This section contains all our press releases from the past few years. If you would like us to send you our press releases in the future, please e-mail us and we will add you to the mailing list.
Plain English Campaign supports MP in call for war on small print
Nottinghamshire MP Dr. Nick Palmer is to call for an end to small print, and Plain English Campaign has pledged its support.
The Broxtowe MP is launching a Bill in the House of Commons on Tuesday 26 February. The Bill has attracted the backing of MPs from across the main political parties. Support also comes from a coalition of campaign groups including RNIB, Age Concern and the Trading Standards Institute.
“The scourge of small print has made life a misery for many people over the years,” said Plain English Campaign spokesman Steve Jenner. “There is absolutely no reason for it apart from making information more difficult to read. If we look at the organisations that are backing the Bill, we can see there’s a whole range of people who are affected.
“The only conclusion to draw is that when companies and organisations use small print, they don’t want us to understand.
“We’d also hope that by forcing the issue on small print, jargon and gobbledygook will also be ditched. We hope that this Bill makes companies realise that it’s time to re-edit their documents, and get rid of unnecessary small print. Even the most complicated public documents can be written in a way that people can understand.
Plain English Campaign declares war on ‘buzzwords’
An article by Bill Jamieson in ‘The Scotsman’ has highlighted the way in which ‘Newspeak’ has invaded Scottish life.
The author received a ‘deluge’ of responses, all featuring specific examples. Political ‘buzzwords’ and phrases like ‘policy-based evidence’, ‘consensus’, ‘partnership working’ and ‘connectivity’ came in for particular criticism.
Plain English Campaign has made comments in the media several times about this issue recently and has decided enough is enough. Campaign spokesperson Steve Jenner said today:
“It is frequently suggested to us in interviews that it is acceptable for people to use buzzwords and phrases in the workplace. We don’t think it is. There are a number of reasons why.”
“If a council, health authority or other large organisation holds a training event, the ‘delegates’ are more likely to spend their time playing ‘buzzword bingo’. This is amusing until you remember these events are funded by public money.”
“It also breeds terrible cynicism about the political process. Bill Jamieson credits a contributor for pointing out that ‘public consultation’ and ‘have your say’ usually mean the exact opposite. We have looked at a number of ‘public consultations’ this year which suggest exactly that. We applaud Bill’s ‘overarching purpose’ in writing this article.”
“We also call on all public agencies, political organisations and private companies throughout Scotland to run plain English training sessions. These could feature as part of forthcoming training events. A good starting point would be for each organisation to identify a top ten list of buzzwords or phrases it uses. And then come up with a plain English alternative list.”
National Excess: coach company races railways for jargon award
Leading language pressure group Plain English Campaign has accused a coach company boss of 'driving people mad' with gobbledygook.
Campaign spokesman Steve Jenner explains: "Has National Express boss Richard Bowker learned nothing from the Golden Bull Award presented to Virgin Trains last month? He accuses Network Rail of a 'loss of focus', and then goes on to say that 'National Express is far more than a coach company, it is a travel solutions business.'"
"No it isn't. A travel solutions business is someone with a mobile soup kitchen. What exactly does a travel solution contain? How do you solve travel? It sounds like a plot line for an episode of Dr. Who!"
"It is a travel company. You buy a ticket, and get a ride on a bus, train or whatever. This is yet another example of 'management speak' and business jargon, and it is driving people mad. Everywhere you look there are companies offering 'solutions'."
The campaign is already accepting examples of jargon and gobbledygook for the annual awards ceremony in London next December.
Gordon Brown accused of 'patronising response' at Prime Minister's Questions
Plain English Campaign supporters were ‘angered and dismayed’ by an answer at Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday. Susan Kramer, MP for Richmond Park, asked Gordon Brown to withdraw the Heathrow expansion consultation document. Her call came as a result of it being declared ‘atrocious’ by Chrissie Maher, the founder of Plain English Campaign.
The Prime Minister responded, saying that “the consultation is there for the public to involve themselves in” and “I hope people will vigorously join the consultation”.
“This is a totally patronising response,” said Campaign spokesman Steve Jenner. “The Prime Minister just seemed to ignore the issue raised. The consultation document may be ‘there for the public to involve themselves in’ but that just isn’t good enough. Any old rubbish can be ‘there’. And that’s what this document is. Anyone who thinks this is a suitable document for public consultation is holding the public in contempt."
