Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
2017 published comments with 141 censored.
The following comments were censored from this thread on the BBC's 'Have Your Say' section of their news website.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
We've been metric for decades. Only the stupid or the ancient prefer imperial measures.
Unfortunately that makes up the majority of the population.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
So-called "Metric Martyrs" are a bunch of saddos.
Get a life !
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"I am happy to report these Luddites to trading standards, and happier to see them prosecuted."
Get a life. Anal jobsworths like yourself need to be ridden out of town on a rail!
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
""It's worse than that. It makes the UK more expensive. European products have to be converted, just for us. It reduces the size of our market and makes us less competitive.
Not being in the Euro does exactly the same. No wonder we live in Rip Off Britain.
Liberal and Left Are, Mutually Exclusive""
More lies.
Give me on solid example instead of this BS.
Why not argue your case on its merits - if any can be found other than the death of the nation state (socialist dream), instead of resorting to half baked scare mongering lie tactics to hoodwink the people.
We have had more enough of those left wing antics for one decade thank you.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
So, there's still an Empire, is there?
[neonsquirrel], Dublin, Ireland
Not since Easter 1916 haha
You should know that!
Seriously though I think Imperial in this case refers to Roman measures!
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
No diversity will be tolerated by the EU Stalinist State, or by the insulting lefty fifth columners here in the UK it seems.
Look at the rabid language the pro EU lobby is using here - insulting, demeaning attacks on patriots.
No dissent will be allowed in the brave new EU.
Resistance is Futile.
Your country will be assimilated........
....unless we actually get ourselves a real leader who believes in Britian & democracy & gives us a referendum on leaving.
Britain! Britain! Britain!.
Out! Out! Out!.
Now! Now! Now!.
End the politicians career gravy train!
Leave them to it.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
It is a pity that the majority of the UK are so thick they cannot see that just moving a decimal point left or right is so much easier and quicker than dividing or multiplying by odd numbers (12, 1,760 etc) No wonder the UK education system is one of the worst in europe.
[cunnind], La Chatre, France
thanks for you racist input! i want the freedom to choose what i want to use to measure! just follow your leaders with your blinkers on !!!
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
I am happy to report these Luddites to trading standards, and happier to see them prosecuted.
Karen White, Beverley, Humberside, United Kingdom
Spoken like a true agent of the EU Superstate.
Be afraid everyone - collaborators like Karen are serious - they would sell out their own people in a New York minute to please their new European masters.
Righty RightProud, Coalville
She is only obeying the law. So I suppose it is ok to break the law as long as it fits your own political viewpoints. This sort of arguement is used by the radical terrorists of the world.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Britain! Britain! Britain!.
Out! Out! Out!.
Now! Now! Now!.
Righty RightProud, Coalville
thats worryingly close to national front chants of the seventies & early eighties, or is that your intent.
Richard Hill, Birmingham, United Kingdom
Yes it is his/her intent. Very NF. I wonder if he/she wears white material over his/her head and body with two eye slots?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"leftwing lefty, United Kingdom
You lot have been breaking inconvenient laws for years, now you scream 'uphold the law'... pinko hypocrite"
Metamagic Anti-EU Jedi, Somewhere in GLORIOUS ENGLAND, United Kingdom
No. That's a silly comment. It is your lot who whinge and mutter seditious and borderline illegality whenever you find another (your words) "stealth tax". And everything is a
"stealth tax" according to the addled likes of you.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"The EU can only dream of emulating what this "little Britain" achieved on the global stage - & will achieve again."
Righty Rightwing
Is this poster actually serious?
Is he sitting at home with Rule Brittania playing on his 78rpm gramaphone and waxing his luxuriant handlebar moustache while his 'memsahib' scrubs the floor on her hands and knees.
Is he really playing the old "Great British Empire" nostalgia card?
Ah... remember Mafeking? What a wonderful day that was, what?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
The Gweat Bwitish Pubwic are a Pwoud Wace! We will NEVER suwender to the Johnny-come-latelys and Young Turks who think the can test our wesolve. Oh No!
The Metwic system is a FOREIGN system and we will not have it. People of Bwitain I say to you, “Wemember who you are! You are Impewial! History has pwoved we are chosen to lead! To lead in the world and to lead in Measurements!”
I say, “Down with the ugly Fwench Kilogwam! Up with the lovely Bwitish Pound.”
God Save the Queen!
