Don't forget the clocks go back an hour this Sunday 26 October, marking the end of British Summer Time.

But what if we changed time zone? That's what local MP Alex Mayer would like to see. She favours the country adopting Double British Summer Time, dubbed “Churchill Time” where the clocks would stay one hour ahead of GMT in winter and two hours ahead in summer. The effect would be to keep evenings lighter for longer.

It's the system introduced by Winston Churchill as a wartime energy-saving measure.

At an event in Parliament earlier this week a wide range of organisations including environmental and road safety campaigners, as well as tourism businesses made the case for change.

The logic is as clear now as it was then. Lighter evenings mean homes and businesses switch on lights and heating later, reducing demand on the grid, and helping everyone cut their bills.

Researchers at the University of Manchester estimate that Churchill Time could cut up to five gigawatts from peak electricity demand and save households more than £400 a year.

The benefits go well beyond energy. Every year, road collisions rise after the clocks go back. The Road Safety Foundation, which supports Churchill Time, estimates that lighter evenings could reduce accidents and save up to 40 lives a year, easing pressure on the NHS.

Lighter evenings encourage people to get out more, visit parks, cafés and local shops. That means busier high streets, more customers for small businesses, and a welcome boost for tourism, especially during the October half term. The British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions says the change could add £3.5 billion a year to the visitor economy. For local attractions, that extra daylight could make a world of difference.

Ms Mayer said: “When Britain faced peril during World War II, Winston Churchill took a radical decision to change our clocks. Today we face different urgent challenges, but ones where the same prescription could really help. It’s time to stop wasting daylight.

"Lighter evenings for families, safer roads, longer trading hours for businesses, and less energy wasted lighting up the dark. Churchill Time is an idea whose time has come again.”