BWMA

British Weights and Measures Association. Defending the use of imperial weights and measures, such as the mile, pint, and pound.

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

BWMA's letter this week to 200 Trading Standards Offices, regarding the ineptly handed consultation by the Office for Product Safety & Standards, and Dept for Business & Trade, into "choice in measurement".

@OfficeforSandS @biztradegovuk @CTSI_UK @ClarkeMicah @christopherhope

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

Spot the BBC’s mistake.

They should stick to Fahrenheit.

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

@christopherhope (Daily Telegraph) reports on the metric downsizing of Co-op marmalade, from 1lb quantities (454g) to 420g.

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

@JMCDelingpole Just listened to your interview with @taniaedwards. Regarding eggs going from dozens to cartons of ten, this is classic metric shrinkflation. Many more examples of sizes being reduced when switching from imperial sizes to metric here:
https://t.co/e3Snd9g0z9

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

BWMA's Warwick Cairns was recently on the "More Jam Tomorrow" podcast, discussing decimalisation: why Britain went decimal on money in 1971 but kept miles, pints, and the imperial holdouts.
Warwick joins from the 27-minute mark:
https://t.co/1bbb2gVMLf

[The Times and Sunday Times @thetimes]

Why the pint in a can is the value hit for home drinkers https://t.co/FckRaGnDDt

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

@DanielJHannan For the 50th anniversary, we published a booklet of rare material from the Anti-Decimal Association (formed 1967), which fought the change.
https://t.co/GZ6FObirsk

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

@YesterdaysBrit1 And full imperial quantities, unlike today.
https://t.co/e3Snd9gyoH

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

@PamLeigh9 @Jenny_1884 Yes, still widely used for garden allotments.

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

@Macbeveridge @Jenny_1884 Here's a page on the Metric Martyrs:
https://t.co/XJXWUXRELE

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

@Jenny_1884 @LesleyJohn36444 In case you're not aware, the British Weights and Measures Association exists to restore the lawful retail use of imperial units; our website is https://t.co/n0bXuT8CHC

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

@DesmondSwayne In 2023, the Supreme Court dismissed the idea of a Hierarchy of Acts, thereby re-asserting Parliament's authority - but not before allowing a 20-year period of constitutional uncertainty. 2/2

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

@DesmondSwayne In the "Metric Martyrs" judgment (Feb 2002), the High Court refused to apply the Weights & Measures Act 1985. Its stated justification was the invention of a Hierarchy of Acts, which subordinated later law to the European Communities Act 1972.
1/2

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

A shout-out to @Crumpton_Oaks for their cider pint can, and thanks to Stephen Dixon for the photograph.

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

Christopher Hope (Daily Telegraph) reports on the Commonwealth Games replacing the 1500m with the mile.

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

Christopher Hope in last month's Daily Telegraph:

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

@chrisgreybrexit >"One myth .. is that metrication was imposed on the UK by the EU"<

Before the EC, metric conversion was voluntary. The compulsory element came via an EC Directive in 1971. Imperial units were deauthorised by UK in 1995 & 2000 to meet Directive deadlines.
https://t.co/HNJlJ1FWq4

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

@BylineTimes @Kit_Yates_Maths 3/
The consultation did not affect the existing legal status of metric, and there's no basis for the belief that the government intended "large-scale increased use of the imperial system", since the consultation did not offer any actual proposal.

[BWMA @BWMAonline]

@BylineTimes @Kit_Yates_Maths 2/
Your article's claim that it has "never been illegal to sell products in imperial" is incorrect. Use of imperial units for trade is a criminal offence, there have been numerous convictions. Trade *must* be in metric, imperial shown alongside is merely additional information.