The government actually IS doing a consultation on bringing back imperial measurements!

[Kendodd]

I thought it was a joke.
AIBU to think this is a complete load of bollocks waste of money?

The questions don't even give you the option of saying just keep metric.
Example question -
For Consumers,

a) If you had a choice, would you want to purchase items:

(i) in imperial units?

(ii) in imperial units alongside a metric equivalent?

www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1079711/choice-on-units-of-measurement-markings-and-sales-consultation.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjchIqM1pT4AhXIPsAKHWSZBW0QFnoECAUQAQ&usg=AOvVaw05usEgoqbR2NHfgE3SzAYH

But the EU never did ban the use of Imperial.

Yes, but why let a small inconvenient fact get in the way of some good jingoistic xenophobic drum banging?

Oops, didn't mean to quote twice!

It's only the dreamers of long lost Empire who want their outdated system to have pre-eminence - at a cost of millions to British businesses.

An Empire which has moved on to metric.

Question for those why prefer/want imperial -
Do you think it's a better system than metric?
If so, why?

I hope the Metric/Imperial thing isn’t going to become a new identity politics thing.

I think all packaging should have BOTH Metric and Imperial on them. That way no one is excluded, everyone is happy.

Is that too much to ask? Is that too controversial?

I think in imperial for some things and metric for others. I think most British people are like this, even young people, so
why not give them the choice?

I’m a 30-something Remainer but I agree with the government to an extent that Imperial should be brought back as a measure in its own right, but not as a replacement for Metric.

There are a lot of myths about

A bit of history:

Metric has been legal for trade in the UK since the 19th century.

But until 2000 shops and businesses could still use imperial.

Basically we had 100 years of being able
to use either or both without a problem.

Then the EU passed a directive passed a law which said Imperial could only be used as a less prominent “indicator” alongside Metric and had to be phased out completely by 2009. So there WAS going to be a total ban on Imperial and that’s what people felt strongly about.

Because of that, most shops and products went Metric only in preparation.

In 2007 the EU changed its mind and said that we could keep Imperial “indicators” next to metric forever. But by that time, most shops had gone Metric only, contrary to their customers’ wishes.

So there was going to be a total EU ban on imperial but the EU went back on it.

Now, schools teach in metric but they have to teach imperial conversions as well. It’s in the National Curriculum. We did this at school.

Thing is, I think most people still think in imperial for most things but not everything:

Miles and Yards for distances (because that’s what’s on the road signs). We teach kilometres at school even though we don’t use them in this country.

I can do grams and kilos just as easily as pounds and ounces because I do lots of baking.

I also know pints and litres equally well because of…well… pub!

For personal weighing and height it’s Stones and Pounds though. Feet and inches for height.

I bet if you ask a class of 7 year olds like my daughter their height or weight, of those who know them, most will say it in Stones / Feet.

I know most people probably don’t care one way or the other, or feel irrational anger at the “other side” but surely the best and most kind thing is not to exclude anyone, whether they’re young, old, British or not, by having both Metric AND Imperial?

Is that really that ridiculous?

They were going to- the original law made it illegal to display even an Imperial “indicator” after 2009.

That changed shortly before it came into force.

@PetraBP they were going to - but they didn't. Because it made no sense. Just like bringing back Imperial measures in a world where the majority of countries use metric makes no sense.

Amazingly enough, the EU does change its mind when it's needed.

What’s the problem with having both?

Surely that’s the most inclusive thing we could do?

It seems to me like there’s something ideological about wanting “metric only” or “imperial only”.

I really don't understand why people are getting upset about this. No-one will be forced to use either metric or imperial. It will be down to personal choice. As it always should have been.

That’s sort of what we have now.

Currently, you HAVE to show measurements in metric, and you CAN also show them in imperial.

Doesn't need changing.

We already have both. This consultation isn't needed. It's a waste of my taxes.

Maybe you should try some critical thinking

If shop A has potatoes at 50p a pound and shop B sells at 25p a kilo, which is better value for money?

If potatoes are just displayed at 50p a pound, can you work out what 2 pounds 9 ouces cost

If a business packages its food in 1 pound packages, could they easily export that to the EU (and the many other countries that use metric) or would they create a 2 kg package instead.

At the moment, shops have to display in Metric and can also display in Imperial.

They could change that to having to display in Imperial and giving the option of metric - but that seems a retrograde step.

That option already exists, therefore it doesn't need to be included in a consultation on adding extra options.

If businesses want to use imperial alone, or metric alone, or both, it should be no concern to anyone other than the business and it's customers. I do not think any business trying to export good in imperial measurements to continental Europe would be very successful. But it shouldn't be illegal for them to do so.

Perhaps we should follow the guidance from car tyres and mandate mixed units on all items for maximum confusion.
For example a 185x15 tyre is 185mm width to fit a 15 inch rim.
Should keep everybody happy?

Haha let's not! That is one of the craziest things and bonkers that this has prevailed.

But somehow people are obsessed with how many inches you have. It's got to be a bloke thing 😂

So you're not a fan of common standards across businesses to help consumers make decisions and to empower consumers?

More of a free for all and see what happens?

I just love the frenzy that some people seem to be getting into about this.

Those who want imperial only seem to think it’s been imposed on them by “forriners” and those who want metric only seem to think that anyone who measures their height in feet and inches is “literally racist”.

Keep everyone happy with both!

Kendodd
I thought it was a joke

I had a look at the "consultation". It is a joke.

As is the "policy".

But, then, so is the Prime Minister. And his Government.

Some of you voted for all this. That's the biggest joke of all.

But I, for one, am not laughing. Some jokes are too serious.

Just to spite the EUs "common charger" nonsense. No way is the UK ever going to accept rules made in other countries. Especially rules we had no say in making.

So here's payback. Take that !

Some helpful comparisons for conversion.

I am 55. Leant metric at school.
In daily life I use both, but I have never been taught or learnt imperial.
My parents are in their 80s and happily use both in daily life, because metric has been around for a LONG time.

I am applled by the idea that things will go back to imperial.
Can you imagine teaching kids how to add up and multiply in imperial?
It requires uses mutiple bases which is a skill which went out in 1971.

Yes I am 5'8" but I am also 173 cm, and I use both.

It requires uses mutiple bases which is a skill which went out in 1971.

Not in IT. I can juggle binary, octel, decimal, hexadecimal. I can even deal with the godawful yank (wrong) way of writing dates.

I can also work in Julian calendar for the accountants.

But this merely highlights the "it's all about me" aspect of Brexit.

I know most people probably don’t care one way or the other, or feel irrational anger at the “other side” but surely the best and most kind thing is not to exclude anyone, whether they’re young, old, British or not, by having both Metric AND Imperial

Not ridiculous but expensive and not necessary.

I am 50 so was born post decimalisation. There is no need to go backwards to accommodate the older generation who've had decades to get used to metric.

I don't have an issue with businesses doing it on a voluntary basis - eg Wiltshire Farm foods which provides ready meals to the elderly - if they really feel it would help their customers (I doubt it though). But it shouldn't be something that businesses are expected to do. And the government shouldn't be wasting money on a consultation.

US date form is just annoying - when you have to work with data and have to import it.