June 1, 2022
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The price tags in many greengrocers in the UK use a “two-track system”, which respectively indicates the price of the product in pounds and kilograms.
As the United Kingdom solemnly celebrates the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne, the government announced that it will re-evaluate whether it is possible and necessary to “restore” the British system of weights.
The so-called imperial system is also called “imperial system” (imperial measurements). The most common units include “pounds” and “ounces” for weight, which correspond to “kilograms” and “grams” in the metric system; and “inches,” “feet,” and “miles” for length, which correspond to ” centimeters, meters, and kilometers; and pints for capacity, gallons, liters for metric, and so on.
In the past 20 years, the United Kingdom has been working hard to integrate with the metric system commonly used in EU countries, but the glory of the British system of measurement can be seen from the British quantifiers that people use every day.
For example, computer and TV screen sizes are measured in inches, and the price of gold in the international market is measured in ounces. In addition, we are familiar with the speed of “mile” (mile, miles) and football penalty 12 yards (yard)……
Regarding the history and current situation of the British system of weights and measures, BBC Chinese summarizes the following highlights.
Restructured background
The British government is considering reviving the imperial system, and now there is a most appropriate reason: the 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the throne. Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make the announcement on Friday (June 3), a national holiday to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.
Xi Jinping went to a country pub with Prime Minister David Cameron during his visit to the UK in October 2015, with a pint of beer in hand. British pubs sell beer in the English “pint”.
A national discussion regarding restoring the British system of weights and measures may increase the public’s sense of identity with the country. But the larger background for the restoration of the British system of weights and measures is that the United Kingdom leaves the European Union and travels the world alone.
For the United Kingdom, it was a reluctant move to abandon its own historical unit of measurement and introduce the metric system, which was constrained by EU regulations. It was quite a “humiliation” of giving up sovereignty and freedom.
Currently, the metric system is required for goods sold in the UK, whether packaged or in bulk, although the traditional British unit of weight can also be displayed at the same time.
In the daily life of the British people, the British system of weights and measures still exists tenaciously and has not disappeared because of the change of law. For example, in British pubs, beer is still sold in pints; speed displays on British cars are also measured in miles; speed limit signs on highways are measured in miles; British heights are also used to measure feet. and inches.
In September 2021, Britain’s ruling Conservative government has said it will reconsider the use of the British system of weights and enact legislation in due course, as part of a larger plan to reshape British law following Brexit.
Now the UK government will launch a post-Brexit assessment exercise to see where and how the sale of goods in the market can restore the British system of weights.
A Brief History of Weights and Measures in Great Britain
- In 965, King Edgar decreed that “only one weight and measure shall pass in the king’s domain”.
- 1824: British Weights and Measures Act provides for imperial units
- 1960: India begins transition from imperial to metric
- 1965: UK government says industry should embrace metric within 10 years
- 1971: Decimal currency is introduced in the UK
- 1985: The Weights and Measures Act recognizes the equality of the metric and imperial systems
- 1994: Introduced regulations requiring weighing in metric
- 2001: Thorborn and other retailers convicted of selling items in imperial measurements
- 2008: The European Commission rules that the UK can continue to use imperial measurements such as pints, pounds and miles
- In June 2022, the UK government launched a three-month public consultation on its intention to reintroduce the British system of weights and measures
Restructuring discussion
The reform proposal of the British government has sparked heated discussions in all walks of life.
While Northern Ireland minister Brendan Lewis said in the media that businessmen would be “happy” with the “freedom” they would enjoy freed from EU rules, the main opposition Labour MP Angela Eagle said , the government’s attempt to restructure “is pathetic and pathetic” and “is to turn nostalgia into a weapon”.
Even within the Conservative Party there are different views on restructuring. Conservative MP Alicia Kearns said no voters in her constituency had demanded such a change. “This is not post-Brexit freedom. This is bullshit.”
Labour’s shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds criticized: “What the government should do is to deal with the rising cost of living and reduce the burden on businesses.”
The British supermarket chain has warned that switching back to British-style units would increase operating expenses, compounding the problem of price increases that are already affecting thousands of households.
The headline of an opinion piece published in The Independent reads: Restoring the imperial system does not make even an ounce of truth.
“Metric Martyr”
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In 2001, fruit and vegetable retailer Steven Thoburn and four other colleagues were prosecuted and convicted for continuing to trade in imperial units.
The British government intends to explore the return to the British system of weights and measures, so that the story of “Metric Lechs” will be presented to the public once once more.
The so-called “metric martyrs” refer to five retail businessmen who were prosecuted and convicted by the British government in 2001 for insisting on using the imperial system and rejecting the metric system. In the first of these prosecutions, a judge called fruit retailer Steven Thoburn “the most famous banana in legal history” for the bananas that fruit retailer Steven Thoburn insisted on using the British system.
Some commentators even believed that it was this “most famous banana” that proved to the British public that EU law can override British law, planting the seeds for the UK’s 2016 referendum to finally decide to leave the EU.
On April 9, 2001, Thorborn was found guilty of two offences under the Weights and Measures Act 1985. He was accused of refusing to use the metric system and insisting on using an imperial scale when selling bananas.
Subsequently, four other retailers were convicted of selling apples, kale and fish under the British system.
As the British government considers the reintroduction of the imperial system, there are growing calls for the vindication of the “metric martyrs”.
Sadly, Thorborn will never be able to wait for the day when he can justifiably sell bananas on the English system. He died of a heart attack in March 2004 at the age of 39.
The cost of restructuring
British government officials pushing for a return to the imperial system have touted the move as a move to reintroduce “British culture” into stores.
But the business community is worried that the increased operating costs of the introduction of the British system will definitely be passed on to consumers, making the problem of rising prices even more serious.
On the other hand, in order to popularize the imperial system once more, it is necessary to start from dolls and introduce the imperial system into the teaching content of primary schools.
As things stand, the introduction of the imperial system in the UK does not mean the end of the metric system. In the future, it is likely that dual regulations will go hand in hand, because following leaving the EU, the UK has a global ambition and is more necessary to integrate with the world.
