So Stupid that It Came from the Mind of Jacob Rees-Mogg

Rees-Mogg is in there somewhere

In order to increase prosperity in the UK following Brexit, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the newly minted, "Minister for Brexit Opportunities," has commissioned a study to investigate the economic benefits of returning to Imperial units, you know, inches, feet, gallons, furlongs, etc.

As Anna Russell would say, "I'm not making this up, you know."

Seriously, this is the stupidest thing since ……… OK, since yesterday, but to be fair, it is CPAC week:

The government is to launch a study of the economic benefits of reintroducing imperial units of measurement, to quantify a supposed advantage of Brexit.

Ministers provoked mockery from opposition politicians with the “ludicrous” move, which will be overseen by the business department this year.

In 2019, Boris Johnson pledged to usher in a new “era of generosity and tolerance towards traditional measurements” and suggested that measuring in pounds and ounces was “ancient liberty”.

This month he appointed Jacob Rees-Mogg as “minister for Brexit opportunities” in order to examine how Britain can benefit from leaving the EU.

This is kind of a trifecta of stupidity.

………

While the measurements have largely been out of use for some 60 years, they are believed by politicians to be beloved of some older voters, and so occasionally become a political issue. In reality, Britain operates a mixed system, with businesses using metric weights and measures, while imperial miles are used on roadsigns and pints used in pubs.

Paul Scully, a Tory business minister, said reintroducing imperial labelling would be “an important step in taking back control” and that a planned “assessment of the economic impact on business will be carried out in due course”.

………

“Ministers must explain how reverting to a system not used in nearly 60 years will help businesses attract new customers, and how imperial units will be of any help to companies looking to trade with the rest of the world – when the vast majority of countries use the metric system.

“Instead of wasting taxpayer money on looking to bring back imperial measurements, the government should be focusing on the real issues affecting businesses, like the miles of queues at our ports and the reams of red tape thrown up by Boris Johnson’s shambolic EU trade deal.”

Yeah, pretty much.