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"The EU can only dream of what this "little Britain" achieved on the global stage" Righty Rightwing
"Yeah, here in Athens and in neighbouring Rome we can only dream..." Elias Kostopoulos, Athens
(David Coleman) "So round 7 then and... Oh my goodness! that's an enormous right-hook from the big european. Righty didn't see it at all. He was too busy showboating to the crowd and now he's spark out on the canvas...
1...2...3...
and I don't think he's going to make it, his head's lolling feebly as he tries to sit up
4...5...6...
he seems to be trying to focus on the ref's fingers
7...8...9...
IT'S ALL OVER. Righty's knocked out of this competition by The Athenian Bull
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
This post was recommended by over two dozen people (that's 24 if you're from Europe) then removed by moderators, rather reinforcing the point about jobsworths don't you think?
"I am happy to report these Luddites to trading standards, and happier to see them prosecuted."
Get a life. Anal jobsworths like yourself need to be ridden out of town on a rail!
Note to moderators and whoever complained about the original post: cram it with walnuts, ugly!
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
We all know cm were only invented so Frenchmen could kid themselves about the size of their cockerels.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"I can't wait until I get my French citizenship."
Indeed.
France is an economic region of the European Union.
It ceased to be a sovereign state when it surrendered its currency.
You are, therefore, are going to be a citizen of the EU.
Nothing more.
You be ashamed of Great Britain. You be embarrassed about Great Britains people.
I only wish you could convince the other anti British fifth columners living in Great Britain to follow you into EU citizenship - which I hope they will after they lose THE referendum - if we are ever allowed one.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
If you looked beyond your borders, you might learn something.
Martje Ross
Arrogant as ever.
What did your father actually do in WW2?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"If you looked beyond your borders, you might learn something."
Martje Ross
Ssshhh. The fact the Netherlands is like Britain except civilised is a sectret I'd like to keep from the ignoramuses of HYS.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"What did your father actually do in WW2?"
Righty Rightwing
I'll bet it wasn't reading the Daily Mail - like your ancestors - and supporting Hitler right up until the declaration of war. You are a cheap pathetic little fool.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"What did your father actually do in WW2?"
Righty Rightwing
Probably living in misery and trying to keep his family alive. You are a silly little ignoramus to try to use this: their deprivations were almost certainly worse that what your family went through in the UK. Anything to make a point. Put your top hat on and crawl under a stone.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"Arrogant as ever.What did your father actually do in WW2?"
Righty Rightwing
"The EU can only dream of emulating what this "little Britain" achieved on the global stage - & will achieve again."
Righty Rightwing
Righty, you make me wanna throw sometimes, you know? You're truly narrow-minded with ZERO charm or humour. Your hypocrisy is breathtaking and your windbag pompousness is sickening.
You a poor example of a decent british person.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"What did your father actually do in WW2?"
Righty Rightwing
I'll bet it wasn't reading the Daily Mail - like your ancestors - and supporting Hitler right up until the declaration of war. You are a cheap pathetic little fool.
Tanya Chang, Wolverhampton,
What was your ancestor doing in the war John, a little jobsworth rationing the food sent to the troops fron Catterick, or working the laundry perhaps?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
The last line of "Rule Britannia" is "Britons, never never shall be slaves" So there!
Anne Wotana Kaye, London, United Kingdom
I REALLY hate to inform you...but the British Empire is dead I'm afraid. Didn't you get invited to the funeral?
Quit beating a dead horse, take the mule, it's better than having no ride at all.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
HYS is a festival of negativity. NOT ONE positive suggestion is ever vocied here, only criticism. HYS is dominated by losers from all sides of the poltical spectrum.
The Devil's Advocate
So, let me get this straight - you are criticising everyone else on HYS for being critical? As Bart Simpson would say, the ironing is delicious!
On the other hand, admitting that you are a loser is the first step towards recovery. Well done for being brave and putting your name in the hat.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"All these silly little comments from the metric camp - the EU has given us nothing - it was trying to take something away and rightly though better of its self - I would love to know why it even assumed it had authority to think it could interfere with the internal workings of the UK"
Michael Hall, Chipping Norton, United Kingdom
BECAUSE YOU SIGNED UP TO IT!
What has it given you? Nothing? No.... it's given you peace since 1945 and meant that I didn't get drafted to sort out your sorry mess like we Americans did TWICE last century.
That's nothing to you? You're so naive it hurts.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Am i right. Arent a lot of people talkimg total poo here?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Well, the USA hasn't abandoned it's system yet. And the UK shouldn't have to abandon the system it has used for centuries. I may not understand how much a stone weighs, or how tall a hand is, but I except that the measurements are valid.
