Imperial measures making a comeback - for or against?

The anti Tory part of me says that that is just more typical Johnson type populism designed to cash in on the generally positive feeling of the public towards the Queen at a time when he and his Government are under pressure - it’s cheap, will get plenty of positive headlines and they can label it as an indication of Brexit in action.

On the other hand, the non partisan part of me can’t get too wound up about it either way. I thought this was because I’m old enough to remember the time before metric measurements and, truthfully, although I understand how much 400 grams is and how far a metre is, my first instinct is still to think in terms of pounds and ounces and feet and inches. I did think though that anyone under the age of, say, 55 would find a return to imperial measures a problem, but the bloke there to defend the change on the phone in I was just listening to made the good point that in football people of all ages still think very much in terms of yards, feet and inches and it’s always inches when you’re talking about things like television screens.

My feeling is that this is just a typical Johnson Government story which will be consigned to the dustbins over the coming months, but I wouldn’t be up in arms if they did push ahead with it.

as one of the aforementioned under 55s I think it's a pointless waste of time, a backwards step just intended to please a few older brexiteers.

They never went away.

someone has seriously got their priorities wrong.

we're on the verge of WW III, a global humanitarian, energy, economic crisis and serious hardship for families and this baffoon and his privileged cronies are talking this rubbish.

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Originally Posted by Wales-Bales

They never went away.

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^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^

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Originally Posted by Wales-Bales

They never went away.

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not entirely, but many of them are pretty arcane to anyone my age or younger.

like everyone knows what a pint is or a half, but equally a litre /half litre etc are equally understood.

pounds and ounces are pretty obscure to the younger generations, but stones (specifically to express someone's weight) are surprisingly stubborn.
likewise feet, inches and thou aren't used at all frequently unless it's describing someone's height (or other body part)
even with these I've seen younger people starting to favour kgs and metres for weight and height

to go back to impreial measurements now is only going to prolong this awkward half way adoption of the metric system for more generations, with no real benefit.
I'd be more in favour of fully adopting the metric system than this

I couldnt care less - The EU should never have attempted to impose changes on things like this, which are cultural and also practical, but I think they realised that themselves, and as has been mentioned, if you go to any market, you'll routinely see measurements in imperial.

Like most people, I use both - heights always in feet and inches. Temperature always in celsius. Distance in metres and centimetres. Speed in miles, weight in stones. I run in kilometres.

I think if someone wants to display things in just imperial thats fine, and also in just metric if they so wish.

As with the blue passports, this is red meat for a small number of very pro brexit people and also the story is red meat for a small number of rabidly anti-brexit people too.

More distraction from Partygate, exporting migrants to Rwanda and tax increases. Imagine the cost of converting petrol stations to deliver fuel in imperial gallons, alone. All the additional paperwork needed to import and export to mainland Europe. Apart from pints, I'm of the older generation and fully metric these days. Long may it remain.

It's always the same when you change things, you'll find people who are resistant to it.

A metric system is far easier to use and calculate. Few people under 40 will have much experience of calculating imperial measurements; they barely know any more other than what a mile, pint and feet and inches are.

One more generation of metric could wipe out pointless imperial measurements for good. Barely any other country in the world uses them and even many Americans would prefer to adopt metric.

But it's all about appeasing the older generation, who believe things were better before metric units came in, before decimalisation, before the EEC etc. Utter bollocks.

Labour idea....Well, I can see positives and negatives for this proposal.
Tory idea... F@ckingTories!!!!!!!!
I thought we had a politics board for this Citizen Smith drivel.

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Originally Posted by Joe Gillis

Labour idea....Well, I can see positives and negatives for this proposal.
Tory idea... F@ckingTories!!!!!!!!
I thought we had a politics board for this Citizen Smith drivel.

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a shit idea is a shit idea, especially when the motivations for it are transparently nothing to do with any benefit it will bring to the country

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Originally Posted by Rjk

a shit idea is a shit idea, especially when the motivations for it are transparently nothing to do with any benefit it will bring to the country

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It will basically just treat the two measurements equally. It wont change much at all. It's largely a non story, but it's culturally a fair thing to do.

