From old to new: In a demonstrative step, after Brexit, Great Britain is once again allowing the exclusive use of old weight units such as pounds and ounces.
Brexit supporters cheer the return to British traditions.
For them, the EU rules that legally stipulate uniform labeling were an emotional question.
“Take back control” was the motto of the Brexiteers.
The "metrical martyrdom" has ended, can now be heard in conservative circles.
Under EU rules, weight information had to be given in kilograms, for example in shops or supermarkets.
It is also celebrated that the royal crown can be stamped on pint beer glasses again.
The symbol - the "Crown Stamp" was for centuries proof of the correct calibration of the vessels, but in 2007 it had to give way to the EU-standardized CE mark.
The conservative newspaper “Daily Telegraph” also cheered the decision on Friday: “The“ Crown Stamp ”outlasted centuries and became a cornerstone of British life.
But even though she survived two world wars and the crumbling of the Empire, she had no chance against Brussels. "
With the return to values that are reminiscent of the imperial heyday of a great colonial empire, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is once again on the emotional map when trying to convince the country of its post-Brexit course of “Global Britain”.
The outcry was great when the trader Steven Thoburn was fined in 2001 for failing to sell bananas to the value of 34 pence (40 cents today) in kilograms.
The case is seen by many as the starting signal for Brexit.
"Regulatory meat grinder"
Johnson was also one of the critics. “Why are we forcing the British to use Napoleon's measurements when the imperial system in America, the world's most successful economy, survives and thrives,” he wrote at the time as editor-in-chief of the conservative weekly “Spectator”. After taking office as head of government in 2019, Johnson heralded an "era of generosity and tolerance": "We will bring back these ancient freedoms," he said. His Brexit representative David Frost announced that he would abolish the EU's “regulative meat grinder”, because of which Great Britain had to make “unsatisfactory compromises”.
But while conservatives cheer, critics can only shake their heads. "Our shelves are empty, but if they were full, we could buy things using a system that nobody who has left school since the 1970s knows," blasphemed a Times reader. Because of the Corona crisis and strict migration rules after Brexit, workers are desperately looking for workers in numerous industries, and there are always gaps in supermarkets.
Even in EU times, distances were given in miles on motorways, and the beer came in a pint glass. The British regularly give their sizes in feet and inches. But about ounces have almost completely disappeared from everyday life. Very few younger people should know that 16 ounces equals one pound and 2.2 pounds equals one kilogram and 14 pounds equals a stone. Experts warn of clutter and errors in the conversion, which could be ripped off consumers.
In the shadow of the emotional debate, there are also signs of changes that could have even more far-reaching consequences for relations between the EU and the UK. EU rules on financial services, data protection and genetically modified organisms, among other things, are to be abolished. "We intend to eventually change, replace or repeal all adopted EU laws that are right for Great Britain," thundered Johnson's Brexit representative Frost. Observers warn that this could exacerbate the already violent confrontation with Brussels.