A new internet site - www.sillyregs.com - has been launched by Conservative Party leader William Hague to expose costly or absurd UK or EU regulations. Naturally, metric conversion is mentioned. The following is taken from the site:
"Support grows for grocer who wanted to help his customers by selling bananas by the pound. Steven Thoburn, the Sunderland greengrocer facing criminal charges for selling fruit and vegetables in pounds and ounces rather than EU-approved kilos and grams, has won overwhelming public support.
In an opinion poll conducted by ICM Research, 91 per cent of individuals surveyed said that the greengrocer should not be prosecuted. Of those in the metric-savvy 18-24 age group, 87 per cent believed that he should not stand trial. Mr Thoburn will appear at Sunderland Magistrates’ Court on January 15 in what will be a landmark case.
The British Weights and Measures Association, the industry organisation, which opposes the prosecution, is raising funds to foot the hefty legal bill for which Mr Thoburn is personally liable. Next Saturday it will hold a fundraising gala dinner at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland’s football ground".
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