A coalition led by The Rank Organisation and London First is to spend an
estimated pounds 30,000 to pounds 40,000 over two months on lobbying for
a bill to put Britain permanently on Summer Time.
The Daylight Extra campaign has hired APCO UK and Charles Barker to help
it campaign in the run-up to the second reading of a Private Member’s
Bill on 19 January. Shandwick Consultants and Lowe Bell Political also
pitched for the lobbying contract.
Patrick Kerr, public affairs manager at London First, who works part-
time on the campaign, said APCO would ‘help maximise support’ among MPs.
Charles Barker is to handle media relations.
The proposal to switch to Central European Time would mean clocks
staying on Summer Time in the winter and moving to Double Summer Time in
summer to give an extra hour of daylight.
The proposal has prompted opposition in Scotland because it would
prolong winter darkness. But APCO managing director Simon Milton, said
the firm would demonstrate there was ‘a significant amount of support
for the measure in Scotland’.
