Minister can’t convert imperial measurements despite claim system is ‘universally understood’

A Government minister struggled to convert imperial measurements during an interview – despite Downing Street insisting the system was “universally understood”.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, the arts minister, gave an incorrect answer when Sky News tested his ability to convert grams into pounds and ounces.

Asked by Kay Burley how many ounces were in a pound, he replied 14 – though the correct answer is 16.

He was also asked how many grams of sausage he would get if he ordered a pound and replied 250g. But the minister remained some way off, as the correct answer is 450g.

It follows news that the Government will launch a consultation into how to further reincorporate imperial measurements in Britain to coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Since 2000, traders have been legally required to use metric units for sale-by-weight or the measure of fresh produce as part of an EU directive. It remains legal to price goods in pounds and ounces but they must be displayed alongside grams and kilograms.

Technology minister Chris Philip on Monday conceded it was “probably easier” for businesses to use the metric system but said it was “good to give people a choice so they can make their own minds up”.

Tory MPs have suggested the policy represents an attempt by No10 to shore up support for Mr Johnson on the right of the party following the publication of the explosive Sue Gray report.

Tobias Ellwood, MP for Bournemouth East and a former minister, said a return to imperial measurements was not the “visionary, progressive” thinking the party needs to be successful at the next general election.

“There will be some people in our party which will like this nostalgic policy in the hope that it’s enough to win the next election,” he said.

“But this is not the case. This is not one-nation Conservative thinking that is required to appeal beyond our base.”

Brexit-supporting MP Mark Francois, for Rayleigh and Wickford, said the move was about “freedom of choice”.

“There’s an important point of principle here,” he told Good Morning Britain, “which is that now we’ve left the EU, now we want to, if parliament decides to, we can divulge from all of these different directives and regulations that we inherited from the European Union”.