Why should anyone have to give up the measurement system that they are used to? I like my pints and I like the idea of not having to go to litres and mL. Not to mention that grams make less sense to me unless one is being scientific.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Please explain. This is a reactively moderated site. Why is there a moderation queque of over 1000 postings?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"What has it given you? Nothing? No.... it's given you peace since 1945 and meant that I didn't get drafted to sort out your sorry mess like we Americans did TWICE last century.
That's nothing to you? You're so naive it hurts."
Loo Read, Noo Yoak
Oh, look it's Mr...
"Yeah? I'm a professor at Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Berkely AND the University of Ulan Bator. So I'm real smart. Can anyone beat that?"
What are you a professor of?
I met an American lady in Switzerland who was a professor of the viola!
What's your major?
The triangle?
Star trek from William Shatner to Patrick Stewart?
And you only turned up in WW2 AFTER Pearl Habour, before that y'all didn't care.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"We are not Europeans we are British"
I can't stop laughing!
L P "
Sorry to rain on your parade L P but there are an awful lot of older people who think exactly like that. Europe is "over there".
I find it rather quaint myself, like Imperial measures but, as we know, differences of opinion will not be tolerated in Euroland.
Ask the protesters who were in Brussells today what happens if you dare stand against the EUSSR.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
We are not Europeans we are British who have closer links to the Americans than any European counrty. People seem to forget what language the Americans speak and where they originated from, namely Britain.
Edward Thomas, Aylesbury, United Kingdom
Speak for yourself! I speak English, not Hillbilly. I use English spelling, not Kindergarten US. US measures are smaller than ours anyway (gallons and tons), because they revel in being awkward and different. If you like America so much, go and live there. I see the UK's future in Europe, not as sidekick to a rabid superpower. I can use either metric or imperial due to my hobbies, but was taught only imperial at school.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
i think since we have this special relationship, it's time that the UK drops the imperial meassurments and adapts the american ones.
it's just fair, americans are not that intelligent and it would be nice for the UK to make our lives easier..........ohhhh ups the brits are that intelligent, they were not able to cope with the metric system.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"So the fact we have a different language to the French, Greeks, Germans, Spanish etc"
Robert, Belfast
Robert missed out English in his 'we'!Incidentally, the French, Greeks, Germans and Spanish each have their own languages. I have defended Britain's historic system over the years but time has worn the edge off it! The sooner Britain goes 100% metric the better. It should have been done in 1971, no one would remember that lbs means pounds, in which there are 16oz which means ounces. It is a system which allowed more subdivision in wholes than metric but who needs to go into so many places after the point? After eight "points" it may be a different matter!
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Gibson Mel, the British people were conned into joining the EU by Heath and others. That is how the EU works. The Norwegians could see they would lose their fishing grounds and refused to join. As for Ireland, if someone said they were going to stuff your pockets with £50 notes would you refuse?
Iceland, Norway and Switzerland were voted the best places in the world to live . They are not doing too bad not being part of the EU!
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
I believe that children should be taught about the EU at school.
How decisions were made behind closed doors.
Why auditors would not sign off the accounts.
Why we do not have referendums in the UK despite the sacrifice of millions in 2 wars to protect freedom and self determination.
Why secretive groups like the Bilderberg influence the EU project - why so called moderate politicians fall for its dubious charms.
Why ordinary people can not be trusted to express an opinion on the developing project - and the hideous waste this monster produces.
But then, I am an ordinary person - not trusted to hold the correct opinion !
Politicians know best - don't they ?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Why did this measure come from the EC and not from our own parliament? We trade with the US who still use Imperial measures, and this is a sensible and practical move. I'm glad at last that someone has agreed that we don't have to kowtow to the Great EC Parliament in all things!
[Hoyus1]
Are you deaf? The US DOES NOT USE IMPERIAL MEASURES.
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACT THAT IT IS A LEGAL REQUIREMENT TO SELL IN METRIC UNITS.
The BBC has made things much worse by getting their reporting wrong, in the name of making it as easy as possible.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
The Europeans run our utilities and our telecoms. We are geographically in Europe. You either want to trade in a bloc with attendant positives in an increasingly global trading market, or suffer pariah status. Which is happening.
To believe that we are anything but European is blind ignorance. Rather trade with Germany than with a militarist immoral despot.
Stop banging the jingo drum Righty and accept that the future can only be influenced if we are part of it.
Be patriotic and help form a Governement that cares for it's people, instead of preaching division.