“How can ‘people vigorously join the consultation’ when the document looks as if it has been designed to exclude people from participating?"
“It should be possible to read, understand and act on a consultation document after one reading. I would challenge anyone to do that with this particular document. Irrespective of the rights or wrongs of the Heathrow expansion plans, consultation carried out in this way is just undemocratic."
“Once again we would urge a re – think; this document is not fit for the purpose for which it was intended. We ask the government to withdraw this document and offer a genuine consultation to interested parties.”
Plain English Campaign founder calls for withdrawal of Heathrow consultation document
The founding director of Plain English Campaign, Chrissie Maher, has slammed the government over the Heathrow expansion consultation document. Speaking at the campaign’s headquarters in Derbyshire earlier this week, she described the document as ‘atrocious’.
Susan Kramer, MP for Richmond Park sent a copy of the document to the campaign. “This document effectively takes away human rights,” said Chrissie. “No ordinary person with an interest in the plans to expand Heathrow could be expected to read and understand this.”
Chrissie found several faults in the document, including the following:
Excessive jargon in the summary, such as ‘periodic emissions cost assessment’ and ‘external climate change costs.’
Huge assumptions about the reader’s knowledge of government policy.
Jargon specific to particular professions, such as ‘net present value terms’ and ‘mixed mode operations’.
An unclear introduction in Section A of the document.
Section B makes use of terms which are not familiar to most people.
Section D uses technical terminology such as ‘operation of runway rotation’.
“How can this be a true consultation if most readers cannot understand the document? We’ve seen this time and time again - local councils and government departments are always launching ‘consultations’. But they are not real consultations because they design them in such a way that most people are unable to take part.”
“After all these years of our campaigning, the Government should realise they can’t treat people with the contempt shown in the past. Unfortunately, once again we see more proof that this is not always the case. We are not ‘taking sides’ in the debate, but it is so important that in a democracy, consultations are genuine. People must have a fair chance to understand the documents put before them. Otherwise they cannot tell you what they really think.
“I am calling on the Department of Transport to withdraw and redraft this document.”
Plain English Campaign celebrates ‘best ever’ awards ceremony
Plain English Campaign supporters spent the weekend celebrating the success of their ‘best ever’ awards ceremony.
Around 400 guests attended the event. They were treated to a brilliant presentation from top comedian and TV personality Lenny Henry and the campaign’s John Wild.
Award winners from leading national and international media organisations rubbed shoulders with government officials and company representatives.
Highlights from the ceremony included an acceptance speech from top BBC Radio Devon presenter Judi Spiers. Judi delivered her speech in broad ‘Devonian’ to huge applause. But the biggest cheer of the ceremony was reserved for International Media Award winner Bruce Hill, of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Flying in from Australia to receive his award in person, he ripped into jargon peddlers and gobbledygook gabblers without mercy. But he did so with typical Australian good humour.
The story of the Golden Bull winners and the award of the ‘Foot in Mouth Award’ to Steve McClaren went worldwide. Newspapers and radio stations in New York, China, Canada, South Africa and Australia took up the story along with the biggest names in the UK media reaching a possible maximum radio and TV audience of around 26 million.
Campaign supporters reported a record number of ‘hits’ on the www.plainenglish.co.uk – nearly 200, 000 in one twenty – four hour period.
According to press officer Steve Jenner, this is only part of the story, though. ‘The Steve McClaren story may have grabbed the headlines. But importantly, it gave us an opportunity to highlight the good work of the Inside Write and Plain English Award winners. These are often government departments, companies and not – for – profit organisations who are rightly criticised when things go wrong. Unfortunately, they are rarely praised for the good things they do. It is a positive aspect of our work that we were able to praise the work of these organisations before millions of people.’
