Forum Topic

And another Brexit benefit goes

Oh dear, yet another supposed Brexit benefit disappears in a puff of blue smoke!The Times has a report that Sunak has abandoned Boris Johnson’s signature Brexit “dividend” of allowing British shops to once again sell products in pounds and ounces.https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/rishi-sunak-scraps-imperial-measures-f58n7dvzd

Richard Carter ● 546d23 Comments

There are different sizes of wine bottles but they seem to be multiples of subdivisions of a standard 75cl bottle:https://www.fulhamwinecompany.co.uk/pages/wine-bottle-sizesI'm not sure there's a standard for boxes containing bags of wine but many seem to be 2.25 litres, or three standard wine bottles. Standards are seen as a way to cut costs. One point of interest: on my trip around CERN I was told everything was based on SI Units (metric) except the big pipes in the 27km accelerator ring. They were in US Standard units (feet/inches) as the only supplier of pipes of that size was one that supplied the the oil industry which was dominated by US companies. Pragmatism at its best? (I have to admit I've never double checked that story!)

Michael Ixer ● 543d

I believe that a barrel of wine equals 300 750ml bottles of wine.It is not an accidental measure for a bottle of wine.

Ivonne Holliday ● 543d

Ia it the only one in the world? Cos looking in the shops today there were a number of different size bottles and boxes on the shelves.Nice picture though.

Andy Pike ● 543d

Richard Carter ● 543d

When it comes to insulation I do not necessarily see this as a bad thing (from your link):"Blackham, Recticel’s senior technical manager in the UK, explains that means everything will need to be retested, by a UK-based lab. In Recticel’s case, he says, this would have to be done for eight products, at a cost of approximately £35,000 each. The firm will also have to repeat fire testing, at about £14,000 a product."But I agree with the chemicals and border enforcement points and testing capacity.Post Brexit the UK could remove VAT from insulation but governments do not like to cut tax. It could at least use some of that VAT to do random testing of post approved materials.

Ed Robinson ● 543d

The size of drinks bottles is a trivial example of time wasted on Brexit but this outlines some of the wider costs and stupidities of Brexit. Gove's department seems to be going its own ways on standards and increasing building costs :-(

Michael Ixer ● 544d

And the article: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/dec/29/were-out-of-step-how-post-brexit-uk-is-drifting-from-eu-standards

Michael Ixer ● 544d

A Happy New Year, Barbara. Yes, the size of bottles isn't that important so one wonders why the government is wasting time on that when there are bigger problems to resolve?What is interesting is that the origins of the 75cl bottle seem to be a mystery ... although the one settled on here is probably a good candidate ...https://bernard-magrez.com/en/actualites/why-a-wine-bottle-measures-75cl/

Michael Ixer ● 544d

Don't know what your all moaning about, once you have had a few you won't be bothered as long as the next drink is in front of you.  Happy New Year to you all, may all your troubles be little ones, not your drink.

Barbara Stevens ● 545d

As far as I can tell, a pint equals 0.568 litres if you are in Britain, 0.473 litres if you are in the US. So if you want a pint of beer, you may prefer to go to the pub in Britain rather than a bar in the US. In Norway (not in the EU) the customary size for beer is 0.5 litres. My favourite restaurant in France serves its wine in half-litre carafes. Seems just about OK to me.

Alexander MacLeod ● 545d

I should just clarify that this does not apply to non-alcoholic drinks that are bottled nationally such as water, fruit juice and other carbonated drinks.

Ed Robinson ● 545d

In a effort to bring peace to the Brexit/Remain factions,I'm offering a service where if you bring me your metric Euro size 70cl bottle of wine I will reduce it free of charge to a pint!For the holiday period only this will also apply to fortified wine and spirits too.

Ed Robinson ● 545d

On the issue of overcharging there is already a huge mark up in bars on a glass or bottle of wine, not sure this will have much of an effect.

Andy Pike ● 545d

Quite honestly could not give a fig what size bottle or box they sell this drink inI thought I read that the current sized bottles and boxes will still be available.

Andy Pike ● 545d

Andy, my only concern is that the less reputable bars, etc will use it as an excuse to sell smaller bottles at the same price as a standard 75cl one. I understand the wine trade isn't excited about it as they may have to invest in different sized bottles, boxes, etc. If the UK is going it alone I can't see where the economies of scale come from, unless you can enlighten me?However, the cynic in me makes me wonder what news of importance this is distracting me from noticing!

Michael Ixer ● 545d

I believe that Champagne and sparkling wine were sold in pint bottles up to 1973 when it was changed as we joined the common market.Does the size of the bottle have any impact on the taste? If no then what's the issue ? I believe they sell it in boxes as well.

Andy Pike ● 545d

Exactly!As I doubt you will ever hear in the UK:  Could I please have a carafe of wine?What a preposterous idea about pints of wine.  As my son says, please do not read those articles, it will never happen!  I hope he is right!

Ivonne Holliday ● 545d

Rees-Mogg is wrong on a second point: in the US they use "US Customary Units" not "Imperial Units". Some, such as gallons, are different. Best stick with metric/SI Units as they're well defined. Remember the Mars Climate Orbiter? NASA and most suppliers were using metric units except the main manufacturer, Lockheed Martin. An expensive mistake when it was lost ... and even SpaceX, headed by the maverick Elon Musk, uses metric units :-)

Michael Ixer ● 545d

Words you will never hear in France: “s'il te plaît, puis-je acheter une pinte de vin?” Nick

Nicholas Evans ● 545d

It gets even better: the Guardian report on this quotes Kevin Hollinrake, the minister for enterprise, markets and small business, as saying, apparently seriously, that “our exit from the EU was all about moments just like this, where we can seize new opportunities and provide a real boost to our great British wineries and further growing the economy. Innovation, freedom and choice – that’s what today’s announcement gives to producers and consumers alike.” Yeah, really.

Richard Carter ● 545d

The BBC version misses out on a quote from that arch fool Rees-Mogg: “It is hard to see why this harmless little measure is not being implemented especially as our largest trading ­partner, the United States, still uses ­imperial units." Unfortunately for Moggy, whether you measure it in imperial or metric units, our largest trading partner is actually ... the EU.

Richard Carter ● 545d

Thank you Richard and Michael I,I really am very puzzled with this - why this change?  A pint of wine?  There does not seem to be no rhyme or reason.  What is to be gained, apart from an increase in prices? 

Ivonne Holliday ● 545d

And the BBC version which isn't behind a paywall:https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-67795075It will allow wine to be sold in pint size bottles. Watch out for the profiteers trying to sell a pint of wine for the price of 75 centilitres!

Michael Ixer ● 545d