The government is bringing back imperial measures for the Jubilee – 21 votes of no confidence
Although any goods traded with the EU must display relevant weights and measures in metric terms, any countries wishing to use imperial units are at liberty to place them alongside the metric ones.
In the UK, the sytems co-exist, with imperial units being the legal standard for draught beers and road speeds, as well as common in building supplies, tool gauges and people’s weights and heights.
Despite that, Boris Johnson is pandering to a certain demographic with an announcement ahead of the Queen’s Jubilee weekend.
EXCL: Boris Johnson plans to announce imperial measurements will be revived to mark Queen's Platinum Jubilee and boost flagging support among Brexit voters. https://t.co/1JHJrhb2hB
— Pippa Crerar (@PippaCrerar) May 28, 2022
The anti-EU (and evidently anti-fact) Bruges Group leapt on the announcement.
Someone with actual knowledge set them straight.
Hello, weights and measures inspector here. They were not taken away by 'foreign bureaucrats'. It was long standing UK policy to move to SI units. The legislation to remove imperial was a UK instrument amending a UK act of Parliament. It had nothing to do with the EU.
— Pippa Musgrave (@PippaMusgrave1) May 28, 2022
Indeed, the UK is a signatory to both the 1856 OIML treaty and the more recent METRE convention. The UK metrication board was created in 1962. A decade before we joined the EEC.
— Pippa Musgrave (@PippaMusgrave1) May 28, 2022
People who weren’t fooled by Johnson’s dead cat had quite a bit to add.
1.
We now need to move on and focus on the important things that people really care about – like using measurements that nobody under 50 understands. https://t.co/uIRmrdn3Eb
— Parody Boris (@Parody_PM) May 28, 2022
2.
This dead cat weighs 6 lbs 4 oz https://t.co/xw3jK7JuFZ
— Stephen Mangan (@StephenMangan) May 28, 2022
3.
Good grief. It’ll be rationing next. https://t.co/mdFn3sAzmM
— James Oh Brien (@mrjamesob) May 28, 2022
4.
Is that enough? How about we roll back decimalisation, and change it so that you can only get Netflix in black and white, just to really help the Tory core vote remember the last time their backs didn't hurt https://t.co/Y4rK1hraEz
— Jonn Elledge (@JonnElledge) May 28, 2022
5.
Who called it “a return to imperial measurements” and not a “foot fetish”?
— Bethany Black twitch.tv/beffernieblack (@BeffernieBlack) May 28, 2022
6.
Oh come off it. https://t.co/VMJV2wubBF
— Deborah Meaden 🇺🇦 (@DeborahMeaden) May 28, 2022
7.
UK: We’re reintroducing imperial measures.
EU/World: Ah, to align with your special friends the US?
US: Except volume. Theirs is different.
UK: But…
US: And tons. And WTF are stones?
EU/World: So why?
UK: Well, when people over 40 were small they bought sweets by the 1/4lb and… https://t.co/DW1iWOGkwP— Steve Bullock (@GuitarmoogMusic) May 28, 2022
8.
Looking forward to next Saturday when I can head to the pub and ask for a pint of lager instead of a pint of lager
— David (@Zero_4) May 28, 2022
9.
not long now til we get flogging https://t.co/cWDgKwQsAi
— dave ❄️ 🥕 🧻 (@davemacladd) May 28, 2022
10.
Does that mean she is going to wear five shillings on her head? https://t.co/vwZVmxMVve
— THE SECRET TORY 🗽 (@secrettory12) May 28, 2022
11.
Nothing says 'midlife crisis' like having 2 pints of champagne after your wife has left you, then coming up with a ridiculous plan.
— Jon de Plume (@MrJonDePlume) May 28, 2022