The British government announced on Wednesday that it is abandoning the idea of ​​returning to the imperial system of measurements (ounces, inches, etc.), which former prime minister Boris Johnson has turned into a symbol of Brexit benefits, AFP and Agerpres report.

A “pint” of beerPhoto: Tom Merton / Hoxton / Profimedia

Therefore, the amount of products sold in the country should always be indicated on the packaging mainly in kilograms or liters, that is, according to the metric system, the Ministry of Trade in London decided after a truce with traders.

Quantities expressed in ounces, inches, or pounds may also be displayed, but less prominently. After leaving the European Union, whose rules impose the metric system in all member states, the Conservative government in London, led at the time by Boris Johnson, announced that it wanted to amend British law to restore the honor of imperial units, thus embodying the new freedom United Kingdom.

But after a wide-ranging consultation in 2022, almost 99% of respondents said they wanted to keep the priority given to the metric system.

The British government is trying to sweeten its defeat by returning to the imperial system

“Even if the government does not change the law, a new directive will be issued to raise awareness of the current freedoms to display imperial units alongside their more prominent metric equivalents,” the British government said in a statement.

He also announced that a “broader review” of metrology rules was underway “in line with the government’s commitment to identify opportunities for reform” proposed by Brexit.

As a first step, from 20024 it will be possible to buy a “pint” of wine or sparkling wine (568ml) or even 200ml wine in bars, restaurants and supermarkets. Former Prime Minister Winston Churchill was reputed to be a fan of a pint of Pol Roger champagne, believing that half a bottle was not enough for one person at dinner.

After Brexit and the end of the transition period at the end of 2020, the UK has retained thousands of EU laws, but the Conservative government has begun editing provisions it believes are against Britain’s interests.

More than 1,000 European laws have been scrapped or changed by mid-2023, but faced with legal “risks”, the Tories have scaled back their short-term ambitions, British Trade Secretary Cammy Badenoch said.