Plain English Campaign Award winners 2007 ‘Plain English’ category (for the year’s clearest documents)
Liverpool Housing Trust for their ‘Pictorial Tenancy Agreement’
Stockport Women’s Aid for their ‘Advice booklet’
CO-Awareness for their ‘Carbon Monoxide Poisoning’ leaflet
The Prostate Cancer Charity for two information booklets
Alistair McIntosh for ‘A guide to surveyors’ jargon’
Chancery Group for the ‘Cephalon employee benefits’ booklet
Inside Write category (for clear internal government documents)
Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory (MOD) for the ‘Distil’ newspaper
Department for Children, Schools and Families for ‘feedback’ magazine
National School of Government for their ‘Joining the Civil Service’ handbook
Forestry Commission for the ‘Operational Guidance Booklets’
DVLA for ‘Licence’ magazine
Driving Standards Agency for the ‘Make a difference conferences 2007’ booklet
Steve McClaren scores another own goal with Foot in Mouth award
Unemployed Steve McClaren has received another blow while he counts his two million pound payoff. The ex-England boss has won the Plain English Campaign’s Foot in Mouth Award for this piece of footballing wisdom:
'He (Wayne Rooney) is inexperienced, but he's experienced in terms of what he's been through.'
He wins the award despite strong entries from George Bush and Jeremy Kyle.
Last year Naomi Campbell joined previous winners Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Gere and Tracey Emin as the public figure who had made the most baffling comment.
Seven Golden Bulls have been awarded this year, including one to Richard Branson’s Virgin Trains for a response from the company about problems booking online. UKTV have won one for an extremely enthusiastic press release about their new channel, ‘Dave’. In a year where silly signs seem to have dominated the news, BAA at Gatwick Airport have won a Golden Bull for a fine example.
Top comedian and TV personality Lenny Henry will present the awards at the Brewery, Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 4SD on 11 December 2007. It will be the 28th annual Plain English awards ceremony.
Winners of Plain English Awards include Liverpool Housing Trust for their ‘Pictorial Tenancy Agreement’ and Alistair Macintosh, Huart Tai Huang and Geoffrey Holden FRICS for their ‘Guide to surveyors’ jargon.’ Stockport Women’s Aid will also pick up a Plain English Award for an advice booklet.
The National School of Government and the Forestry Commission are amongst the winners for the Inside Write Awards. These are given to government departments for clear internal communication.
Media winners include the first International Media award winner, Bruce Hill from the Australian Broadcasting Company, and BBC Five Live’s Midday News which scooped ‘Best National Radio programme’. Teletext has won the Osborne Award for their contribution to plain English.
Top journalists and broadcasters honoured at Plain English Campaign awards
Leading journalists and broadcasters from newspapers, television and radio will celebrate next Tuesday as they collect awards for crystal-clear reporting.
There are seven awards in the media category of the 28th annual Plain English Campaign awards ceremony. The judges take into account nominations and comments from Campaign supporters. They also read, watch and listen to examples of work.
One of the country’s best-loved comics, Lenny Henry, will present the awards at the Brewery, Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 4SD on 11 December, 2007. The ceremony is famous for the dreaded Golden Bull booby prizes for the year’s most baffling gobbledygook.
The media award winners are listed below with the judges’ comments.
The International Media Award: Bruce Hill, for ‘Pacific Beat’, Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Bruce Hill wins the Campaign’s first-ever International Media Award for his work on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s radio programme ‘Pacific Beat’. ABC’s international service broadcasts across the Pacific rim. Bruce often has to deal with interview guests from area development agencies and representatives of international charities. Such organisations often carry a jargon of their own – and Bruce has decided he isn’t going to put up with this anymore. Every time he has been on the receiving end of some obscure jargon or gobbledygook, Bruce ‘lets them have it’ with a ‘hooter’ he has at hand. He then forces his guest to explain themselves properly. Combined with precise, direct questioning and an obvious commitment to clarity in public service broadcasting, Bruce is a deserving winner of this new award.
Best National Newspaper: The Sun
Bold, brashand colourful, The Sun is renowned for telling it like it is. The paper’s way with a headline is legendary, and our judges felt it was time to honour its hard-hitting, frank and plain-speaking journalism. It can be difficult to deliver political news without resorting to jargon but the Sun’s writers are skilled atfiling copy which informs rather than condescends.
Best Regional Newspaper: Western Morning News
This paper concentrates on rural issues that affect the population of the South West, and is renowned for its campaigning and support of local charities and pressure groups. Well-designed and laid out, it reports in language which is easy to understand. The paper’s website is also a good source of local news, jobs and property.
Best National TV programme: Panorama
One of the BBC’s flagship current affairs shows, Panorama brings intelligent, investigative journalism into the nation’s living rooms. The programme’s team of experienced reporters get to the heart of a wide range of topical issues, especially those with national importance. Although the analysis is serious and probing, the language and presentational style is accessible to viewers of all backgrounds. Panorama brings us the story not the headlines, and that is what good television reporting is all about.
