The paper says:
MPs yesterday backed the Daily Express crusade to bring more sunshine into our lives.
They voted overwhelmingly for a Bill to move clocks forward by one hour all year round – despite opposition from the Government.
It is only in the eleventh paragraph that the Express finally admits this isn't exactly the 'victory' it wants to claim. The Bill:
...now goes to committee stage for scrutiny by MPs and peers...
The Bill requires the Government to conduct a cross-departmental analysis of the potential costs and benefits.
This evidence has then to be assessed by an independent commission.
If the commission considers that the move would benefit the whole of the UK, a three-year trial will follow.
Rebecca Harris, the MP whose Private Members' Bill this is, says:
...the Bill did “not enforce an immediate change” but simply asked the Government to “take an objective, informed decision based on the best available evidence”.
Only 92 MPs voted for the Bill yesterday, and given the Government is opposed, its long term future looks less certain. Declaring 'victory' certainly appears premature.
The Sun agrees with the Express that there should be:
at least an experiment in saving Britain from Daylight Robbery.
Yet the Express' crusade does have opponents in the media. The Mail newspapers have dismissed it as a switch to 'Berlin Time'. The Express refers to this as 'claims' from 'some quarters'.
But perhaps the strongest opposition has come from 'some quarters' rather closer to home. When the Express launched it's campaign, the Scottish Express came out against it.
And today, while the south-of-the-border Express declares 'Daylight Victory', the Scottish paper says it is:
(Apparently, it's Daylight Robbery if we do change and, according to the Sun, Daylight Robbery if we don't...)
The paper says:
Controversial plans to plunge Scotland into darkness for almost half the year took a major step forward yesterday after only eight of the country’s MPs turned up for a crucial vote.
English MPs came closer to forcing through a Bill that would see British Summer Time introduced throughout the year to give families one hour more of daylight in the evenings.
Most Scots are firmly opposed as they worry about children travelling to school in darker mornings throughout much of the winter, risking more traffic accidents.
So which version of the Express will triumph? We will wait and see.
But the final word should go to Mikexxx, whose comment on the Express website takes proper account of the pros and cons of the argument:
To hell with the North especially Scotland the way they voted in the last election they should be sentenced to live in darkness.
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Controversial plans to plunge Scotland into darkness for almost half a year? Are they actually that retarded that the concept of night is alien to them? Or are they implying that the evil English are enacting some sort of Montgomery Burns style plan to actually block out the sun over Scotland?
ReplyDelete@Ben. They're referring to the fact that, if this was to go ahead, most of Scotland wouldn't see sunrise until 10am, in the winter. Allowing for poetic license (if we can stomach the word 'poetic' in relation to a headline), I'd say theirs is more accurate than the English Express's.
ReplyDeleteNot quite, Ben. Richard Desmond is going to have us towed north of the Arctic Circle.
ReplyDeleteWell this is the Daily express were talking about what makes you think the scottish daily express is any better
ReplyDeleteHang on... what do they mean by "let more sunshine into our lives" ?
ReplyDeleteThey are aware that we'll get the same amount of sunshine, just as a different time, right?
Personally, I'd rather it got dark in the evenings than stayed dark in the mornings. And I'm on the South Coast where it'd still be light before 9.
I think you'll find, Ben, that it is controversial because it raises safety issues such as kids going to and from school in the dark. If it was the other way round, and moreover, you had it forced on you by Westminster, would you be happy?
ReplyDelete@ Ben. Retarded? I take it you support this measure because you too want less darkness? Are you actually that 'retarded' that the concept of night is alien to you?
ReplyDeleteAn Express reader living in the borders area of England/Scotland will have been very confused today. They will have a choice of two papers with the same name supporting two sides of an argument! Wonder which copy sold more?
ReplyDeleteThe Mail will no doubt add this to some silly list of things we should have a referendum about even though I am genuinly suprised that Parliament is wasting time and money with this issue.
Well, it sure does show how the Daily Express is a hypocrite in how it panders to what it terms as the majority. I am actually surprised that people actually claim they want the time zone to move forward an hour.
ReplyDeleteIn Wales, the sun rises at 8:30 currently, and sets at 4pm. With the new time, the sun will rise at 9:30 and set at 5pm. Surely it is better to have it at the current situation.
As pointed out previously, we are going to get THE SAME amount of daylight whatever the fucking legislation. Using this subject as a platform for empty nationalism is pathetic.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous 17:34
ReplyDeleteIt's not even the usual Express level of Nationalism as for some reason they want to align us with continental Europe. They want to ignore other UK Constituent countries and favour a European stance, albeit a totally pointless one.
Does the English Express not also realise that by changing the timezone we will abandon the "great British institution" that is Greenwich Mean Time? Something that has been the keystone of timezones the world over since it's inception?
Such an anti-British heritage stance from the Express is unusual and I do wonder what thier ultimate goal is with this whole issue.
I can't see any benefit to us in England either. I hate getting up in the dark with this change I would be doing that for 5-6 months of the year rather than 2. My children would walk to school in the dark even on the shortest days they can still get home in the light at the moment. Who we are doing it for bankers and business men they have already destroyed our economy!
ReplyDelete