Ministers wanted to launch a review to revive imperial measurements – such as pounds and ounces – and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), now overseen by Jacob Rees-Mogg, held a government consultation over the summer. However, the questions seemed to be missing something. The survey asked consumers: “If you had a choice, would you like to buy items: i) in imperial units ii) in imperial units along with a metric equivalent.” No other choice was given. Officials said respondents who wanted to keep the current measurement system could email the department or provide their views in one of the survey’s text boxes. The BBC Radio 4 program Pretty much last week highlighted concerns about the investigation and the criticism leveled on social media. One Twitter user commented: “This research is shot down by BEIS. It’s so slanted that the words almost jump off the page.” Dr Pamela Campanelli, a research methods consultant who has advised local government, told More or Less: “This is missing the category that you would prefer to just measure. We’re going to get a biased answer because people have to choose something that doesn’t apply to them. “It seems like they’re actually trying to sculpt or drive the answers to what they want, because they want people to go back to the Imperial.” France adopted a metric system in the late 18th century, and in 1841 a decimation association was founded in Britain to lobby for a new system of coins and measurements. A report by a standards committee in the 1860s recommended measurement for Britain, but it was another 100 years before a government council was set up in 1969 to promote and coordinate measurement. Once Britain joined the European Economic Community in 1973, the government committed to adopting the metric system. Regulations introduced in 1995 required goods to be sold in metric units in the UK. In a high-profile case in 2002, five market traders – known as ‘metric witnesses’ – lost a court battle over the right to trade in pounds and ounces. The battle was backed by celebrities including comedian John Cleese and politicians including Boris Johnson. Rees-Mogg, who had a cabinet role in identifying opportunities for Brexit, has been a long-term supporter of using imperial measurements. However, the proposed change is unlikely to be hailed as a major Brexit dividend. “No constituency, ever, has asked for this,” Conservative MP Alicia Cairns tweeted earlier this year. “This is not Brexit freedom. It’s nonsense.” BEIS officials say the purpose of the consultation was to consider how they could give businesses and consumers more choice. The government has yet to say when the response to the consultation will be published.