Best Regional TV programme: Anglia TV Local News West.
This category was closely contested by a number of local networks and a local internet TV service. Observation of the station’s output shows Anglia TV West to have a proper understanding of the needs of local viewers, explaining issues clearly and concisely, especially at the hands of reporter / presenter Matthew Hudson. His piece on the ‘silly signs in Hertfordshire’ broadened out into an effective piece on condescending product labeling and other types of reader abuse, handled with humour and clarity.
Best National Radio Programme: Radio 5 Live Midday News
The Midday news programme on Radio 5 Live needs a fluid and fast response to a changing news agenda. That’s exactly what it gets from an extremely skilled team. The programme uses language clearly, precisely, and engages even the most distracted listener. At one point the show’s producer even invited Plain English Campaign to assess the show live on air! In the end, Plain English Campaign editors declared the programme a superb example of the art of news broadcasting to a mass audience. We could hardly do any other than present this award to a very deserving winner.
Best Regional Radio Station: BBC Radio Devon
BBC Radio Devon is a shining example of good local radio. This station focuses on local issues and presents information clearly and cheerfully for the listener. There is a consistent standard of reporting throughout the day and this shows in healthy audience figures in an area where stations are competing hard for listeners. There is a pleasing amount of interaction with listeners, combining topical debate about local and national stories with a touch of humour.
Web Award: beat for b-eat.co.uk
We received many entries for this award this year, but the beat website stood out. A support site for people affected by eating disorders, it contains a great deal of accessible information and helpful resources. The website is well laid out, with plenty of white space and a comprehensive navigation system. The tone is neither judgemental nor over-emotional, and there are discussion boards which allow sufferers to share their experiences. Perhaps most importantly, there is little jargon, and information is given in plain English.
A Shower of…..or, sorry seems to be the hardest word
Plain English Campaign Awards are due to take place in London on 11 December.
Campaign supporters are releasing details of those nominations which didn’t quite manage to win a Golden Bull Award.
This comes from a warranty for a shower tray.
‘The Customer’s remedies in respect of any claim under the foregoing express warranty or any condition or warranty implied by law or any other claim in respect of goods or any workmanship in relation thereto (whether or not involving negligence on the part of the Company) shall in all cases be limited to repair, replacement, reperformance or refund of the purchase price as aforesaid and any condition or warranty implied by law shall cease to apply after the expiry of the warranty period; and the Company shall not in any circumstances be liable for any damages, compensation, costs, expenses, losses or other liabilities, whether direct or consequential, and any other remedy which would otherwise be available in law is hereby excluded except to comply with the specification or in respect of any delivery or instalment of any order or any part thereof shall not entitle the Customer to cancel or refuse delivery of or payment for any other order, delivery or installment or any part of the same order, delivery or installment.’
To put it another way, sorry, not our fault. Your problem.
Plain English Campaign back Mourinho for England
Plain English Campaign are declaring their support for Jose Mourinho as the next England football manager.
The language campaign group recently declared him ‘football’s greatest orator’ and were asked by the media to comment on his ‘omelettes’ statement.
“He’s priceless”, says Plain English spokesperson Steve Jenner, “or at least, very expensive. He certainly lifted the level of post-match comments above the normal empty statements and clichés.
“We think he’d at least make life interesting during the next few months. After all, it appears the England team will have some time on their hands. There won’t be much football to talk about.”
Government ready to act on useless small print
Plain English Campaign supporters are claiming an important result in a long-running campaign to simplify small print.
The Campaign was recently in the news for claiming that many safety warnings are only there to protect companies from legal action. An influential joint report by the National Consumer Council and Better Regulation Executive provides worrying evidence of this.
The study highlights a toaster that comes with 50 safety warnings, including one that warns consumers not to use it as a heater.
Meanwhile, Plain English Campaign discovered an instruction booklet that advises users not to iron clothes whilst wearing them.
“We are acting to give the power back to consumers to make informed choices by rationalizing information and making sure it is presented as simply as possible,” said Business Secretary, John Hutton.
Plain English Campaign will be watching closely to see exactly what action he proposes.
Campaign Joins Times columnist in demand for straight talk
The Times columnist Rosemary Behan savaged a handful of government ministers in her column today. And Plain English Campaign is calling on ministers to heed her words as the Campaign Awards ceremony approaches.
