Boris Johnson is reportedly announcing the return of imperial measurements to mark the Queen’s platinum anniversary, in an apparent attempt to garner support among Brexit voters in battlefield locations the Conservatives are in danger of losing.
The UK currently uses a combination of imperial and metric measurements, with speed limits in miles per hour, and milk and beer purchased in pints.
Under growing pressure following further revelations in the Partygate scandal, the prime minister is expected to announce next week that British stores will be allowed to sell products in pounds and ounces to coincide with the celebrations of the 1970s on the throne. of the monarch.
A cabinet source told the Mirror: “As the British are happy to use both imperial and metric measurements in their daily lives, it is good for the government to reflect that we are now free to change our regulations accordingly.”
Since 1995, goods sold in Europe have had to show metric weights and measurements. And since 2000, when the European Union’s Weights and Measures Directive came into force, traders have been legally obliged to use metric units of sale by weight or measure of fresh produce, which has become a recurring question for Eurosceptics about the alleged intervention of Brussels in British life.
Although the pricing of goods in pounds and ounces is still legal, they must be shown together with the price in grams and kilograms.
Stephen Toburn, a Sunderland greengrocer, has been in a three-year battle after being prosecuted for selling pounds and ounces at his market booth in 2001. The dispute, which has been referred to the House of Lords, stems from the sale of a bunch of bananas to value 34p.
During the 2019 general election campaign, Johnson promised to return the imperial units to the shops.
He argues that measuring in pounds and ounces is “ancient freedom” as it heralds a “new era of generosity and tolerance” to traditional measurements.
Only three other countries, the United States, Myanmar and Liberia, use the imperial system on a daily basis.
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