Today, a government minister is struggling to turn metric measures into what Downing Street called “universally understood” imperial units.
Lord Parkinson seemed confused when asked about the transformation amid reports that the government would launch a consultation to revive imperial measures.
Appearing on Sky News, the art minister was first asked how many ounces there were in a pound – to which he incorrectly said 14.
Host Kay Burley continued: “If you order a pound of sausage, approximately how many grams of sausage do you get? 250, 350, 450 or 550?
Lord Parkinson, who was educated at the University of Cambridge, hesitantly chose the first answer – again incorrect – before being asked which volume was larger: four pints or three liters.
“Three pints?” He replied, looking uncertain.
Currently, the United Kingdom uses both metric and imperial units
(Getty)
The somewhat embarrassing moment came after Downing Street insisted that the imperial measurements were “universally understood” and were introduced not only to break away from European Union rules, but also to celebrate the Queen’s platinum anniversary.
He denied allegations that the regression had been declared a distraction from the ongoing Partygate saga.
The EU introduced legislation requiring traders to use the metric system of sales by weight of production in 2000.
Although it remained legal to value goods in pounds and ounces, it had to be shown along with the price in grams and kilograms – and the UK uses both measurements.
Cabinet ministers seem to have welcomed the return to imperial units, with one saying it gives people and businesses “freedom” to trade as they wish.
This move was criticized by conservative reserves
(PA)
“There are sectors – I know people in my constituency, market and vegetable traders, as well as some of the pubs – that will be happy to be able to return to these imperial measurements,” Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis told Sky News.
“We are just saying that now you have a choice and now that we have left the EU, we can do that.
“Yes, this is one of the smaller things we can do since we left the EU, there are other bigger things we can and want to do, but this is an indication that we now have the freedom to take these decide for yourself. “
The announced move to imperial units was not fully accepted by traders or MPs from the back bench, with Alicia Kearns – who was also critical of Boris Johnson’s involvement and work with Partygate – calling the idea “nonsense”.
Tobias Eloud said the move was not “one nation’s conservative thinking” and served as a nostalgic policy that the government hoped to win votes in the next general election.
“There are not only concerns about the behavior of number 10, because it has undermined the confidence of the British, now there are concerns about the thinking of number 10, what are our policies,” said the former defense minister.
“What we are seeing now is an approach to strengthening and banishing the electorate with policies such as returning to imperial dimensions.
“There will be people in our party who will like this nostalgic policy in the hope that it will be enough to win the next election. But this is not the case. This is not the conservative thinking of a nation that is required to attract beyond our base.
“This is far from the inspiring, visionary progressive thinking we require. And it fits into a model that I’m afraid of micro-ads being thrown in more and more, which actually sows further discontent with more MPs. “
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