She accuses Jacqui Smith, Hazel Blears and Dawn Primarolo of ‘blathering’ and ‘mechanical, mindless drivel’. Her comments come following an interview with Jacqui Smith by John Humphrys. In answer to a question about the charging of terrorist suspects the MP said “Well, the first thing to say, John, is that these form part of a range of proposals that we put forward for consultation before the summer and we are serious about involving people in that consultation, which is why we’ve had a series of regional seminars about this, it’s why I’ve talked to the Opposition, it’s why we’ve talked to groups about these implications…”
“All politicians – and particularly those in government – should take note of the Rosemary Behan’s comments” says campaign spokesman Steve Jenner.
“Listeners will not be patronised and newspaper readers will not accept platitudes. Plain English does not mean simple and meaningless – it means clear communication. Rosemary Behan cites empty phrases like ‘moving forward’, ‘actively reaching out’, ‘progressing research’ and ‘resolve to build a consensus’ as examples of mindless politico-babble. The old saying ‘say what you mean, mean what you say and stop’ has no more important place than in government.”
The Plain English Awards ceremony takes place in London on 11 December this year. Lenny Henry will present the Campaign awards.
Plain English watchdog applauds Parliament web centre work
The Parliament Web Centre has changed the design of the Bills before Parliament pages. Plain English Campaign has scrutinised these pagesand declared them 'a great improvement'.
"This is clearly the result of testing and listening to feedback from people using these pages", said Plain English Campaign’s Steve Jenner.
"It is clear that Harriet Harman was serious when she said she wanted Parliament to communicate more clearly with the people. We applaud these efforts to make the path to reading and understanding planned legislation more straightforward."
No Ball Games; Plain English Campaign reveals first runner-up in run down to annual Awards ceremony
Leading language pressure group Plain English Campaign today release details of the first runner-up for a Golden Bull Award. The campaign group presents these for prize gobbledygook, jargon and other types of written rubbish.
A nomination which came close to winning a Golden Bull comes from Collingbourne Ducis Parish Council’s recreation ground bye-laws.
‘Where the Council set apart any such part of the ground as may be fixed by the Council
and may be described in a notice board affixed or set up in some conspicuous position on the ground, for the purpose of any game specified in the notice board which, by reason of the rules or manner of playing, or for the prevention of damage, danger, or discomfort to any person on the ground, may necessitate the exclusive use by the player or players of any space on such part of the ground-a person shall not in any space elsewhere on the ground play or take part in any game so specified in such a manner as to exclude not playing or taking part in the game from the use of such space.’
“What’s wrong with ‘No Ball Games’? asks Plain English Campaign’s Steve Jenner
Plain English Campaign urges media boycott of jargon as Blears blurs language of sub-regional development
Plain English Campaign has slammed a government statement which refers to ‘worklessness’. It is urging a news boycott of organisations which feed the press and broadcast media with information littered with jargon and gobbledygook.
“So do we take it that from now on a low birth rate in an area will be referred to as ‘pregnantlessness?’ asks a Plain English Campaign spokesperson. “ And it isn’t the only example of abuse of language in this statement.”
The statement continues by ‘explaining’ that ‘The new plans will enable local government to transcend traditional administrative and structural boundaries and deliver solutions that cover entire commuter routes, housing and employment markets for the first time through Multi Area Agreements (MAAs).’
“Ignoring the possibility that entire commuter routes covered by solutions might be a risk to road traffic, this is a press release from the government. Plain English Campaign is urging media organisations to reject gobbledygook and jargon, wherever it comes from.
Plain English Campaign offers itself as language watchdog for the BBC (29 October 2007)
Plain English Campaign is offering to act as ‘language watchdog’ to the BBC.
This follows a proposal made in a letter by Ian Bruton-Smith of the Queen’s English Society. Chris Woodhead, the former chief Inspector of Schools, Lord Guthrie, ex-chief of the defence staff and MP Ann Widdecombe signed it. The proposal is that the BBC creates a language adviser post.
Mr. Bruton-Smith has urged the move because he feels “broadcasting journalists are under more pressure than print journalists”.
“Plain English Campaign has extensive experience providing editing and training services for a whole range of organisations” said PEC’s Steve Jenner. “We would be ideally placed to provide this service for the BBC if called upon to do so.”
