Petition · past parliament
Fully adopt the metric system
Closed
162 signatures
What the petition asks
The UK has had a mix of measurements for about 50 years when the government committed to converting to the metric system in the late 60s, but the conversion slowed and is still continuing to this day. We should fully adopt the metric system, as it is an international system used by 192/195 countries
Food/drink is sold in grams/litres except milk and beer which is sold in pints. Fuel is sold in litres but efficiency is in mpg. Vehicles measurements are in metres but warning signs show feet/inches. Road signs are in miles/yards but motorway marker posts are in kilometres. A consistent system prevents confusion but also creates an international system understood by people from all cultures. The government should finish conversion to metric by converting road signs to kilometres (as planned in the 70s). Ireland proved this was done smoothly and at low cost in 2005. The metric system has been used in schools for over 40 years so full adoption wouldn't cause confusion as most people have learned it.
http://www.metric.org.uk/
http://www.metric.org.uk/
Timeline
| 22 Mar 2017 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 2 May 2017 | Closed to new signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
162
Status
Closed
Opened
22 Mar 2017
Closed
2 May 2017
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.