Our Queen is German, don't forget. You should be tied to her if you think you're English. And her bloke's a Greek.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"Why auditors would not sign off the accounts.
[LittleDavel]"
They won't sign off the accounts because they can't sign off the accounts of *member governments*.
The UK accounts have never been signed off (wonder why...). The result is that the EU accounts *can't* be signed off.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Lawrence of Guernsey: "Yes. They are so authoritarian. You can see that all through the Eurozone. Oppression, terrible human rights, restriction of movement. No elections. Hell, it's just like Stalin isn't it? I didn't realise.Put your gob away and look at the reality."
The reality? How about: Working time directive, Copenhagen directive, road pricing, health and safety legislation, COSH, immigration law etc - all IMPOSED by the EU and much of it unwanted by the British. QED.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
I suggest that Britian leaves the EU. The only country in the EU that drives on the wrong side of the road, the only country that follows the imperical system, the only country that has bad weater all year, the only country that has congestion charges and useless and expensive public transport. Throw Britain out of the EU, they are too uncultured anyway to be part of the EU in the 1st place. It would make everyone's life easier if the UK was out of Europe for good; why not even make the UK part of the USA, i'm sure the USA would love to have the Brits. Afterall, they've adopted the same culture and values.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
The reality? How about: Working time directive, Copenhagen directive, road pricing, health and safety legislation, COSH, immigration law etc - all IMPOSED by the EU and much of it unwanted by the British. QED.
Andrew Howlett, Manchester
Hardly bad are they? I mean, it's an organisation trying to harmonise a massive, diverse population so THAT EVERY SINGLE MEMBER CAN ENJOY THE SAME RIGHTS AND FEEDOMS AS EVERY OTHER MEMBER and that the national divisions that cause war and resource mismanagement are eroded for the time when we run out of resources. Look at the big picture.
Staying in our shell will leave us as just an antiquated shell. A tourist oddity.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
If we did the latter our industry and business would suffer in the long term.
leftwing lefty, United Kingdom
Lefty,
We have more than enough examples here on HYS of just how much you want the death of the nation state & for Great Britain to be completely immersed in a foreign culture, run by a foreign Government with a President.
The EU is a con - the question asked way back in the 70's was "Do you want to remain a part of the EEC" - not a word about Foreign Laws, a President, a Common Foreign Policy, Embassies all over the world & the complete overun of British Law by Napoleonic based Law.
That is unacceptable
We want democracy, a new referendum with all the facts open.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"The only country in the EU that drives on the wrong side of the road"
What about Ireland, Malta and Cyprus? What's the connection? They're all islands!
And Sweden only changed over in 1967.
Japan also drives on the sames side as us.
Again historical to do with cavalry charges always pass on the left to allow more reach (assuming your sword is in your right hand) The French revolution changed this for changes sake. They also had a 10 day week and a 10 month year etc. But that didn't work either!
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Righty Rightwing
We live in a world governed by big business, not politicians. This is as a result of right wing ideology. The acts coming out of Europe are primarily designed to balance the protection of human rights with business interests, You see, it is being proved that you cannot run a society on market forces only. It leaves the majority of HUMANS in poverty. Something is needed to be done and they're having a crack at it.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
We have spent billions spreading democracy to the "hearts & minds" of the Middle East & we have funded 6 vanity wars for socialist Neo Labour.
Where is the democracy for the Great British people, McStalin?
Great Britain out.
Righty Rightwing
Spreading democracy to the middle east. hahahaha. This is the funniest post of the day. You really are insane. Spreading democracy! What democracy? Our democratic right to kill innocent people and steal their oil. You are insane. The right wingers are insane.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
If the EU think that this "little" concession to Great Britain will be enough to stop the growing chorus demanding DEMOCRACY they are grossly mistaken.
We want a referendum on not only the EU Treaty / Constitution as promised to the electors by McStalins Government, we want the opportunity to leave the EU full stop for ever.
""President Barroso the First"" may have a nice ring to it, but I will never accept a President as my Head of State.
We have spent billions spreading democracy to the "hearts & minds" of the Middle East & we have funded 6 vanity wars for socialist Neo Labour.
Where is the democracy for the Great British people, McStalin?
Great Britain out.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
The Euro is one of the most powerful currencies in the world
leftwing lefty
If that is the case why do several countries using Euros want to return to their original currencies? Can you tell me how a European Central Bank can set interest rates for many countries, all with different economic circumstances? The Euro is another EU disaster, dreamed up by faceless bureaucrats in Brussels and is totally meaningless in the context of modern economies with their widely varying economic situations.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"Why auditors would not sign off the accounts.