Plain English Campaign Awards take place at the Brewery in London on December 11. Lenny Henry will host the event.
Plain English Campaign declares Lansdowne report on Irish health jargon 'a public scandal' (29 October 2007)
Plain English Campaign is calling for simple steps to be taken immediately after the Lansdowne report into health service jargon in the Irish health service.
Lansdowne Market Research found that;
One in five people leaves a doctor’s surgery unsure about what their GP has told them
15% of people could not explain what ‘outpatients’ meant
One in ten fails to take the correct dose of medication because of failure to understand instructions
60% are confused by the word ‘prognosis’
“Apparently 67% of people surveyed suggested more health information be provided in plain or straightforward English. Surely this is a reasonable request?” said Plain English Campaign’s Steve Jenner.
“Some UK health authorities have taken steps to improve the clarity of communication with patients. But these results may be closer to UK figures than some of our own health authorities would like to admit. In Ireland, some people are clearly not able to make informed decisions about their health and this is a public scandal.”
Plain English Campaign is inviting patients who have received baffling health information or advice to send it to pecpressoffice@aol.com The campaign hopes to highlight any problems later in the year in an attempt to push for more clarity in healthcare.
Plain English Campaign announces closure of nominations for 2007 awards (22 October 2007)
Plain English Campaign has announced the final date for nominations for their 2007 awards ceremony in London.
The Campaign welcomes nominations up to October 31 at Press Office, Hillside Farm (Thorny Lee Farm), Combs, High Peak SK23 9UT. Anyone can send nominations by e-mail to info@plainenglish.co.uk.
Press Officer Steve Jenner explains the different categories. "We have positive categories for good use of plain English. These are very important in rewarding organisations and individuals for their efforts. The 'Plain English' category is open to any documents. We usually award around eight of these.
Previous winners have included NHS Pensions Agency for 'Pensions on Divorce', Winston's Wish charity for 'As Big as it Gets', and Inland Revenue for Starting up in Business'.
"We also award the Inside Write Awards for internal government documents. Previous winners include The Prison Service for the 'Handling Stress' training pack and Home Office Crime Reduction College for 'Course Passport'. We also usually award around eight of these.
"Plain English Campaign acknowledges the role of the media in using and promoting plain English. We present Media Awards to best national and regional TV and radio stations and best regional or local radio station. We also present the Web Award for the clearest website of the year."
"But it is fair to say that we are best known for our Golden Bull Awards.
"We award eight of these for gobbledygook and confusing language. It gives everyone a chance to fight back against the nonsense which is still all too common. We also award the 'Foot in Mouth' Award for a quote which leaves us baffled. Previous winners include Naomi Campbell, Donald Rumsfeld and Tracey Emin.
"We're looking forward to a classic year. We've already received some great nominations but we're happy to accept further nominations until 31 October. Plain English Awards Ceremony takes place at The Brewery, London on Tuesday, December 11.
"Lenny Henry will present the awards."
Lenny Henry to present Plain English Campaign Awards 2007 (15 October 2007)
Top comedian and television personality Lenny Henry will present the Plain English Campaign
Awards ceremony at the Brewery in London on Tuesday, 11 December.
Plain English Campaign hands out awards for clear English, media writing and broadcasting,
and gives 'Inside Write' awards for internal government documents. It also awards the infamous '
Golden Bulls' for baffling jargon and other kinds of written tripe. Each year a public figure
receives the 'Foot in Mouth' award for a baffling comment.
Lenny looked at the differences in regional humour in his recent television series, often looking
at the way language can be used to make people laugh.
"Words are really powerful and can be used as a force for good or bad. I'm really looking forward
to meeting the award winners. Those who dare turn up, anyway!" said Lenny.
He already shares something with Chrissie Maher, founder of Plain English Campaign. She has
been awarded an honorary degree and he has just gained a B.A. (Hons) in English Literature -
both from the Open University.
The campaign will soon be releasing details of nominations for the Awards for this year.
Plain English Campaign slams early years 'failure'
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics show 40% of children struggle to write their name by the age of five. They also find it hard to sound out letters to form simple words.
"This is a shameful reflection of the government's Sure Start scheme and other 'early years' initiatives.
The attainment gap between children from poor backgrounds and the rest hasn't changed either," says Plain English Campaign's Steve Jenner.
