Mikhail Liebestein Posted June 2 Share Posted June 2 So in a last ditch effort to 'Save Big Dog' as the Boris Johnson Premiership rescue effort is known, the Government is set to announce tomorrow a consultation on re-introducing the Imperial Measurement System to the UK. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson-bids-jubilee-boost-27090524 I don't know peoples' views here on this, but all comments I have seen in the papers have been very negative. Largely this is for practical reasons: cost to business; a way to hide inflation (shrinkflation); schools haven't taught imperial for 50 years; imperial makes no sense in science/engineering. Is there also a concern here about symbolism? All those imperial measures of distance and weight, with different multiples must come in handy during Ceremonies? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikhail Liebestein Posted June 2 Author Share Posted June 2 Even the Government can't handle the conversions: https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/tory-minister-imperial-units-measurements-b2092110.html I got all of these right, but I've got 3 Maths A-Levels and a Engineering Degree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anti Facts Sir Posted June 2 Share Posted June 2 Shuffling deckchairs on the Titanic..... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikhail Liebestein Posted June 2 Author Share Posted June 2 20 minutes ago, Anti Facts Sir said: Shuffling deckchairs on the Titanic..... Glug glug, she's going down. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Owl Posted June 2 Share Posted June 2 8 hours ago, Mikhail Liebestein said: So in a last ditch effort to 'Save Big Dog' as the Boris Johnson Premiership rescue effort is known, the Government is set to announce tomorrow a consultation on re-introducing the Imperial Measurement System to the UK. https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/boris-johnson-bids-jubilee-boost-27090524 I don't know peoples' views here on this, but all comments I have seen in the papers have been very negative. Largely this is for practical reasons: cost to business; a way to hide inflation (shrinkflation); schools haven't taught imperial for 50 years; imperial makes no sense in science/engineering. Is there also a concern here about symbolism? All those imperial measures of distance and weight, with different multiples must come in handy during Ceremonies? Yet again, this is the Conservative government 'stealing' policies that were promised by UKIP in previous manifestos. My parents and grandparents come from a time "pre-metric" and would welcome the return of the old imperial measures, as would many other older folks. But as someone rapidly approaching 50, I've grown up with metric measurements, so its something I'm used to and comfortable with. Here in 2022, I can't really see any benefit in reintroducing imperial measures, unless they would 'complement' the current metric system, ie have both side by side. But from my generation downwards, this could all be confusing, and has been pointed out earlier in this thread, an opportunity to 'rip off' the public with more 'concealed' price increases. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Owl Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 12 hours ago, Grumpy Owl said: Here in 2022, I can't really see any benefit in reintroducing imperial measures, unless they would 'complement' the current metric system, ie have both side by side. But from my generation downwards, this could all be confusing, and has been pointed out earlier in this thread, an opportunity to 'rip off' the public with more 'concealed' price increases. To add to the above, perhaps this is also preparation for bringing the UK into much-closer alignment with the USA? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whatthefoxhat Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 I was one of the unfortunates that got taught 'imperial' initially at school then had to convert to metric (including currency) so i measure things in 1.2 mtres long by 3'5'' wide...not a problem....always managed,However the yank system uses a strange version of 'imperial' ...The american gallon for instance bears no resemblance to the old imperial gallon and the same for the 55 gallon drum ...USA totally different to the UK I see it more as a ways and means to extract more from the consumer simply by changing weights and measures...So much more profit that way 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexa Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 23 hours ago, Mikhail Liebestein said: a way to hide inflation (shrinkflation); Exactly, they did this when we first went metric/decimalization, how long was it before a ten shilling note turned into a 50p coin worth hardly anything. Maybe this is one more step into becoming a cashless society. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Owl Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 9 hours ago, whatthefoxhat said: I see it more as a ways and means to extract more from the consumer simply by changing weights and measures...So much more profit that way Maybe not much, but enough to make a difference. Here's a hypthetical scenario, we have a 1kg pack of pasta that currently sells for £2. Now 1kg = 2.2lb (pounds) This pack of pasta becomes a 2lb pack, and sells for £2. "Same price, same great value" See what they did there? They reduced the amount of product you get, but kept the price the same. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nefaria Posted June 3 Share Posted June 3 The whole measurements thing epitomises how absurd and backward this country is at times (apart from celebrating the queen)... Why do we still use miles and yards on the roads when pretty much everything else is measured in metric? How many drivers today actually know what a yard is and how many there are in a mile? From what I recall not much emphasis was placed on miles/yards when I was at school and that was thirty years ago... maybe they thought miles would be phased out by the time I reached driving age!y the time I reached driving age! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinfoil Hat Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 I'm of an age where I'd just learned imperial when metric was introduced. I have to convert metric measurements to imperial before I can visualise dimensions / distances. I think a sane government would be focussing their attention on far more urgent matters. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikhail Liebestein Posted June 4 Author Share Posted June 4 The consultation page is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/choice-on-units-of-measurement-markings-and-sales I've downloaded and completed the response form, which I've then mailed back, telling them I want no part in their imperial nonsense. I completed all 3 sections. Best thing to do on the Jubilee. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truthblast Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 Today's elite really wantd to 'Turn back the clock'... - No more privacy - No more freedom of speech - Monitored or restricted movement - A return to Pagan spirituality - Kings and Princes call the shots in politics, finance and commerce - Journalists report whatever they are ordered to - "You will own nothing and you'll be happy" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whatthefoxhat Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 22 hours ago, Grumpy Owl said: Maybe not much, but enough to make a difference. Here's a hypthetical scenario, we have a 1kg pack of pasta that currently sells for £2. Now 1kg = 2.2lb (pounds) This pack of pasta becomes a 2lb pack, and sells for £2. "Same price, same great value" See what they did there? They reduced the amount of product you get, but kept the price the same. Bang on there GO,glad to see someone else sees the crafty ways of the retailers.I have a very close friend who runs a rather large 'cash and carry' and over a couple of pints recently i asked how he would cope with shortages in the supply chain....''I'll just put the prices up'' ..Can't blame him he is running a business after all,however what if all retailers started doing that ? (and they will) 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpy Owl Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 4 hours ago, whatthefoxhat said: Bang on there GO,glad to see someone else sees the crafty ways of the retailers.I have a very close friend who runs a rather large 'cash and carry' and over a couple of pints recently i asked how he would cope with shortages in the supply chain....''I'll just put the prices up'' ..Can't blame him he is running a business after all,however what if all retailers started doing that ? (and they will) Prior to the Covid pandemic, I may have written here before about the 'race to the bottom' in regards to retailers competing against each other. You saw this with the 'big supermarket' chains with their "price matching" against their competitors. And more so with the likes of Amazon, who were happy to sell certain products at a loss, just to drive down the prices offered by 'competing' third-party marketplace sellers. To quote a phrase oft-used by the agenda pushers, this simply wasn't 'sustainable' in terms of business practice. I do recall prior to the Covid pandemic setting in, that some supermarkets had stopped 'price matching' against competitors, and I think this was the 'trigger'. The "race to the bottom" was over, and I suspected at some point that retailers would then start to try and increase their prices, in order to claw back some profit. Yes, it is true that there have been some supply chain 'challenges', due to driver shortages, and the increased cost of fuel etc. But what has caused this and who is ultimately responsible? That's right, our own governments. But then again, the big corporates have spent years trying to maximise their profits by reducing costs, such as outsourcing production to countries where labour costs are cheaper. Suddenly mass producing chicken breast fillets cheaply in Poland has become quite costly, due to increased transportation costs. Even stuff produced in our own country has increased in price. Consumers in the UK have enjoyed the benefit of 'cheap prices' for a while, now the retailers are fighting back, and it only takes the meekest of excuses to put their prices up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nemuri Kyoshiro Posted June 4 Share Posted June 4 I learned imperial weights and measures at primary school. It was stuck with me all these years and I still use them. I can use metric if need be but I live in the US and they don't use metric very much. They don't use stones either. It can get confusing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truthblast Posted June 5 Share Posted June 5 5 hours ago, Nemuri Kyoshiro said: They don't use stones either. It can get confusing. Stein! Stein! Get ze wordz right pleaze! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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