[LittleDavel]"
There was a House of Lords report on the EU budget and its audit status late last year. It says the issues are pretty much overblown and they hold themsleves to a standard others (eg national governments) don't so are bound to fail audit. Compared with the UK audit commission reports on tax credit overpayments, IT projects, CSA debacle etc, the alleged EU audit problems are actually small beer. The HoL investigation was not presented with any evidence of a culture of corruption in the Commission. The UK Audit office, if asked to sign off the UK accounts to the same standard as the EU, would be unable to do so.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"What you mean is 'we will never have a debate where everyone agrees that the EU is better than Britain'"
No Anthony, what I mean is, I do not consider "No diversity will be tolerated by the EU Stalinist State", references to EU fifth columns, accusations that there is a conspiracy to invade us again, references to the steam age and battle cries reminiscent of 1945 to be intelligent debate.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
--- Quote ----
Worst debate ever
badger fruit, leeds, United Kingdom
---- end -----
Worst reply ever..........
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Why should everything 'new' or 'European' automatically be better than anything traditional or British? The people making these claims are as bigoted and fundamentalist as any little Englander.
Do you ever hear anyone calling the French 'Little Frenchies' for protesting about English words entering the French language or forcing the European parliament to relocate to Strasbourg every month at a cost of billions to EU taxpayers to appease French nationalists?
Why should our trading partners have any say in whether the British people chose to use their own system of measures? The only government that should have any say in our affairs is the national government we vote for.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
What you mean is 'we will never have a debate where everyone agrees that the EU is better than Britain'. In fact, the pro-EU lobby has no interest in debate, hence the resistance to a national debate and referendum on the European treaty.
Anthony Karas
I am pro Euro and want to debate but the anti europeans get all hysterical and start calling people names and lying and saying evil words. Look at Right Wing righties childish posts which 285 people have reccomended. His/Her posts are not interested in debate but are name calling and mass hysteria. Very sad but I am up for debate.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"Our Queen is German, don't forget": Lawrence Aegerter
Actually, no. The Queen was born in England, to parents who were born in England and lived their lives in England. No wonder you are so confused about the EU.
Your desperate claim that we would be a pariah state outside the EU is risible, given that our trade is of critical importance to it. Besides, the EU's lack of democratic legitimacy, coupled with the serious fractures among the meditteranean countries caused by the euro, means that a break-up is inevitable. The demise of the whole edifice and it's corrupt, self-serving institutions will be to the benefit of us all.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"...Europe is NOT evil personified...Until we grow up, stop painting things so black and white, we will never have an intelligent debate on this subject.
Mark Goddard
...the pro-EU lobby has no interest in debate, hence the resistance to a national debate and referendum on the European treaty." - Anthony Karas
Do you truly believe there would be a debate on the real issues, the true benefits and the actual pitfalls? Take a look at this page and tell me how many here, on both sides, wouldn't vote based on gut instinct and prejudice. It wouldn't be a referendum, it would be a joke. People on both sides would rather suffer poverty and hardship than question their position.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
...and English politicians in England?
Thrusting Raspberry III, Eastbourne
we have a scottish priminister. keep your idiotic thinking to yourself.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
To kesh bush
Righty Rightwing was making an anti-war statement you complete idiot!
You know, it beggers belief that the so-called 'liberal-left' on here think you're being a "xenaphobic little Englander" because you believe that being arrested for displaying Imperial measurements is absured.
No doubt you would have found Hitler 'exotic' because he was a foreigner, and we British as 'ray-sist" for opposing him.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Backward Britain. It should be kicked out of Europe never mind pull out.
Barrie Redfern, Slovenia
Barrie - brilliant idea - I am paying through my tax for Slovenia and all the other tin pot Eastern European nations who donate NOTHING to Europe - so by all means kick out the biggest donater in financial terms - lets spend the money saved on new hospitals, and better pensions
P.s. Are you Slovenian or just a trecherous Brit?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
No Anthony, what I mean is, I do not consider "No diversity will be tolerated by the EU Stalinist State", references to EU fifth columns, accusations that there is a conspiracy to invade us again, references to the steam age and battle cries reminiscent of 1945 to be intelligent debate.