I would be amazed if there is any cost whatsoever to business as a result

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Originally Posted by IanD

More distraction from Partygate, exporting migrants to Rwanda and tax increases. Imagine the cost of converting petrol stations to deliver fuel in imperial gallons, alone. All the additional paperwork needed to import and export to mainland Europe. Apart from pints, I'm of the older generation and fully metric these days. Long may it remain.

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None of that will happen, because it's a total non story. Don't get worked up by it!

Let's go back to groats and florins.

Going more metric makes sense. However, I know that many on here would prefer to still be using threepenny bits and and half crowns.

As David Gauke (former Tory minister) tweeted yesterday "The announcement of the return of imperial measurements is an important recent tradition which we should all celebrate. I’m already looking forward to the next time this is announced."
A useful attempted distraction that gets wheeled out from time to time to get the Mail/Express readers excited. Wonder why it should be dusted off again now though...

what next?

https://twitter.com/kathiebennett/st...8EmXUcyrQ&s=19

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Originally Posted by Taunton Blue Genie

Going more metric makes sense. However, I know that many on here would prefer to still be using threepenny bits and and half crowns.

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Timber is still 2x2, 3x2 and sheets of ply are 8x4

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Originally Posted by JamesWales

I couldnt care less - The EU should never have attempted to impose changes on things like this, which are cultural and also practical, but I think they realised that themselves, and as has been mentioned, if you go to any market, you'll routinely see measurements in imperial.

Like most people, I use both - heights always in feet and inches. Temperature always in celsius. Distance in metres and centimetres. Speed in miles, weight in stones. I run in kilometres.

I think if someone wants to display things in just imperial thats fine, and also in just metric if they so wish.

As with the blue passports, this is red meat for a small number of very pro brexit people and also the story is red meat for a small number of rabidly anti-brexit people too.

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You know you still drive on the wrong side of the road don't you!

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Originally Posted by Rjk

what next?

https://twitter.com/kathiebennett/st...8EmXUcyrQ&s=19

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:hehe:

Without looking...
In feet and inches..
A fathom....
A chain....

Perhaps we should revert back to pre decimalisation as well. The Tories live in the past and always have done. Allegiance to the monarchy, always banging on about Winston Churchill, the glories of the British Empire and talking about how great things were before we joined the Common Market.

It’s a load of old bollocks but will be lapped up by their elderly core base of voters.

Beer in pints, milk in litres, fuel in litres.

Long distances (and speed limits) in miles, short measurements in metres.

Most weights in kilos, but personal weight now on the cusp between stones/pounds and kilos.

Temperature definitely now in celcius - unless watching US news when it is stuck in farenheit.

Land still mainly measured in acres or hectares.


It's a total dogs breakfast, but moving slowly in the direction of metric. But great for another few days of distraction.

I'm looking forward to the removal of VAT, another prerequisite to joining the common market.

How tall are you ? What size steak do you want. ?

I use metric when doing odd jobs - measuring timber etc, but the problem with metric is that's totally non-descriptive. My kids all use imperial for height, weight, etc., even though they are both post-imperial.

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Originally Posted by A Quiet Monkfish

How tall are you ? What size steak do you want. ?

I use metric when doing odd jobs - measuring timber etc, but the problem with metric is that's totally non-descriptive. My kids all use imperial for height, weight, etc., even though they are both post-imperial.

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I think thats the thing; these things aren't merely units of measurement for practical purposes, they are also cultural, almost akin to language. Phrases like "In the 90s" for temperature, "extra yard of pace", "strapping 6 ft man", "go for a pint", "pound of flesh" etc..they are all kinda ingrained which is why you shouldn't mess with it all too much, and it's a mistake the EU did make back in the day.

In practice no change of note will come from this, it's probably a small change to a piece of legislation that recognises two systems. It won't lead to much change at all, but recognising it is probably the right thing to do.

In fact there's an argument there that imperial lives on without the system implementation. It's a historical curiosity.

