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When will the Coalition address the metric muddle the UK was left in?
The previous governments started the metrication process and demanded that Trading Standards enforce it; then, as soon as there was a load of ill-informed public hoo-hah about it, based largely on disinformation from the so called metric martyrs movement, sold the enforcement officers down the river.
They then used an ambivalent statement from the EU to revoke legislation that would have banned the use of Imperial units entirely but let the public mislead themselves into thinking that they could now revert to Imperial only, whereas none of the previous legislation was revoked.
We now have the confused situation where some people ase selling in one system, some in the other and getting confused over the differences between the US system and the Imperial system (which , despite claims to the contrary, only really dates in its current form from 1824) - and ridiculous differences such being able to sell beer in pints but not litres, soft drinks in litres but not pints and milk in either.
4 Answers
- Anonymous9 years agoFavourite answer
This is a minor issue and will go away in time as people become less familiar with Imperial measures.
Virtually all products except beer and eggs are sold in metric quantities and eventually speed will be measured in kph.
- MikeLv 69 years ago
They should but they won't - the right-wing tabloids won't allow it. They churn out shite like this:
1) "Imperial is British" - most of the units were imported by the Normans or Romans. Ever wondered where "lb" or "oz" came from?
2) "Imperial is traditional" - well so was the slave trade and sending boys up chimneys. Also as you pointed out the Imperial system only really dates from 1824.
3) "The US uses Imperial" - er no they use something called US Customary which, despite some overlap, is a completely different system.
4) "Metric is an EU plot" - it was the British government in the 1960s that decided to convert.
among other stuff.
There are only three countries in the world that don't use metric: the US (which uses Customary), Liberia (in the process of conversion) and Burma. Metric is used internationally and is so much easier to understand than Imperial as everything uses tens (not like 16 ounces to the pound, 14 pounds to the stone etc.)
- Anonymous9 years ago
When will the Coalition address the metric muddle the UK was left in? Good question..I don't think the coalition will address the mixed measures muddle. Its very unlikely to be sorted under a Conservative government or Conservative dominated Coalition. I agree that the confused mixed measurement muddle, does no one any good, and inhibits our country. It is not a minor issue, and does need to be sorted, and in my opinion the sooner the better. The metrication process started in 1965, and would have been finished long ago, if it had not been for political interference. During the 1970s a policy of "voluntary gradualism" was adopted, which made the uptake of metric measures, both voluntary and slow. That policy continues to this day. We are in effect, still going through the change, from Imperial measures to metric measures. The changes that now need to occur cannot be voluntary, they have to be forced. Dual labeling of metric and Imperial measures, for example, on the packaging of food products, made the acceptance of metric measures voluntary. But when the metrication of road signs, for example, occur, there cannot be any dual labelling, of kilometres and miles on signs, because of safety concerns. So it wont be voluntary, it will be forced. The same will occur with the milk pint, and quart etc, they will need to be removed and the beer pints protection removed, so that metric measures, for example, 500 mL and 600 mL, can be used along side the beer pint.
Although statistics show that more than 50% of the UK population, have had an education in metric measures, and many people readily accept them, there remains a vocal minority, that are anti metric. Forced metrication will be opposed strongly by this group of traditionalists. It will take a strong government, with strong will and direction, to force through the final stages of the metrication process. One hopes that the next government will finish the process started 47 years ago, get us out of thus muddle, and fully adopt the universal system of measures used by 170 countries worldwide and 95% of the worlds population. The metric system.
