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Green campaigners have responded angrily to blocking tactics
deployed by a small number of MPs to stop a parliamentary
vote on the Daylight Savings Bill, which had held out the
promise of an independent report and potential trial on moving
the clocks to create lighter evenings.
The bill, which had been tabled by Rebecca Harris MP, secured
strong cross-party support and the approval of the government.
However, it failed to pass its third reading in the House
of Commons after it was talked out by a group of around 10
MPs, including Conservative MPs Jacob Rees-Mogg and Christopher
Chope, who tabled a series of "wrecking amendments" that ensured
the bill never reached a vote.
Writing in response
to the result, Daniel Vockins, head of the Lighter
Later campaign to change the clocks, slammed the move as an
"affront to the democratic process".
"Even with over 120 supportive MPs in the Commons, the support
of 90 national organisations, the UK government and strong
public opinion polls, a couple of hostile MPs were able to
run down the clock with a series of 'wrecking amendments'
designed to waste time, so the bill never even went to a vote,"
he said. "The tricks they use to hold up the process - from
quoting the Bible to hiding in the Commons toilets - are an
affront to the democratic process."
He added that the campaign to change the clocks - which according
to research could cut annual carbon emissions by around 500,000
tonnes while also providing a boost to the tourism and hospitality
sectors - would continue with the group calling on the government
to now take up the legislation.
"Given the strength of support behind our cause, we're calling
on the government to either give the bill more time, or for
the minister Ed Davey to conduct a proper review of the evidence
for change himself," he said.
Supporters of the bill were particularly angered by the fact
it was blocked, despite the legislation being specifically
tailored to address the concerns held by opponents to changing
the clocks.
The bill would not enable an immediate change of the clocks,
but would instead require the government to commission an
independent report on the costs and benefits associated with
the proposed change.
If the report recommended changes to the clocks, the government
would then introduce a three-year trial period for the change,
but only if the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales
and Northern Ireland approved the plan.
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