I take part in more government consultations than I suspect most people do. That comes with my job. By and large it feels like a thankless task. The consultation process is usually a farce. The outcome is predetermined. The government is most especially uninterested in hearing from civil society and academics.
However, every now and again there is a consultation worth taking part in. That on Channel 4's privatisation was. 96% of people opposed it. And another that might also be worth submitting to is that on the use of imperial measures.
We all know that this consultation is a farce, but that's precisely why it is worth taking part. The aim is to tell the government to stop being stupid.
The consultation document is here.
You can submit using a Word document that looks like this:
It can be downloaded from here.
You submit it by mailing it to UnitsofMeasurement@beis.gov.uk
My version looks like this.
Something similarly dismissive should do just fine, and require little effort. But, the more who reject this nonsense the more stupid the government looks to be. And that seems to be especially relevant today. Give it a go, I suggest.
Thanks for reading this post.
You can share this post on social media of your choice by clicking these icons:
You can subscribe to this blog's daily email here.
And if you would like to support this blog you can, here:
This government is a shambles and the people who elected them need to take a long hard look at themselves.
As a society we need to take a long hard look at who we allow to vote. We should also look at where electoral campaigns are allowed as social media ads are too expensive for there to be any kind of even playing field.
Bill
Are you suggesting a less than universal franchise
I could never endorse that
Richard
It seems crazy to allow the vote to people who have no grasp of the issues. I’m sure many only think they understand the issues because they’re flattered into believing it by the media who of course flatter them because they want their repeat custom. Running a country’s a complex and difficult business. I’m firmly of the opinion most people really have no idea of how much of society actually works (no doubt me included in many regards too). This lack of understanding is already recognised in that we don’t allow people under a designated age to vote. Being able to understand the issues and how to grasp and act in one’s best interest, or the broader community’s best interest, is a rare talent and should be recognised as such. Allowing the gullible and those incapable of bringing any critical faculties to bear means we end up being governed effectively by the writers of headlines, slogans and soundbites rather than those composing constructive coherent policies.
Sorry Bill, but that is very, very dangerous thinking
We should not be limiting who can vote. Richard is right that’s dangerous and frankly, I have ancestors who put their lives at risk fighting for the right to vote!
Education is the key. Especially digital literacy – “the ability to evaluate the value of the information by considering its reliability, credibility and authority.” Fake news and targeted information was the hallmark of the 2016 Referendum, 2017 and 2019 elections and will continue to define future elections.
In some Scandinavian and Nordic countries digital literacy is part of a national curriculum from primary (!) school age :
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/28/fact-from-fiction-finlands-new-lessons-in-combating-fake-news
Whilst the Tories try to suppress education that works against their interests, removing voters rights is not the answer.
Hmm, or maybe we should take a long hard look at who we allow to stand for election? Some kind of filtering could up the chances of thoughtful, caring, quality servants of the citizens, rather than those who aim for – well, almost anything else.
This may be more useful
Paul D says “Education is the key. Especially digital literacy – “the ability to evaluate the value of the information by considering its reliability, credibility and authority.” Fake news and targeted information was the hallmark of the 2016 Referendum, 2017 and 2019 elections and will continue to define future elections.” by way of criticism but surely this is something I’ve already covered: “Allowing the gullible and those incapable of bringing any critical faculties to bear means we end up being governed effectively by the writers of headlines, slogans and soundbites rather than those composing constructive coherent policies.”
Shouldn’t potential voters be passing some sort of test in these qualities before being defined as capable of acting and voting in their own and the broader community’s interests?
Like the way q3.a gives you the choice of only imperial units, thereby making one think you can only make one of those 2 choices. Seems like they are nudging us towards imperialusation, if that’s a word.
Emailed them along your lines
Thanks
I took Q3 a) (i) and (ii) as two different questions and answered both as no.
And working in an industry selling internationally in non SI (metric) units, Q2 makes no sense. US units are most certainly not imperial.
There are technically no imperial units, they are all defined by the standard metric unit.
A consultation using word documents and emailed in, there will be limited engagement, only the dedicated will reply. How much time will it take to review and make any sense of the replies?
Further the consultation does not meet the consultation aim, bullet point 3.3 says the consultation ” …seeks to understand the areas where the current legislation has been burdensome to consumers and businesses, and any barriers it has created…” Couldn’t see that question.
The consultation does not meet the Consultation Principle 2018 document (in the links) in at least 2 areas:
B. Consultations should have a purpose …Do not ask questions about issues on which you already have a final view.
C. Consultations should be informative …Include validated impact assessments of the costs and benefits of the options being considered…
Gave up at that point, as everything they do: Could do better D-
That mark is appropriate
Maybe Richard – but the point of all these dead cat initiatives is to maintain ongoing diversion from the main issues. As you say – they are uninterested in the results – the whole point is to get people engaged – for or against.
