Shops in Britain may soon be allowed to sell their products in pounds and ounces as the imperial measurement system is set to be revived in the UK.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce the re-introduction of the old system of measuring on Friday June 3, amid Platinum Jubilee celebrations for the monarch's 70 years on the throne.
Not many countries in the world still use imperial measures anymore. Britain currently uses a hybrid of imperial and metric measurements in daily life, while only three countries - the US, Myanmar and Liberia - use the imperial system on a daily basis.
What is the imperial measurement system?
The imperial system is a system of measurement used in the UK and in other Commonwealth countries. The system uses old-fashioned units like inches and miles to measure things like height, weight and distance in the UK.
Though still used in certain aspects of daily life in the UK, imperial measures have mostly been replaced by the metric system. This is because the metric system is easier to understand as it uses tens, hundreds, and thousands.
Some of the measurements from the imperial system are:
- Feet, inches and miles to measure length
- Fluid ounces, pints and gallons to measure volume
- Square feet and acres to measure area
- Pounds, ounces and stones to measure weight or mass
How will imperial measurement system work in the UK?
In Britain, certain measurements currently use the imperial system. For example, speed limit is measured in miles per hour rather than kilometres, and milk and beer is bought in pints.
However, traders have been legally required to use metric units like milligrams, grams and kilograms for sale by weight or measure of fresh produce since 2000.
Boris Johnson's decision to revive the imperial system will mean that shops will be allowed to use imperial measures such as ounces and pounds for products.
Metric units are not expected to be scrapped completely once the change is introduced, however traders will likely be free to choose which measurement systems they use.
Johnson described the imperial system as an "ancient liberty" back in the 2019 general election campaign, when he first pledged to bring back the traditional measurement system.
One Cabinet source explained: "As the British people have been happy to use both imperial and metric measurements in their daily life it is good for the Government to reflect that now we are free to change our regulations accordingly."
