocks, with the annual winter time switch prompting a similarly annual call for it to be scrapped on health, safety and sense grounds.
The clocks fall back at 2am on Sunday more than 200 years after an annual time change was first mooted by Benjamin Franklin, who figured that folk getting up earlier when the days were brighter over the summer would save a mountain of candle wax.
His idea took time to catch on and the notion of shifting time did not gain traction in this part of the world until early in the 20th century when a keen golfer and builder called William Willet published a pamphlet called The Waste of Daylight. Annoyed that his rounds were curtailed by nightfall during the summer months, Willet highlighted the merits of an earlier start to the day from March to October.
Willet, the ancestor of Coldplay’s Chris Martin, pushed the idea hard until his death in 1915, and he just missed out on seeing it become a reality after it was eventually accepted by the British government – who also had jurisdiction of this part of the world at the time – in 1916.
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It is now well over time for a change, however, according to Fine Gael MEP Seán Kelly, who has described it as an “outdated practice” which “has been proven to have negative effects on health, wellbeing, and safety”.
The Ireland South MEP is leading a campaign in the European Parliament to call time on the time change, and highlighted the broad political support behind his initiative. He pointed to a 2018 public consultation in which 84 per cent of those who took part said they were in favour of ending the clock change. “This is a clear mandate from the people, and it is high time the European Commission acted on it,” Mr Kelly said.
He noted that the negative impacts of clock changes on health are well documented. “Studies have shown that changing the clocks can disrupt sleep, increase the risk of heart attacks, and lead to more traffic accidents. In addition, the energy-saving argument that once supported this practice is outdated. In fact, we now know that changing the clocks could actually increase energy consumption during the winter months.”
He expressed confidence that “with renewed momentum progress can finally be made”, and suggested that abolishing the clock change “would simplify life for millions of people across Europe. It’s a practical and popular measure, and I am committed to seeing it through.”
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