British Summer Time is approaching – when do the clocks go forward?

• The UK clocks will go forward by one hour on Sunday, 29 March 2026, at 1am GMT, marking the start of British Summer Time (BST).
• This annual change shifts the country from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) to BST, resulting in lighter evenings but darker mornings and a loss of one hour's sleep.
• The concept of Daylight Saving Time was first proposed in Britain by William Willett in 1907 and formally adopted with the Summer Time Act in 1916 to conserve resources during the First World War.
• The primary advantages of the change include extended evening daylight, which can boost leisure activities, retail spending, and improve mood, though it can disrupt sleep patterns.
• A 2024 YouGov poll indicated that 59 per cent of Britons would prefer to remain permanently on British Summer Time if the current system were abolished, with younger generations more in favour of the existing system.

IN FULL

When do the clocks go forward in 2026 – and why are they changing?