Mark Goddard
Yes! It's complete and utter nonsense. Only when people stop pretending they know what Europe means will they get a referendum. All this 'it's just like Stalin' is so completely ignorant it hurts to read it.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
What you mean is 'we will never have a debate where everyone agrees that the EU is better than Britain'. In fact, the pro-EU lobby has no interest in debate, hence the resistance to a national debate and referendum on the European treaty.
Anthony Karas
Actually, some of us, like Keith Vaz, do want the debate and the referendum. If only to silence the lying tabloid hysteria for a generation. As I have said before, a referendum is actually a win for Pro-EU whatever the result. If we leave the EU, Britain would be on its knees in 5 years, we would then re-enter and the europhobes would be silenced. If the referendum was a YES to the EU, the europhobes would be silenced. Bring it on.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"We have more than enough examples here on HYS of just how much you want the death of the nation state & for Great Britain to be completely immersed in a foreign culture, run by a foreign Government with a President" - Righty Rightwing
What nonsense. What is this "foreign culture"? No two European countries have the same culture and all of them are as culturally varied within themselves as the UK is.
This "foreign government" you speak of would have as much input from the UK as any other country (and more than some) if only we could stop holding our noses and keeping the EU at arms length.
I'm constantly amazed at the lack of national confidence displayed by anti-EU "patriots".
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"Only when people stop pretending they know what Europe means will they get a referendum. All this 'it's just like Stalin' is so completely ignorant it hurts to read it."
Lawrence Aegerter, Guernsey, United Kingdom
Only when people understand anything will they be able to discuss and debate it. On the topic of Europe, I can't see that being anytime before 2050 as far as Britain is concerned.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
They had to force the issue and, hence, are resisted.
The British are fantastic at changing and "progressing" but it needs to happen in it's own time.
No point in "kicking against the pricks"
(Note- Moderator, it is Biblical, not swearing.)
Andrew Greaves, Gloucester, United States
I agree so why did we invade Iraq to enforce democracy and steal their oil. We do the same to other middle eastern countries and criticise China. Should they not develop democracy in their own time?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Great Britain needs to become more like Europe who have lower crime rates, better education and health, better industry (in some cases) and the people are nicer than they are here :)
pclefty lefty
They also get the lion's share of the EU budget which UK taxpayers have to fork out for.
The French ,Spanish and Italians don't toe the line on matters such as food and animal welfare and I dare say quite a lot of other matters of EU policy. I really can't see the problem if we can speak metric to the rest of the EU, label stuff we sell them as they wish and be "bi lingual"in our measures.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"We need to be like Captain Picard, fight back by having a referendum and tell the EU to get lost."
St George England, Wokingham England
Captain Picard is French ; )
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Throw Britain out of the EU!
Pierre Francois, London/Paris, France
And France will make up the shortfall in funds? Love to see that happening.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
The anti-Eu 'patriots' might want to research how influential British legal and political thought was in creating the EEC/EC/EU.
Don't worry - the the knee-jerk brigade won't. It'll undermine their whole anti-Europosity. As every 8-year-old knows, there's nothing so satisfying as a pointless rant.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
'Let the baby have the rattle'
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Europe is not a country, the US is, people are smart enough to be able to understand that in a different country things are different, the UK is not connected to Europe by land and there is no need whatsoever for things to be the same.
Jenny King
Nobody is saying that everything is to be the same. The banana stories aren't even true. Made up by Murdoch. Probably. I have no fear that i'm going to be made to speak French/German, that my food will be made nicer, that i will be forced to sing deutschland uber alles. Why are the English? If we aren't mature enough as a nation to accept our responsibilities in the world, ie. being rich and powerful, then we need some foreign education.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Righty Right Wing and the rest - you are wanting your cake and also want to eat it, to be a world player, to be independent, to be economically sucessful, without a very close union you can't get ALL these things.
To me the real scandals is not the harmonisation of measures but the harmonisation of price THE ORIGINAL FREE MARKET plan - the UK pays over the odds for many manufactured goods services by a huge margin - a Renault Megan Coupe on the road vis 12500 euro in Spain and in the UK ?.....flights are marked up by 20-30% ETC ETC. Our government should be investigating the why of these huge price discrepencies and perhaps require sellers of goods etc to publish european price lists.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
It would make everyone's life easier if the UK was out of Europe for good; why not even make the UK part of the USA, i'm sure the USA would love to have the Brits. Afterall, they've adopted the same culture and values.
