Protecting the pint: British Lords vote to safeguard cherished measure

Britain's House of Lords voted on Wednesday to ensure that pubs can still serve beer in pints - a cherished unit of measurement (the equivalent of just over half a litre) that survived the country's switch to the metric system from 1965. 

The debate in the House of Lords followed Conservative claims that the new Labour government wanted to use proposed legislation to “ban pubs from selling pints”. 

A Conservative amendment to the Product Regulation and Metrology Bill was left flat after being defeated by 207 votes to 174, majority 33. The Labour frontbench backed an amendment tabled by the Liberal Democrats, billed as a "safeguard". This guarantee would prohibit any future law restricting the use of the pint when selling beer, cider or milk. The text also precisely defines the pint as 568.26125 millilitres – or 0.56826125 cubic decimetres. 

"The government has absolutely no plans to change the rules around the use of the pint measurement," said Labour's Lord Sonny Leong. 

The Brexit referendum sparked debate over a return to British imperial measures such as pounds for weight, feet for length, and pints for liquids, instead of the metric system of the European Union. 

After Brexit, however, the Conservative government abandoned the idea of a return to the imperial system of measurements and decided to stick with the metric system. 

“The pint is safe with us,” added Lord Leong. 

Conservative shadow business minister Lord Sharpe of Epsom had previously argued the “careless drafting” of the Bill would open the door for the British pint to be replaced as a standard measure for beer should a “metric maniac” get into Cabinet. 

“’Fancy a pint?' is one of the most enjoyable questions in the English language. Let's make sure it stays that way," said Lord Sharpe, who described the pint as a British "institution... linked to our history, and a part of our heritage" 

Liberal Democrat frontbencher Lord Fox said: “I do not believe the minister or his Government have ever had any intention of banning the pint glass and I am sure Lord Sharpe doesn’t believe that either. 

“However, what we are talking now is some form of reassurance.”