What time is it in the British Isles? On Sunday 25 October at 02:00 BST, the clocks go back one hour and British Summer Time ends. The change returns Greenwich Mean Time for winter, while the old argument over Central European Time comes back with it.
Jimmy Perchard and Jersey
Jimmy Perchard, the former senator who pushed Jersey's referendum 18 years ago, still says the island was suited to Central European Time. “Adopting CET would have improved our quality of life,” he said. He also argued that “there is resistance in the north of the British Isles due to darker mornings but Jersey wouldn't suffer from that, children would still go to school in daylight.”
24,000 votes on CET
Nearly 24,000 people voted in Jersey's first ever referendum, and 6,564 backed the switch. The figure shows how far the debate has travelled without settling the basic trade-off: lighter evenings for some, darker mornings for others. Supporters point to lighter evenings, sport and exercise, reduced energy consumption and safety; Perchard's case keeps returning to quality of life and the idea that Jersey is geographically suited to Central European Time.
Scotland and darker mornings
The resistance has stayed strong in Scotland, where critics say the change would leave some areas without daylight until 10am in winter. They also say it would make the lives of outdoor workers harder and increase road accidents. Northern Scotland saw a net increase in the number of people killed or seriously injured during a trial from 1968 to 1971, and that record still shapes the argument against shifting the clocks.
Elle Spicer, who runs a women's walking group in Devon, says lighter evenings would be safer for her group. That view fits the appeal of CET for people who use the after-work hours outdoors, but it sits alongside the winter morning cost that opponents keep raising. For now, the practical change is simple: the British Isles move back to GMT on Sunday at 02:00 BST, and the wider time-zone fight stays unresolved.
