Return of imperial measurement system to coincide with jubilee
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Return of imperial measurement system to coincide with jubilee

PRIME MINISTER Boris Johnson is planning to announce the return of imperial measurements to mark the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.

He is expected to say that British shops will be allowed to sell product in pounds and ounces, in what is a move being widely viewed as an attempt to garner support from Brexit voters in areas where conservative seats are in danger of being lost.

Government insiders told the Mirror that ministers are making the announcement on Friday to coincide with celebrations for the monarch's 70 years on the throne.

Since 2000, the UK has been abiding by the EU weights and measures directive which required traders to legally use the metric units for the sale by weight or measures of fresh produce.

However, it is still legal to price goods in funds and ounces, but they have to be displayed alongside the price in grams and kilograms.

The change would largely be a symbolic one, and has garnered criticism online as a deflection from more serious issues facing the country.

Few countries still use the imperial measurement system in 2022. The USA, Myanmar and Liberia are the only three that use it on a daily basis.

The imperial system is a measurement which uses units such as inches, miles and ounces to measure height, weight and distance.