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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| EU gives up on 'metric Britain' | EU gives up on 'metric Britain' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The European Union is set to confirm it has abandoned what became one of its most unpopular policies among many people in Britain. | The European Union is set to confirm it has abandoned what became one of its most unpopular policies among many people in Britain. |
| It is proposing to allow the UK to continue using pounds, miles and pints as units of measurement indefinitely. | It is proposing to allow the UK to continue using pounds, miles and pints as units of measurement indefinitely. |
| The European Commission will announce later it is leaving all future decisions to the British government. | The European Commission will announce later it is leaving all future decisions to the British government. |
| The decision is a victory for supporters of the ancient imperial system, the so-called "metric martyrs". | The decision is a victory for supporters of the ancient imperial system, the so-called "metric martyrs". |
| Beer and milk | Beer and milk |
| The UK had been due to set a date for phasing out all its imperial measurements within three years. | The UK had been due to set a date for phasing out all its imperial measurements within three years. |
| This would have meant setting a deadline for ending the traditional delivery of pints of milk - and the sale of pints of beer in Britain's pubs. | This would have meant setting a deadline for ending the traditional delivery of pints of milk - and the sale of pints of beer in Britain's pubs. |
| Every one of Britain's road signs would have had to be changed from miles to kilometres - a move which opponents warned would be both expensive and confusing. | Every one of Britain's road signs would have had to be changed from miles to kilometres - a move which opponents warned would be both expensive and confusing. |
| Steve Thoburn made headlines around the world over his campaign | Steve Thoburn made headlines around the world over his campaign |
| But it was the move, begun in 2000, to make Britain's market traders sell their produce in kilograms rather than pounds and ounces which caused outrage among traditionalists. | But it was the move, begun in 2000, to make Britain's market traders sell their produce in kilograms rather than pounds and ounces which caused outrage among traditionalists. |
| Sunderland grocer Steve Thorburn inspired the "metric martyr" movement with his defiance of the order to abandon the imperial measurements. | |
| In 2001, his scales were confiscated and he earned a criminal conviction for selling a pound of bananas from his market stall. | |
| He died unexpectedly from a heart attack three years ago - but it appears the campaign he founded has finally succeeded. | He died unexpectedly from a heart attack three years ago - but it appears the campaign he founded has finally succeeded. |
| In future, market traders will be allowed to show both metric and imperial prices for their goods. | |
| Under the plans which have now been scrapped, even displaying the price of fruit and vegetables in pounds and ounces would have been grounds for a criminal prosecution. | Under the plans which have now been scrapped, even displaying the price of fruit and vegetables in pounds and ounces would have been grounds for a criminal prosecution. |
| I want to bring to an end a bitter, bitter battle that has lasted for decades and which in my view is completely pointless Gunter Verheugen, industry commissioner Will we ever go metric? | I want to bring to an end a bitter, bitter battle that has lasted for decades and which in my view is completely pointless Gunter Verheugen, industry commissioner Will we ever go metric? |
| The decision to back down was made by Industry Commissioner Gunter Verheugen. | |
| His role includes trying to improve the EU's reputation in member states - and in an interview with the BBC, he admitted the EU had been making itself unpopular on an issue that didn't really matter. | His role includes trying to improve the EU's reputation in member states - and in an interview with the BBC, he admitted the EU had been making itself unpopular on an issue that didn't really matter. |
| "I organised a huge consultation, and the result was that industry told us there was no problem with the existing system. | "I organised a huge consultation, and the result was that industry told us there was no problem with the existing system. |
| "I want to bring to an end a bitter, bitter battle that has lasted for decades and which in my view is completely pointless. We're bringing this battle to an end." | "I want to bring to an end a bitter, bitter battle that has lasted for decades and which in my view is completely pointless. We're bringing this battle to an end." |
| Britain first mooted plans to convert to an all-metric system in 1965. | Britain first mooted plans to convert to an all-metric system in 1965. |
| That led to generations of schoolchildren being promised that they would be the last ones who would have to learn two different systems. | That led to generations of schoolchildren being promised that they would be the last ones who would have to learn two different systems. |