Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants to revive Britain’s traditional system of imperial measurements, such as pounds and ounces, in a post-Brexit move that has divided the public and businesses.
Coinciding with this month’s 70th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, the government will launch consultations on how to change the law on weights and other measurements to capitalise on freedoms after leaving the European Union.
While the bloc normally requires members to use the metric system, it allowed Britain, while a member, to label its produce in some imperial units alongside metric units.
Speed limits are set in miles per hour and milk and beer are sold in pints, but most other products such as sugar are sold in grams and kilograms.
After leaving the European Union in 2020, Britain is reviewing thousands of rules that it retained and determining whether they serve the national interest. This includes the rules banning sales of packaged goods like sugar in some imperial units. Some Britons hailed the plan as a way to reconnect with the past.
The Queen marked her 70th year on the throne on 6 February this year, but she is celebrating her Platinum Jubilee this month.
The reason for this is because February 6 also marks the anniversary of her father’s death, as she ascended the throne the day that King George VI died in 1952.
