The Imperial Register

Q&A on the IMPERIAL REGISTER

Q. What is Imperial Register?

A. A public list of British traders who are not obeying a ‘draconian’ European Union Directive to sell in metric units only, rather than serve their clients in Britain’s traditional Imperial measures.

Q. Why do we need an Imperial Register?

A. This E.U. Directive is being fought and UKIP are leading the fight in the EUropean Parliament and in Britain together with British Weights & Measures Association and others. The Government says that the 1994 Weights and Measures Regulations compel traders to sell all loose goods in metric units only, and require them to use only metric weighing devices. This legislation was sneaked through Parliament on the last day before its summer recess in 1999, with no debate and no publicity.

Local authority Trading Standards Officers (who used to be concerned with protecting consumers – but under E.U. influence this seems to be changing) have since been visiting large numbers of shopkeepers and market traders intimidating them into converting to metric, like it or not – whether it’s good for their customers or not. They’ve threatened them with fines of up to £5,000, and possible confiscation of their Imperial weighing equipment.

UKIP has paid for a Legal Opinion from expert constitutional barrister Michael Shrimpton [Now available to ALL to view CLICK HERE] That says that The 1994 Regulations are illegal – because the 1985 Weights and Measures Act clearly entitles traders to use Imperial measures if they wish. Michael Shrimpton says that Regulations cannot nullify an Act of Parliament.

The only way the Government could abolish the use of Imperial measures would be to bring a Bill before the House of Commons. Our Government hasn’t got the guts to do that. So UKIP, armed with Michael Shrimpton’s Opinion, maintains that it is perfectly legal to go on selling in Imperial measures, and that traders should resist compulsory metrication if they wish to. The Imperial Traders’ Register is a direct challenge to the Government. This is a case of British law versus European law. We want British law to triumph for once!

UKIP’s support for Imperial traders (for details see UKIP’s Web Site - Anti-Metrication sub-site/web page) will ensure that any Infringement Notice served by a Trading Standards Officer on a trader, or any prosecution, can be contested with legal and financial backing. To date, UKIP has received offers of reduced fees and other assistance from six barristers, four in London, one in the north of England and one in Scotland.

Q. I’m in Business – how do I best support my clients and Britain and ensure I get on the Register please?

A. Glad you asked!
Please contact:
Tony Bennett, Political Assistant to Jeffrey Titford MEP [UKIP]
or Greg Lance – Watkins in Chepstow, who are co-operating to maintain this Imperial Register, to advertise businesses, on this Web Site and others [Click for Relevant addresses ]
Do supply the following information please:
1. Your full Name
2. Your Business Name
3. The goods in which you trade
4. The Imperial Measurements used
5. The Town in which you trade
6. The Council with Trading Standards juristiction
7. Your address & Tel. No. + ‘e’address [none of item 7 will be published without your prior approval]

Q. Has any trader been prosecuted yet?

A. Not yet. But at the time of updating, two of the above traders, Mandy Reilly and Dave Stephens, have been served with an ‘Infringement Notice’ by Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, dated 6 January 2000. We believe this to be the first in the country. This purports to order them to change six weighing machines from Imperial to metric and to sell all their meats in metric units only. They say they refuse to be dictated to by the EUropean Union and will not obey what they say are invalid orders. If they are still selling in Imperial measures on 3 February, when the 28 day Infringement Notice expires, they may then face a prosecution in the Southend-on-Sea Magistrates Court. We will update you with news about Mandy and Dave and we propose shortly to open up a special sub-site/web page to report on their courageous stand against E.U. dictatorship (which has been aided and abetted, sad to say, at British tax payers expense by ‘British’ Trading Standards Officers).

IMPORTANT NOTE: We are only aware of one successful previous prosecution for the ‘crime of failing to sell in Metric measures, since the E.U.-driven compulsory metrication programme began in the 1970’s. That was against Allied Carpets, for daring to carry on using yards instead of metres. In the end, they accepted a voluntary ‘caution’. Yes, a caution is the worst that’s happened so far to any Imperial trader. Face them down!

Q. I’m in business and want to help and support those on the Imperial Register. What can I do?

A. The greatest help you can give is to join them on the Imperial Register or you could send a donation to them direct or our legal fighting fund.

The fund is called the “UKIP Metric Martyrs Fund”, operated by Jeffrey Titford’s constit uency office in Chelmsford (address below) – send cheque's to them – or send donations by BACS to NatWest Bank (Chelmsford Business Centre), UKIP Metric Martyrs Account, P.O. Box 12, 6 High Street, CHELMSFORD, Essex, CM! 1BL: Sort Code 60-05-13, Account No. 89480163. All donations will be gratefully acknowledged. Any surplus at the end of UKIP’s anti-metrication campaign will be returned pro-rata to donors. Donations will be used to pay for solicitors’ and barristers’ fees and associated expenses in resisting the Draconian -style Infringement Notices and prosecutions. (Please note that UKIP has a separate E.U. Victims Fund’ , accumulated from the E.U. allowances paid to UKIP’s three M.E.P.s, to assist with other cases of E.U. hassle and distress caused to British people.

Please make a point of supporting the businesses listed on Imperial Register by purchasing from them wherever possible. Even just visiting them or sending good wishes to them in their stand against E.U. dictatorship and attempted crushing of British traditions, freedoms and laws would be welcome.

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