Brexit watch, round 2

You're right granjura (this sounds like an appreciation society ), even the USA has had to accept most of the world works in metric. There used to be be huge computer programs to convert American measurements into metric when things like American nuclear power stations wers bought in Europe - and the crashed Mars landing when it was forgotten that different measuring systems were being used is a bit of a warning!

Durhamjen some of them still do round here Slow change out on the fringes...

I remember the early day of metrification in the 70s- with carpets being advertised as £ per square yard, and sold in 2, 3 or 4 metre widths by the linear foot!!!

Either system has its advantages- but the mix is a disaster. And when it comes to exporting, or importing, 100000s more so.

I wonder what our children and grandchildren will make of it if we all adopt the mixed system.

What monetary system do you use, Jess? Is that where all the old coins went?

We still use miles per gallon though, don't we? And driving speeds are in miles per hour.

jackofkent.com/2016/08/brexit-a-story-of-a-brainstorm/

Even when police are giving out descriptions of suspects they still say he/she's approximately 5'6" or whatever...

Only the Brtish would consider a retrograde step like that. To assert their sovereignty? Over what?

I wonder if that's what they are discussing at Chequers today.

If my grandchildren ask how tall I am, I say 165.
When I used to say 5'6" they would ask what's that mean, so I tgot out of the habit. It was particularly easy as my husband used to work in mm.

I'm just saying that mph is used when speeding fines are issued etc. and all our roads have speed limits in miles.

It's not a retrograde step - it's just never been changed so yes, we are still mixing systems.

This is what they're discussing at Chequers today...

researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7213/CBP-7213.pdf

All 184 pages of it! :-(

What! Can't read that much and take it in!

You're right, Ana. Distances on motorways etc are in miles too. My children have always found it confusing, because school textbooks use kilometres.

My children have very little idea what an ounce/pound or inch/foot look like.

Years ago, I gave my daughter (now 23) some of my favourite recipes for basics like Victoria sponge cake. I think there were about 20 recipes and she went through the whole lot converting them to metric.

@dj LOL

I doubt if ministers can either!

That's just a briefing paper, but it highlights how many issues need to be discussed before Article 50 can be activated. The negotiators need to have an idea where they're going before they can start thrashing out any deals.

I find the key statistical summary interesting.
All this fuss over the fact that we pay £89 per head into the EU.
What was it someone said on the NHS thread, less than the price of a good cup of coffee per week?
This is less than the price of a decent loaf of bread per week.
The Netherlands contributes £305, Sweden £218, even Denmark £143 and they were on the same level as us in the EU, before Brexit.
All this mayhem for what?

Daphne, do you think they were given it beforehand, and are now being tested on it?
Could it make the basis of a new test for those wanting to become British nationals?
Although I have heard that most Brits want to find out if they can have any other nationality. Ancestry has had a 40% increase in people taking out trial membership and a 20% spike in people searching its Irish collections.

Well you can see where the implementation cost of £5bn over ten years comes from, can't you?
All those experts that will be needed....

I agree about the stats. I read an article about how the Leave campaign chose the £350 million. They knew it was the gross figure before rebates. They also tested whether the public would be more shocked by £18 billion a year or £5 a week (assuming the gross figure). They decided that £18 billion was too big a figure for people to understand, but also that people would see that it's not a huge figure in the context of NHS spending of over £100 billion and all the other funds which will need to be topped up. They also decided that most people wouldn't be that bothered by £5. The true figure is about half that anyway.

The NHS is supposed to be finding 'efficiency' savings of £22 billion, which is more than £18 billion.

The Briefing Paper is dated 26th August, so they won't have had much time to do their homework.

@Mamie

Experts?! Who said anything about experts? Didn't you know that experts are no longer needed? What do they know? They're going to get the unemployed to sort it all out as part of the Work Programme.

Experts and facts - fine
Experts and opinions - not necessarily fine at all. Biased etc

You know that really

I do find in life that people struggle to cope with anything if something is part one thing, and part another.

That's why experts (ie people who know what they're talking about) are needed - to distinguish between facts and opinions. People like Michael Gove don't like experts, because they expose his lies opinions.

Obie, what are you on about?
Thinking everything out loud is so confusing.

I like the jackofkent theory, daphne, Theresa May with a flipchart.

jackofkent.com/2016/08/brexit-a-story-of-a-brainstorm/