Pierre Francois, London/Paris, France
Excuse me, please don't presume to speak for us. I have never heard ANY American, in my entire life, express an interest in making GB an American state. GB is a sovereign nation like our own. Like France. Why is this always a talking point in every argument regarding GB's membership in the EU? As far as culture/values, who do you think established this nation? Why do people in Haiti speak French? Why aren't they in the EU?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"the UK is not connected to Europe by land and there is no need whatsoever for things to be the same."
Jenny King
The UK is part of Europe whether you like it or not. And even if you mean "Continental Europe", we are so close you can see it; close enough to be connected by train; and close enough to get cheap flights all over. Trying to disconnect ourselves from nearest neighbours just because they do some things differently is self-defeating and petty-minded.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"We need to be like Captain Picard, fight back by having a referendum and tell the EU to get lost."
St George England, Wokingham England
Captain Picard is French ; )
H A
He was a Belgian!
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
They vicariously transfer the successes of others over the centuries to themselves to create some artificial self-worth. As a consequence, they see the EU not just as a threat to superficial traditions like systems of weights and measures, but as a threat to their fragile self-esteem.
Dan Dover
Yes, don't forget it was an Englishman who said "Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel"
A true patriot would have the intelligence and confidence to know that Britain is extremely influential in Europe, that part of our present prosperity is rooted in EU membership and that we are truly European as well as British. The EU broadens our scope it does not hinder us.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Hope all is well in the village. So you're happy with a United Kingdom, reigned over by a German, married to a Greek.
Lawrence Aegerter, Guernsey, United Kingdom
Actually he is a German too as were all of the Greek Royal family.. Battenburgs until they changed their name to Mountbatten through embarasment. Same as the Saxe Coburg Gothas err I mean Windsors
And Guernsey is not in the UK! :-)
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"He was a Belgian!"
Bingo-Jane For President, United Kingdom
I can assure you that Jean-Luc Picard was French.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"We need to be like Captain Picard, fight back by having a referendum and tell the EU to get lost."
St George England, Wokingham England
If we are going to talk about this in terms of Star Trek, then I would much rather be a member of the United Federation of Planets than be living on Romulus!
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"Who cares? he either smelt of garlic or had no sense of humour.
The only reason for the European mainland is so that the British do not have to have battles on their own soil."
Atom John, Derby Uk, United Kingdom
Er. OK. You do know the Saxon kings William of Normandy replaced were raging Europhiles who would not dream of being 'educated' in England?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"He was a Belgian!"
Bingo-Jane For President, United Kingdom
I can assure you that Jean-Luc Picard was French.
Martin R, London
Who cares? he either smelt of garlic or had no sense of humour.
The only reason for the European mainland is so that the British do not have to have battles on their own soil.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"I can assure you that Jean-Luc Picard was French."
Surely you mean he WILL be French?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"I can assure you that Jean-Luc Picard was French."
And they named Picardy after him?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
If these countries can be proud of their heritage and culture AND wish to collaborate with other EU countries for their common good, why are we afraid to?
Yorkshire Jim
Because the people that run the Media and Business know that they'll start losing influence on the thinking of English people. They are able to peddle their wares at inflated prices, and tap into the long held English paranoia victim mentality and sell it as patriotism.
They talk about not following like sheep, yet we are sleepwalking, or have sleptwalked into a democracy that puts businesses over the public. This is wrong.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
The EU can only dream of emulating what this "little Britain" achieved on the global stage - & will achieve again.
Great Britain out of the undemocratic, unaccountable EU.
Give us a vote on it McStalin.
Righty Rightwing
Oh dear, the fact that this is the most recommended comment shows once again how many people prefer to believe addled tabloid leader writers rather than listen to real facts. The EU is not undemocratic, you may notice that you vote for the European parliament, and in national elections vote for the parties that represent in the council of ministers. Unelected commissioners only RECOMMEND policies they cannot impose them, policies are agreed by elected politicians
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
I can assure you that Jean-Luc Picard does not actually exist.
I'm of for a PINT or 10 or maybe even a DOZEN!
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Er. OK. You do know the Saxon kings William of Normandy replaced were raging Europhiles who would not dream of being 'educated' in England?
Martin R, London
Probably not, the "patriots" seem to have only a flimsy grasp of our history.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"Er. OK. You do know the Saxon kings William of Normandy replaced were raging Europhiles who would not dream of being 'educated' in England?
Martin R, London "
The title 'king' suggests that they might be members of a royal famly - and therefore had their exam results fiddled. Any 'education' was consequently wasted.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
A rose by any other name?
One swallow doth not Anne Summers make.