If that’s what they want – disengagement (‘unengagement’?) seems to be indicated.
They publish the number for and against
This is simply an opinion poll
‘Done mine.
I said (in a nutshell):
That in the building/construction trade metric was best for more accurate measurement – the same goes for most.
That the imperial system was easy for business to rip buyers off.
That change will be expensive when there is a cost of living crisis.
That we don’t want a history re-run – we want a better future.
Thanks
Thanks for the thought, Richard. Downloaded and done.
It’s a lovely way to enjoy tweeking that miserable little twerp’s nose – and just the morning for doing so too.
🙂
I too was alive when only imperial units were in use and Nigel, I think you still owe me the 20 shillings I lent you at our Civil Law class in 1962.
20 bob in 1962? That was a lot!
Jack! You never told me. At least it was only 20 bob.
A certain titled gent still owes me a fiver he borrowed in Edinburgh – where he wasn’t at uni!
Your cheque is in the post. 🙂
Actually, Jack, I should have added that the stand-out reveal in your post was that we were both at the Civil Law class on the same day. 08.45 a.m.! A rare convergence of two irregular orbits. 🙂
Done Richard!
Thanks
Imperial Measurements? Yes, but only if we also go back to Pounds, Shillings and Pence too… 😉
Groat Britain
Have also sent off a response.
I have occasionally contributed to government consultations in the past, but only when they related specifically to my professional expertise or more recently to my role as a school governor. I hadn’t realised responses were sought from the general public on matters like this one.
I also replied. I am 41 and learnt metric measurements at school. Like many people I am familiar with imperial measurements, but the idea that we should go back to selling things in them is nonsense. All it will do is confuse most people of working age, make it harder to compare prices, and create costly mistakes.
Another pointless, wasteful idea from the government that doesn’t want to govern.
Thanks
Richard,
Did you not find it impossible to respond on line.
We could fill in ther form but could not send it.
Looked as though it had been made as difficult as possible.
You have to email it
Which, as you say, is utterly absurd when on line firms are so easy
Thank you so much for the link to the consultation document. It was very satisfying filling it in. The question that incensed me most was the one about the ‘freedom’ to buy goods marked with imperial and metric measures. Let’s just say I strongly queried their bizarre concept of freedom and reminded them that the most pressing freedom lacking today is freedom from the five evils identified by Beveridge – which, in another anachronistic move, a succession of Conservative governments has reintroduced.
Thanks
I list items on my website (beds & mattresses) in Imperial and Metric – I still find that a lot of people will refer to a double bed as four foot six- and not only the boomer generation (which is most of my customers). As someone notes above however Imperial is defined by Metric- I think that the inch was defined at 25.4mm in the twenties because of disputes between UK and US versions.
However, poetry wise, Imperial has it.
Full fathom five!
How I miss rodds,polls and perches.Not sure of the spelling. What about reintroducing sixpenses, farthings. half crowns. This seriously states how B de Piffel Johnson is deranged
We knew that, I think 🙂 This to me shows how desperate he is. I wonder if when he’s forced physically from Downing Street, which I suspect will have to be the case, he’ll have a breakdown, enter some sort of fugue state or similar.
Replying to the idea that the franchise should be restricted. This is a terrifying thought. If we had more grassroots participation- peoples assemblies, sortition etc where participants considered evidence and made decisions that have real impact the motivation to become responsibly involved in politics would increase. We have given ordinary citizens the responsibility to make well informed decisions in court as jurors so we need to expand this into other elements of our worryingly threatened democracy. There is a lack of informed involvement in voting because of a corresponding great lack of empowerment.
I imagine the Tory response to Peoples’ Assemblies would be to train people to infiltrate them and take over the discussions with a view to influencing any outcomes. People can be trained in debating techniques https://smile.amazon.co.uk/s?k=how+to+win+any+argument&i=stripbooks&crid=2GT55JUL1HBYC&sprefix=how+to+win+any+argument%2Cstripbooks%2C68&ref=nb_sb_noss_1
and I assume it’s at least in part that’s why there are debating societies at some ‘posh’ schools but you won’t find them at the local comprehensive. I’ve got the Madsen Pirie book and I gather from it winning debate (as opposed to argument, the difference escaping most) has little to do with being right and everything to do with successfully manipulating crowds. in other words, theatre. The Tories learn this as part of their schooling while the rest of us (surprise!) don’t. I have the feeling the Tories saw us, the peasantry, coming centuries ago and prepared accordingly.
One class to rule them all.