In this time of global and economic uncertainty it is comforting to know that there is at least one constant – the British pint. While the UK has been negotiating with the EU for decades about switching to metric measurements the latest talks have ended with a vote to confirm that imperial measures will be allowed to carry on indefinitely.

Even the European Commission has conceded that its attempt to have the UK embrace litres and kilometres in favour of pints and miles was a lost cause, with support coming also from the Minister for Europe, Caroline Flint, who has said the vote is a ‘victory for common sense’. The vote also means that a previous 2009 deadline to end the use of imperial measurements has been disregarded.

The decision to keep the old measurements has actually been met with delight from many quarters, including Innovation, Universities and Skills Secretary, John Denham, who is responsible for the national weights and measures. Denham believes that since the UK like their pint and their mile that they should be allowed to use the measurements they feel most comfortable with.

The win is also important for British businesses who will not be subject to a ‘one size fits all’ mentality where there is no need to make such changes. With the measurements remaining the same businesses will also not have to worry about the extra costs of relabelling their products, while they are already struggling with the current economic issues.

While goods sold in Europe have been required to display metric measurements since 1995, because of the public outcry, imperial measurements were also allowed in the UK. This concession was then due to expire in 2009, but with the recent vote the British measurements have gained a reprieve.