Better British Time

Notes (August 2021)

I wrote this in 2013, well before Brexit, but perhaps it could be updated for our new political climate. The government will need something to distract people from the mess it has made.

Time zones and the UK

In the UK, most people who have seriously considered it seem to think we should get rid of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) and just have BST (British Summer Time) all year round. Apparently, this would save lives and make us happier, as we would have more non-work time during daylight hours. It would annoy the Scottish, particularly farmers, but I really don't see the problem. We could always let them pick their own 'Scottish Time' (ST).

British Better Time

But this is quite boring. What if, instead, there was a way to enjoy the extra hour of sleep on a Saturday night—currently a once-a-year privilege—while also shortening our working days? (And we could even work off the BST base, as saving lives seems like a pretty good justification.) But how is this possible?

Leap Minutes

Basically, we need to find 60 minutes a week, or 12 minutes per workday. I propose that when we reach 59 minutes past the hour, from 5:59 am onwards (for 12 hours), we immediately skip to the next hour. Most of these "leap minutes" would occur during the working day, with a few happening when most people are asleep.

Why not?

I genuinely think this is a great idea that could make people (including myself) a little bit happier without costing taxpayers much money. I've also pledged (irrespective of how stupid their other policies are) to vote for any UK political party that puts this in its manifesto. Obviously, other countries are welcome to join in.