Call it an yard, call it a metre: the span of our lives will not be altered by this torrent of semantic.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Why? Because some progressive intellectuals are seeing that to manage the resources for billions of people should be external to petty nationalist politics.
Lawrence Aegerter, Guernsey, United Kingdom
Whose resources? Thats the main issue. If we join the Euro etc we sign away the right to manage our own economy which means we get the interest rates that suit central europe forced on us... this means our morgage repayments don't match the state of the housing market (as is happening in Ireland) and we suffer. Why would we want to agree to this? Its like Turkey's voting for Xmas.
Incidentally when did Guernsey join the EU?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"I can assure you that Jean-Luc Picard does not actually exist."
What?!!!
Mamaaaaaaaaaaa, he's teasing meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
I can't figure out miles. I have no trouble with inches, feet and yards (I convert them from metric, I've got a seamstress' eye, thank goodness), but miles seem to be so ... loooong. Somehow it always seems to take longer to get somewhere when the sign is in miles. This is probably because when it's in kilometers, it's shorter *snigger*
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
'Oh dear, the fact that this is the most recommended comment shows once again how many people prefer to believe addled tabloid leader writers rather than listen to real facts.
Lib Left & Undemocratic'
Oh dear.
More insults & attacks on the majority who happen to have a differing view to your international socialist perspective.
I am seriously beginning to doubt your committment to majority rule democracy.
Being Gordon Browns lapdog on here is bad enough - but backing the EU in its present undemocratic state is obscene.
I KNOW the real facts about the EU. I speak from an informed perspective.
Clearly, you do not - or you do & want the death of Britain?
Which is it?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"He was a Belgian!"
I theenk you be confoosing him weeth Poirot. Easy mistake. Or maybe not.
"Jean-Luc Picard was born in La Barre, France, Earth on 13 July 2305 to Maurice and Yvette Gessard Picard."
Sez Wiki. So eet mus' be troo.
Hang on, how did we get from metric to Star Trek? Which reminds me, in Star Trek everything is metric.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
'Tee hee. You Europhobic 'patriotic' headbangers on here kill me.
David carey, London, United Kingdom'
You forgot to add "democratic" to you list.
Why do you lefties always have to invent a word with "phobic" on the end of it when you finally lose the argument & have to resort to insults & name calling to make up for your lack of substance & debating skills?
I am just curious....
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
"Clearly, you do not - or you do & want the death of Britain?"
Does the UKIP pay you?
(I know this'll get deleted, but I had to either type it or explode, and it's so messy, see? Especially the bits between the keys.)
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
The EU is not undemocratic....
LeftLiberal AndProud
Really? 'Democratic' PC, human rights liberals in the EU parliament were responsible for forcing the release of those two evil little murderers who killed Jamie Bulger. What right do a bunch of people who failed to be successful MPs in their OWN countries have to tell us how to run our country or decide what system of measurements we use? The EU was original set up as a trading agreement. It should have stayed that way.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
“ROYAL BRITANNIA , and down with the eu.
shelly briers, United Kingdom”
Hurrah! Hopefully after this decision we Brits can all just turn our backs on the rest of the world and live in a permanent idyll of cricket and warm beer, in a green and pleasant land where immigrants and other Johnny Foreigners never dare show their swarthy faces, where the queen and the Church of England and good old-fashioned morality reign supreme, and anyone who veers from the norm in any way, sexually, racially, morally or politically is persecuted like in the good old days.
Tee hee. You Europhobic 'patriotic' headbangers on here kill me.
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
Why do you lefties always have to invent a word with "phobic" on the end of it when you finally lose the argument & have to resort to insults & name calling to make up for your lack of substance & debating skills?
I am just curious....
Righty RightProud, Coalville
Will "Sinisterphobe" do for em?
Giving up on 'Metric Britain'
I KNOW the real facts about the EU. I speak from an informed perspective.
Clearly, you do not - or you do & want the death of Britain?
Which is it?
Righty RightProud, Coalville
Death of Britain? DEATH OF BRITAIN? WE'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!
Why? Because some progressive intellectuals are seeing that to manage the resources for billions of people should be external to petty nationalist politics.
Think bigger than your village green, Righty. There is no death. There is no hysteria. You're just howling at the moon.
Original proposals would have meant the phasing out of imperial measures within three years leading to the end of the sale of pints of milk and beer.
Road signs would also have been changed from miles to kilometres.
The decision is a victory for supporters of the ancient imperial system, the so-called "metric martyrs".
What is your reaction to the decision? What does it say about Britain's attitude to progress? Does it show the influence of people power?
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