Aside from the issue of road signs (which is the one significant area that remainsImperial-only for the most part), the main areas left over from the old days are the use in certain domains of Imperial in advertising (real estate, carpeting, etc.), and the signage posted by small shops and vendors for loose goods with Imperial (illegally) predominating metric units. The use of Imperial-only scales, while illegal, has (I think) less of an impact on the public perception of how metric the UK is (though I believe the laws should be enforced here, too).
But the key to my mind is the hi-jacking of the issue of metrication by the Conservatives and the British Right to convert it into an issue tied to British independence and pride (never mind the British origins of the principles behind the metric system and all of its practical advantages). This reminds me of how the American Right is invoking emotional arguments to try and scuttle long-overdue health care reform in the USA despite all of the rational reaons for finally implementing true reform here. Ezra ----- Original Message ----- From: Martin Vlietstra To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 10:18 PM Subject: [USMA:45217] Re: UK Conservative Party brochure John, Not quite right. The only areas where the UK MAY use imperial units other are pints for milk, beer and cider and miles, yards feet and inches on road signs. In all other cases which are covered by the EU directive, imperial units may only be used as supplementary units. The full scope of the directive is unclear, but no doubt once the UK starts passing regulations to implement the directive, things will become more clear. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ From: owner-u...@colostate.edu [mailto:owner-u...@colostate.edu] On Behalf Of John Frewen-Lord Sent: 09 June 2009 06:08 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:45216] Re: UK Conservative Party brochure This document was printed by the Conservatives for all Constituencies in the country. I believe it is inaccurate. While local trading standards officers may be turning a bit of a blind eye to (primarily) street market vendors weighing loose food items in imperial units on imperial-only scales, this practice is illegal. Scales can ONLY be calibrated and certified in metric units - that's all the law permits. Therefore, any non-metric scales are uncertified, and therefore illegal, not to mention that they may indicate any amount of short measure without the consumer knowing. The UK right now has much bigger poltical problems, which is why I suspect this innacuracy has slipped under the radar. I think the brochure, going into the EU elections, was designed to capitalize on the recent directive from the EU, which said that the UK MAY continue to use imperial units if it chooses to do so. The UK has NOT made that choice - only metric units are legal for (most) trade (the major exception being the use of the imperial pint - 568 mL - for beer dispensed in pubs). John F-L ----- Original Message ----- From: Carleton MacDonald To: U.S. Metric Association Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 2:56 AM Subject: [USMA:45215] UK Conservative Party brochure The UK had elections a day or two ago, and the Conservatives ("Tories") came in first. Labour took a beating. Note the first item on the back page. Carleton
