At a Reform UK press conference this week, Robert Jenrick and Nigel Farage launched a new Reform UK policy document, which includes a pledge to “Fully re-legalise Imperial units”.
This was just one of 64 policies described as “job-creating measures”. It was not made clear how re-legalising imperial units would create jobs, but one would imagine that there would be a need for more trading standards officers – to handle the more-complicated regulations needed, and there would be more work involved in the re-labelling of produce in non-standard units.
Needless to say, there was no announcement for a programme to switch all road signs to metric – a policy that would create real jobs in the short term, for a real benefit.
If, at this point, readers are feeling a sense of déjà vu, they would be correct. It was only 4 years ago that the previous Government announced a similar policy – being one of just a handful of ideas that were put forward “to take advantage of our Brexit freedoms”. At that time a public consultation was launched with the expectation that the public would lap up the idea, only for it to be comprehensively rejected, with 98.7% of more than 100 000 respondents being in favour of metric units.
Robert Jenrick was a Government Minister in 2022, so he either has a very short memory, or is a glutton for punishment for daring to repeat an attempt to bring back imperial units in defiance of the “will of the people”.
Following Farage’s decades-long, and ultimately-successful, campaign for Brexit, it is now widely accepted that Brexit has reduced the size of the economy by 5% to 8%, which equates to about £150 billion to £240 billion per year. It was with some considerable brass neck, therefore, that Farage chose to launch Reform’s new policies under a banner with the words “BRITAIN IS BROKE”.
At the press conference, Ben Wright of the BBC, asked Farage how re-legalising imperial units would help grow the economy. Farage failed to answer the question.
The announcement does not appear to have been taken seriously by the main stream press, and received little coverage. It was, however, widely ridiculed across social media.
The following responses were typical of many to be found on Bluesky and X/twitter:
MartyH @mogo-uk.bsky.social
I’m 64 years old and fell into that group that in school was never taught imperial, because we were going decimal. I have no concept of inches, pounds etc., I would be lost. So presumably only people in their 70s or 80s will vote for this, the perfect ReformUK audience.
Spartacuss @elbowsuk.bsky.social
I’m 67 and was a bricklayer. The thought of working in yards, feet, inches, and fractions thereof would irk the shit out of me. Metric was quickly and successfully introduced in the 60s because it is faster, simpler and more accurate.
Tomasz Oryński @orynski.eu
It’s not like it was fully implemented tho… Otherwise you would not be driving 5 miles to the pub to get a pint in a car that does 44 mpg, would you?
MartyH @mogo-uk.bsky.social
Quite correct. There are obviously these few things that were never changed. I have my sat nav set on kilometre because “turn right in 500 yards” means nothing to me.
Spartacuss @elbowsuk.bsky.social
I’m 67 so can do both. But my bathroom scales are set to kg, as they are in my kitchen. But I have a sense for feet, inches, yards, lbs, and even those f**king ridiculous stones! But there should have been moves to convert road measurements in the 70s in order that we joined the world.
References
Reform UK plan to ‘bring back imperial measurements’
https://www.thenational.scot/news/26668783.reform-uk-plan-bring-back-imperial-measurements/
Reform plan to ‘bring back imperial measurements’ as party announces list of pledges it says will create jobs
https://www.lbc.co.uk/article/reform-imperial-measurements-pledges-jobs-budget-5HjdkQh_2/
Britain is Broke – Reform UK press conference (youtube video: BBC question on imperial units @50:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N211hdrofMg
Reform UK policy document – page 28: “50. Fully re-legalise the use of Imperial units”
https://www.reformparty.uk/policies/economic-rescue-plan/download
Reform announced plans to bring back imperial measurements, and inched a little further towards political oblivion
https://www.thepoke.com/2026/10/27/reform-announced-plans-to-bring-back-imperial-measurements/
Government confirms metric measurement rules to stay as 99% reject greater use of imperial units
https://metricviews.uk/2023/12/27/government-confirms-metric-measurement-rules-to-stay-as-99-reject-greater-use-of-imperial-units/
Government Imperial Units consultation bedevilled by inaccuracy, bias, bodges and computer blunders
https://metricviews.uk/2022/11/06/government-imperial-units-consultation-bedevilled-by-inaccuracy-bias-bodges-and-computer-blunders/
Choice on units of measurement: consultation response
https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/choice-on-units-of-measurement-markings-and-sales/outcome/choice-on-units-of-measurement-consultation-response
Brexit is Costing the UK £100 Billion a Year in Lost Output
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-01-31/brexit-is-costing-the-uk-100-billion-a-year-in-lost-output
Brexit cost 6% of UK economy, Bank of England company data suggests
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg75npqkq4o
Reform UK is totally daft. Let’s hope Labour makes the right moves to advance the metric system in the UK.
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