Bumbling Boris wants to bring back pounds and ounces, inches and feet

Boris Johnson's public persona sits somewhere between pompous party-loving prat, and mendacious grifter.

I'm assured, by a friend who went to school with him, that his private persona is even worse. He is, however, as master of deflection. "Look over there."

Viewed from afar, Bonking Boris would appear to hanker for the 1950s, when toffs took charge and proles knew their (subservient) roles.

The British Prime Minister's latest jolly wheeze to put the great back in Great Britain is to bring back imperial measurements.

He clearly hopes this deflection will please Brexiteers and deflect away from that little disaster.

Local media reported the Conservative Party hopes the move could shore up support in pro-Brexit regions after Government popularity took a hit amid revelations about lockdown-busting parties at 10 Downing Street.

Britain currently uses a mix of imperial and metric measurements, with speed limits in miles per hour and milk and beer bought in pints.

The Sunday Mirror reported that Johnson is expected to announce next week that British shops will be allowed to sell products measured in pounds and ounces to coincide with celebrations for the Queen's 70 years on the throne.

“As the British people have been happy to use both imperial and metric measurements in their daily life it is good for the government to reflect that now we are free to change our regulations accordingly,” the newspaper reported a Government source as saying.

Since 1995, goods sold in Europe have had to display metric weights and measurements. And since 2000 - when the EU’s weights and measures directive came into force - traders have been legally required to use metric units for the sale by weight or measure of fresh produce, which became a recurring issue for Eurosceptics about Brussels’ alleged interference in the "traditional" British way of life.

While it is still legal to price goods in pounds and ounces, these have to be displayed alongside the price in grams and kilograms.

During the 2019 general election campaign, Johnson pledged that he would bring back imperial units in shops.

He claimed that measuring in pounds and ounces was an “ancient liberty” as he heralded a “new era of generosity and tolerance” towards traditional measurements.

Only three other countries, the US, Myanmar and Liberia, use the imperial system on a daily basis.

But what could be more British than confusing the hell out of tourists by using two sets of measurements side by side?