The following is a verbatim extract from a letter sent on House of Commons notepaper by Sarah Teather M.P., recent Liberal Democrat victor in the Brent East by-election, to a constituent of hers, BWMA member and Maths teacher Robin Willow (composer of the stirring pro-Imperial measures song, 'Sound as a Pound':

"...it does seem to me to be illiberal to criminalise people who sell in measures that their customers want. I believe, as a liberal, that we should let the market decide which measure survives, and that we should certainly not seek to put essentially law-abiding people in prison for transgressing this rule [selling in pounds and ounces]"


P.S. I liked that 9-letter word: 'certainly'

Stirring song? Let's have a look at it.

This letter is a good example to show how ill-informed people are about the issue of trade law.

We never have "let the market decide" when it comes to units for trade even before Jan 2000.

In any case the penalty for breaches of these laws are financial only.

re (Stan): "This letter is a good example to show how ill-informed people are about the issue of trade law. We never have 'let the market decide' when it comes to units for trade even before Jan 2000".

REPLY: It is always dangerous to go around finger-pointing and accusing others of things - in this case, allegedly being 'ill-informed'.

The fact is that in 1896, the Weights and Measures (Metric System) Act was passed. This Act effectively allowed producers, traders and buyers to adopt metric units for sale if they wanted to. Virtually no-one did until Sir Douglas Jay cam along in 1965 and said that Britain was going to 'go metric'

re (Bryan Parry): "Stirring song? Let's have a look at it"


REPLY: Here it is:

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CHORUS

Sound as a pound, our brave English heroes
Sound as a pound, selling fish, meat, potatoes
Let hearts never waver, nor defence ever sleep
By good English measure
Our pounds we must treasure
And stand up for the right - our traditions to keep

VERSE 1

Let's honour our traditions, let's do what is right
Remembering our history, walking in the light

VERSE 2

Let our children learn respect and a spirit of honour
Our qualities of justice in their hearts to flower

VERSE 3

For hundreds of years our pounds have been used
The right to continue must not be refused

VERSE 4

These new metric measures are imposed by the few
They claim they are better, but this just isn't true

VERSE 5

Now schools only teach metric, kids cannot resist
They don't know the importance of ideas they've missed

VERSE 6

Courage and honour are still to be found
Our brave English heroes, selling goods by the pound

VERSE 7

Resistance to tyranny, our loud warning shout
Freedom for England, kick the Euros out

_____________________________________________________
Copyright protected by Robin Willow, Songwriter, London

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The fact is that in 1896, the Weights and Measures (Metric System) Act was passed. This Act effectively allowed producers, traders and buyers to adopt metric units for sale if they wanted to. Virtually no-one did until Sir Douglas Jay cam along in 1965 and said that Britain was going to 'go metric'
>>

The recommendation to go metric had been put forward on several occassions by house of Commons select committees, the last one in 1950. Sir Douglas Jay did not act in isolation.

As for me being ill-informed, I stand by what I said. Your reference to an Act passed as long ago as 1896 only proves my point. Units for trade have always been controlled in law. The liberal world Miss Teather believes in doesn't exist. Since 1896 a number of Imperial units have been outlawed like the stone and hundredweight, but no one made a big libertarian fuss about them.

The fact the she was lead to believe that the maketeers could go to jail for it ony shows how persuasive a bit of emotive language can be.

Stan, I believe she may have staff to furnish her with relevent information.

You're looking at it in the wrong way and not seeing the point behind her notion.