MPs in the south have been urged to back a campaign to change the clocks to gain an extra hour of evening sunshine – and help the environment.

Supporters of the move, which will be brought to Parliament in a Private Member’s Bill later this year, say making the evenings lighter would boost tourism, reduce traffic accidents and help cut carbon emissions.

Currently, the UK operates at GMT in the winter and GMT+1 in the summer. Under the proposal, the Government would carry out a cost-benefit analysis of moving the clocks forward an hour, potentially to run at GMT+1 in the winter and GMT+2 in the summer.

Campaigners say the move would lower electricity bills by maximising the available daylight a n d r e d u c - ing peak p owe r d e - mand.

It’s claimed it would cut at least 447,000 tonnes of CO2 pollution – the equivalent to more than 50,000 cars driving all the way around the world – each year.

One hundred lives, it’s c l a i m e d , would also be saved each year on the roads and £138m a year saved by r e d u c i n g road casualties.

Overall, the campaigners b e l i eve s the clock switch will d e m o n - strate that d e a l i n g w i t h c l i m a t e change can be good for the economy and good for society as a whole.

The plan was drawn up by campaign group Lighter Later, part of the 10:10 climate change drive, and will be led in Parliament by Castle Point MP Rebecca Harris, who needs 100 MPs to support her Daylight Saving Bill when it comes to the Commons for its second reading on December 3, for it to have a chance of success.

She told the Daily Echo: “It would provide a massive boost for tourism, road safety, general wellbeing, and the retail sector, it would save energy and it would save 100 lives on the roads every year with fewer road traffic accidents But she added: “We have to have over 100 MPs in the chamber on December 3. I want every MP in the south to turn out.”

Steve Brine, Conservative MP for Winchester, said: “I welcome the Bill and any evidence- based analysis which promises to put this debate to bed once and for all.

“Locally it has to revolve around the effect on business and the safety of our kids going to and from school.”

How would the clock change work?

CLOCKS would be put forward by one hour throughout the entire year. The clocks would still go forward in spring and back in autumn, but an hour of daylight would have been moved from the morning to the evening.