Reform announced plans to bring back imperial measurements, and inched a little further towards political oblivion
For some reason, Brexiters have always been obsessed with imperial measurements. Who could forget this banger of a suggestion from that fount of all human knowledge, John Redwood.
Why not repeal the ban on selling in pounds and ounces? Let People decide how to buy and sell.
— John Redwood (@johnredwood) May 15, 2023
Of course, there isn’t a ban on selling in pounds and ounces, as long as the item’s metric weight or volume is also included in the same size or larger font. And here’s the former Minister for Brexit Benefits accidentally pointing out that we already use imperial measurements for distance.
"If you go through the Dartford Tunnel…we’ve got very funny numbers, and this is all because of an EU regulation."
Jacob Rees-Mogg reflects on "ridiculous" EU laws he is happy to see scrapped. https://t.co/32jI3SONRq
— LBC (@LBC) June 24, 2022
In fact, the signs have to be every 25 metres or less, so they could simply have placed them at 25 yards, so that Rees-Mogg wouldn’t have had to be puzzled by the numbers.
The spectre of stone, pounds and ounces has reared its complicated head once more, as Robert Jenrick, the so-called Shadow Chancellor, has announced they will ‘re-legalise’ imperial measurementss.
Oh no ! Bringing back imperial measurements ?
Surely not – these europhobes areI speak as someone traumatized in childhood by having to subtract the likes of 17 stone, 13 pounds and 11 ounces from 28 stone 4 pounds and 3 ounces https://t.co/kCFsWM8NRT
— Alex Taylor (@AlexTaylorNews) October 26, 2026
It being Reform UK, there had to be a fundamental misunderstanding based on lack of proper research, apart from the fact that imperial measures are still not illegal – and there was!
Reform’s Robert Jenrick has said today that bringing back imperial measures would help exports to the US, apparently unaware that while US uses the same terminology for measures like pints the units of volume are different. (via Guardian).
— Briefcase Michael (@BriefcaseMike) October 26, 2026
The mockery began.