The head of the supermarket giant ASDA has launched a fierce attack on the government’s plans to change all stores. He says the change is likely to negatively affect people under the age of 40, and called it “backwards”.
To mark the Queen’s platinum anniversary, the government launched a consultation on whether British stores could return to the use of imperial weights and measures such as pounds and ounces.
The government is unlikely to eliminate metric units altogether, but may allow stores to replace them in some areas with imperial measurements. These plans will also return the crown symbol to pint cups, replacing the “CE” mark on glasses used in the European Union.
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Downing Street can hope to boost support among key Brexit voters on battlefield sites that the Tories are currently at risk of losing. But ASDA President Lord Rose of Monedon said the change would only delight “a small minority who are interested in the past”.
The idea has already been criticized by conservatives, with Rutland and Melton MP Alicia Kearns also calling it “nonsense.” Lord Rose said it was tantamount to going back and predicted it would be costly for those who put it in place.
Asked if he welcomed the return to the use of imperial measurements, he told Times Radio: “The only polite word I can think of about your program is that I have never heard such nonsense in my life. I mean, we have serious problems in the world, and now we’re saying let’s go back. Does anyone in this country under the age of 40 know how many ounces there are in a pound?
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“Shall we go down to the supermarket and say, ‘I’ll have a pound and a half, please, or a pound, four ounces of this or that?’ This is complete and utter nonsense and will increase the cost for those people who have to put it in place. “
The EU Weights and Measures Directive entered into force in 2000, requiring traders to use metric units of sale by weight or measure for fresh produce. It remains legal to value goods in pounds and ounces, but they must be shown along with the price in grams and kilograms.
The consultation, coordinated by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, could change these rules, allowing retailers to choose how to value fresh items. Lewis said that would allow people like greengrocers and publishers to run their businesses as they see fit after the UK left the European Union.
What are the imperial measurements?
This is a method of measuring weight, distance and measures that was used in the United Kingdom before the metric system was adopted in 1965. For example, fruits and vegetables were once sold in pounds and ounces.
Sixteen ounces is one pound – about 453 grams. There are 14 pounds per stone.
However, the British acceptance of the metric was rather half-hearted, and most of us use a mixture of metric and imperial. Most Britons still use imperial miles, not kilometers, and are familiar with using feet and inches to mark short distances. We also tend to measure body weight in stones, not kilograms.
And of course, if you order a pint of beer in a pub, you’ll probably get a puzzled look from the bartender. This is because the drink is still sold in imperial pints, which are 568ml in the metric system. It is confusing that other alcoholic beverages such as wine and spirits are sold per milliliter – a metric measurement.
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