On Sunday 2003 November 02 02:15, Nat Hager III wrote: > http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/11/02/nbeeb02. > xml&sSheet=/news/2003/11/02/ixhome.html > > Even in Rome, BBC turns its back on the imperial > By Chris Hastings and Lucy Tobin > (Filed: 02/11/2003)
Nat didn't mention the story at the bottom: > Related reports > > Christopher Booker's notebook This follows events a few days ago in Lewisham, south London. We knew about this from one of our London-based members, who told us if coverage in the BBC local TV news. They have had almost zero publicity (I've searched the BBC Web site several times, as well as Ananova and other news sites, to no avail). Predictably, however, Christopher Booker uses his S Telegraph column to promote more of his agenda: +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ After two-year truce, metric war is on again Last Thursday scores of south London market traders delivered a humiliating rebuff to council officials who were attempting to enforce metrication laws. When trading standards officials ordered one trader to hand over his non-metric scales, they were surrounded by angry stallholders backing his refusal to comply. The police were called, but seemed reluctant to get involved. After a heated stand-off, the officials retreated to Lewisham town hall. This was the first attempt by a council to impose metrication laws on an entire market since Steve Thoburn was charged with selling a pound of bananas in Sunderland in 2000. Although Lord Justice Laws upheld the convictions of Mr Thoburn and four other traders, the so-called "Metric Martyrs", in the Appeal Court in February 2002, there have been no attempts at prosecution since. Official figures indicate that 40,000 traders are still ignoring the law and selling in pounds and ounces. Almost all the stallholders in Lewisham's five markets continue to sell in imperial weights and measures. Last month they were given 28 days to obey the regulations that prohibit the sale of goods in non-metric measures, in compliance with two European Union directives. They sought advice from that doughty campaigner Neil Herron of the Metric Martyrs Defence Fund in Sunderland (originally set up with the aid of �70,000 from generous readers of The Telegraph). He pointed out that Lewisham appeared to be in breach of the Government's "enforcement concordat", which pledges councils to carry out their duties in "a fair, equitable and consistent manner". Lewisham has taken no action against local supermarkets which regularly breach the same laws with promotions referring only to pounds and ounces. Last Thursday, when a phalanx of officials entered the market in Lewisham High Street, the traders, briefed by Mr Herron, were ready for them. When Martin Pulsford, a greengrocer, was told to surrender his scales, he replied, "With the best will in the world, I am not going to give them to you." The officials called the police, who seemed none too happy to be involved. (One officer said: "We should be out catching real criminals.") As reporters and a BBC camera crew converged on the scene, the officials beat a retreat. Why should Lewisham have been the first council to break the two-year truce on enforcing the metric laws (while the Metric Martyrs case is still awaiting a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights)? It may be because the borough's elected mayor, Steve Bullock, is a fervent Europhile, who immediately issued a statement: "The change in the law was made to bring the United Kingdom in line with Europe. I personally advocate the change to the metric system. If it were possible, I would enjoy buying goods in euros as well." Mr Bullock, who is also general secretary of the Union of Social Democratic Local and Regional Politicians of Europe, was clearly angry at the rebuff suffered by his officials on Thursday. His council says it will be taking further steps to force Lewisham's market traders to obey the law, at a time of its choosing. If readers wish to join what promises to be a historic battle, further contributions to the Metric Martyrs Defence Fund (PO Box 526, Sunderland SR1 3YS) would be greatly appreciated. -- Chris KEENAN UK Metric Assoc: www.metric.org.uk
