To mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the UK government has said that it will begin a review on Friday into how traders could begin to sell their products using imperial measurements.
Ministers had already suggested back in September that a review would happen into where UK law could further move away from EU regulations. It has now been confirmed that the process of looking into possible changes will begin this week to coincide with the Jubilee and last for three months.
Prime minister, Boris Johnson, has also taken the opportunity to pay tribute to the Queen as the nation marks her 70th year on the throne, saying: “With the first Platinum Jubilee ever, no monarch has ever served the country so long and, more importantly, no monarch has ever served it so well.
“Providing leadership and wisdom, this remarkable woman has dedicated her life to serving her people and to her beloved Commonwealth.
“With all that the past 70 years has thrown at us, Her Majesty has led her country from strength to strength under her steady guidance.
“Simply without parallel, she embodies the very idea of what a constitutional monarchy should be.”
Under EU rules, UK traders are allowed to display imperial measurements alongside metric, but the metric units must be displayed more prominently.
Rules over the use of metric units formed part of the EU regulations that were systematically copied over into UK law after Brexit. The review will now explore whether the law should change around this.
The regulation - which originates from EU laws implemented in 2000 - drew national headlines in 2001, after a group of market traders were convicted of selling goods advertised solely in imperial measurements. This incident remains the only occasion upon which the regulations have been enforced with criminal sanctions.
While Northern Ireland secretary, Brandon Lewis, believes that traders would be “pleased” with further post-Brexit “freedom” such as this, other MPs have talked down the significance of a potential change.
Tory MP Alicia Kearns said that “not one” of her constituents had asked for such a change to be brought in and called the move a “nonsense” rather than a “Brexit freedom”.
The Labour party has gone further with its criticisms, with Wallasey MP Angela Eagle saying that it was an attempt by ministers to “weaponise nostalgia”.
Labour’s shadow business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, also took aim at the government, saying: “Small businesses can measure the difference a Labour government would make in pounds and pence with our plan to cut taxes for pubs, cafes, and shops.”
Reynolds added: “The government should get on with tackling the cost of living and cutting costs for businesses. Labour backs British firms and will make Brexit work for them and consumers.”
Photo by Steve Johnson on Unsplash