"This is a spectacular failure of public policy. Many children will pay for this in terms of educational disadvantage for the rest of their lives. If you can't read or write, you can't access education in the usual sense."
Children and Families Minister Beverley Hughes concedes "Both we and local authorities must focus our efforts on improving the life chances of children who are the most vulnerable and disadvantaged".
Plain English Campaign director Chrissie Maher OBE is currently working on her autobiography. It details the fact that she could not read or write properly until she was in her late teens. An early employer paid for her to attend night school. Without this help, she would probably have remained almost illiterate into adult life.
The campaign's award ceremony takes place at the Brewery in London on 11 December. Lenny Henry will present the awards.
South West Regional Assembly accused of 'pretend democracy' by Plain English Campaign
Plain English Campaign has received angry complaints about a major consultation, from people living in the South West.
The South West Regional Assembly (SWRA) is consulting local people about increasing pitch numbers for gypsies and travellers. But the consultation document is filled with obstructive and impenetrable language, and there are fears people will not be able to make their views known.
Maddy Simpson is a Neighbourhood Watch organiser living in Bournemouth and Poole - an area where 488 pitches are proposed. She told Plain English Campaign that she learned of the SWRA's 'Regional Spatial Strategy' (RSS) at a meeting at her local community centre last week. Members of the public were told they had 12 weeks to submit their responses.
"Sadly for us, eight of those weeks have already elapsed, as all responses must be received by 31 October." she says. "At the meeting a local councillor said he was disappointed at the poor take-up of pamphlets from the library. On obtaining the document I am hardly surprised as it is so off-putting. It incenses me to think that if the replies are low when the deadline passes, it will appear that the public weren't interested. In fact the opposite is true."
The RSS consultation asks people to give views on three statements. Here is the second of these in full:
'Circular 01/2006 Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Sites (February 2006) requires Local Planning Authorities to establish criteria for the location of Gypsy and Traveller sites in their Core Strategies as a guide to the specific allocation of sites in the relevant Development Plan Document (DPD). The circular requires local authorities to assess Gypsy and Traveller accommodation needs as part of the Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Assessment (GTAA) process and to consult on those assessments with Gypsies and Travellers, both housed and travelling. The GTAA process has informed the RSS in terms of an overall assessment of need. In some locations it is expected that further transit provision will be phased in once significant progress at the local level has been made in meeting the need for residential pitches.'
Steve Jenner, a spokesman for Plain English Campaign, asked:
"This is pretend democracy. How can a public body offer a democratic consultation and yet cloud the issues with confusing jargon and gobbledygook which people do not have time to decipher? This part of the consultation is headed 'Make your Views Count'. The word 'your' is the only word which doesn't have a capital letter. The implication is clear - 'you' don't count."
"We call upon the SWRA to extend the time period for consultation and produce a plain English redraft before it is too late. As it stands, it is nominated for a 'Golden Bull', to be presented at our awards ceremony on 11 December."
Lenny Henry will present the awards this year.
Plain English Campaign slams EU over 'unreadable' treaty
Giuliano Amato, the former Italian Prime Minister, claims the new European Union treaty is deliberately 'unreadable'. The lack of clarity from the drafters is such that 'any Prime Minister - imagine the UK Prime Minister - can go to the Commons and say look, you see, it's absolutely unreadable, it's the typical Brussels treaty, nothing new, no need for a referendum'.
Plain English Campaign condemns this as an act of deception by the EU.
Press Officer Steve Jenner says "Drafters of the Treaty have a real position of power. Mr. Amato was vice-president of the body that drafted the original Constitution so he knows about this. This is a damning verdict on the new EU Treaty and the intentions of the people who produced it".
"It is another example of language being used to confuse an important issue. Plain language is essential if we are to have true democracy."
Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague highlighted Amato's comments during a recent speech at the centre for policy studies. But Foreign Secretary David Miliband, speaking at the Labour Party conference, is adamant. He insists the treaty does not contain the kind of changes which would require a national vote.
The revelations come just months after PEC director Chrissie Maher congratulated Angela Merkel for writing the EU's 50th birthday statement in plain language.
Plain English Campaign rues departure of English football's 'finest orator'
Language group Plain English Campaign says it hopes to see Jose Mourinho's swift return to football following his departure from Chelsea Football Club. Mourinho, who refers to himself as 'The Special One', is well known for his love of using strange and overextended metaphors during press conferences. He is already in the hat for the campaign's annual 'Foot in Mouth' award as a result of his 'omelettes and eggs' comments earlier this week (see below).