I don't think the future is imperial https://cdn.statcdn.com/Infographic/...mal/18300.jpeg

I think it will give a few traders an opportunity for some sneaky hidden price rises.
If a market trader was selling 500g of apples for £1, they'll now sell 1lb of apples for £1.

As others have said, there's plenty of more pressing issues that politicians should be focusing on.

Didn't Madonna write a song bout it. Imperial girl.

It's about preserving national culture and identity, these things bring a deeper meaning to life.

I've really enjoyed listening to Test Match Special and them referring to the pitch being 20.118 metres long.
Oh well, never mind.

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Originally Posted by Lither_1927

It's about preserving national culture and identity, these things bring a deeper meaning to life.

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Bollocks.

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Originally Posted by Eric the Half a Bee

Bollocks.

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Why isn't it? It clearly is something that is (a small part) of our identity and it's not going to replace Metric, the review will almost certainly just mean that people can display things in text larger in Imperial if they so wish or give both measurements equal prominence etc without fear of prosecution - it will likely just tidy up the law.

I don't see any reason to object to that.

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Originally Posted by JamesWales

Why isn't it? It clearly is something that is (a small part) of our identity and it's not going to replace Metric, the review will almost certainly just mean that people can display things in text larger in Imperial if they so wish or give both measurements equal prominence etc without fear of prosecution - it will likely just tidy up the law.

I don't see any reason to object to that.

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Don't the "proposals" allow shops to only display imperial if they want? That would be a backward step, hence objecting to it.
In reality a) it's not going to happen, b) it would only be tedious "metric martyr" types who did that anyway, so I'm not sure why I'm even bothering to type this.
Claiming that using a non-sensical, outdated method of weights and measurements that most of the world shunned years ago is somehow something to do with our national culture and identity really is bollocks though.

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Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

Don't the "proposals" allow shops to only display imperial if they want? That would be a backward step, hence objecting to it.
In reality a) it's not going to happen, b) it would only be tedious "metric martyr" types who did that anyway, so I'm not sure why I'm even bothering to type this.
Claiming that using a non-sensical, outdated method of weights and measurements that most of the world shunned years ago is somehow something to do with our national culture and identity really is bollocks though.

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You have no idea what culture and identity are, clearly.

Converted Roubles and Cubic Metres for the EU importation of Russian Gas.

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Originally Posted by Pearcey3

Perhaps we should revert back to pre decimalisation as well. The Tories live in the past and always have done. Allegiance to the monarchy, always banging on about Winston Churchill, the glories of the British Empire and talking about how great things were before we joined the Common Market.

It’s a load of old bollocks but will be lapped up by their elderly core base of voters.

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You'd have no problem with Reading FC changing their traditional colours, badge, name and songs to suit a new vibrant market in the far East then? Look forward not in the past like those pesky Tories

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Originally Posted by Undercoverinwurzelland

Don't the "proposals" allow shops to only display imperial if they want? That would be a backward step, hence objecting to it.
In reality a) it's not going to happen, b) it would only be tedious "metric martyr" types who did that anyway, so I'm not sure why I'm even bothering to type this.
Claiming that using a non-sensical, outdated method of weights and measurements that most of the world shunned years ago is somehow something to do with our national culture and identity really is bollocks though.

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No. There's a review of it. Obviously that doesn't stop it spreading on twitter.

Basically, when we left the EU we took all their rules with us (sensibly) and overtime we change them if we so wish. As I gather, imperial can be displayed but cannot be more prominent than metric etc. There's no real need for that law/guidance. If someone wants to display the imperial weight in a larger font etc then so be it. We will all survive.

I do think it is part of the country's history and identity, albeit a small part. At the end of the day, it's just a unit of measurement, it doesn't matter. But that goes for people wetting themselves in excitement about this, but also those getting themselves all worked up about it.

Different industries use different systems and as a society we use both for different things, so I think treating them equally legally is not unreasonable.

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Originally Posted by Lither_1927

You'd have no problem with Reading FC changing their traditional colours, badge, name and songs to suit a new vibrant market in the far East then? Look forward not in the past like those pesky Tories

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this might be the worst point ever made on CCMB