"Not since Eric Cantona has a footballing figure had so unique an approach to the English language." said a Campaign spokesman. "Jose Mourinho is possibly the finest orator the English game has seen since Eric Cantona, and will be sorely missed."
Last year, Plain English Campaign supporters voted Bill Shankly's famous 'life and death' line the best footballing quote of all time.
Six of the best Mourinho quotes
'I am more than unhappy. Unhappy is a nice word.'
'The moral of the story is not to listen to those who tell you not to play the violin but stick to the tambourine.'
'Usually, when you score two and concede one, you win the game.'
'Almost. But in football, almost is almost.'
'It's like having a blanket that is too small for the bed. You pull the blanket up to keep your chest warm and your feet stick out. I cannot buy a bigger blanket because the supermarket is closed. But the blanket is made of cashmere.'
'In the supermarket you have class one, two or class three eggs and some are more expensive than others and some give you better omelettes. So when the class one eggs are in Waitrose and you cannot go there, you have a problem.'
Former Prime Minister admits new Euro treaty is 'unreadable'
Giuliano Amato, the former Italian Prime Minister, claims the new European Union treaty is deliberately 'unreadable'. The lack of clarity from the drafters is such that 'any Prime Minister - imagine the UK Prime Minister - can go to the Commons and say look, you see, it's absolutely unreadable, it's the typical Brussels treaty, nothing new, no need for a referendum'.
Plain English Campaign condemns this as an act of deception by the EU.
Press Officer Steve Jenner says "Drafters of the Treaty have a real position of power. Mr. Amato was vice-president of the body that drafted the original Constitution so he knows about this. This is a damning verdict on the new EU Treaty and the intentions of the people who produced it".
"It is another example of language being used to confuse an important issue. Plain language is essential if we are to have true democracy."
Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague highlighted Amato's comments during a recent speech at the centre for policy studies. But Foreign Secretary David Miliband, speaking at the Labour Party conference, is adamant. He insists the treaty does not contain the kind of changes which would require a national vote.
The revelations come just months after PEC director Chrissie Maher congratulated Angela Merkel for writing the EU's 50th birthday statement in plain language.
Plain English Campaign join police red tape crusade
Plain English Campaign has written to Sir Ronnie Flanagan to offer their services to help the police cut red tape. He has appealed to avoid putting police in a position where they 'over-record and under-deliver'.
Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary also spoke out against 'excess bureaucracy' taking up too much police time.
"We often find that large organisations are slowed down by the nature of the forms they have to fill in," said Plain English Campaign's Steve Jenner. "We feel our expertise as editors could have a valuable part to play in freeing up police time. It can save massive amounts of public money as well."
Famously, Royal Mail saved £500,000 in nine months by redesigning their mail redirection form in plain English. British Telecom cut customer queries by 25% by using plain English. Many companies have reported a cut in customer service costs as a direct result of improving the clarity of their communications.
Plain English Campaign runs the Crystal Mark scheme for clear documents. It is also famous for awarding the notorious Golden Bulls at their annual awards ceremony. This year the ceremony will take place in London on 11 December.
Plain English Campaign warms to European plain language newspaper
Plain English Campaign founder Chrissie Maher has today announced her 'high hopes' for a European plain language newspaper. It is the result of six European countries working together to produce an accessible newspaper highlighting global warming. Each country chose a subject and produced articles for the paper.
Contributions were received from:
• Sweden
• Denmark
• Belgium
• Finland
• the Netherlands
• the UK.
"This newspaper is really impressive," says Chrissie. "It manages to deal with complicated subjects in a way that most people can understand without 'talking down' to readers. There is nothing to stop the newspaper going on to become a powerful campaigning force. Over the next few years there will be plenty of decisions made by the EEC which will affect our daily lives. There must be a way that people across Europe can read and understand changes in the law. Hopefully the group that produces the newspaper will realise the potential and use it as a force for good."
The paper will be available in the native language of the contributing country as well as in English.
Plain English Campaign supports Nottinghamshire MP's war on small print
A Nottinghamshire MP is declaring war on small print to stop some firms exploiting people by hiding important terms and conditions. Broxtowe MP Nick Palmer plans to introduce a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament requiring that all contracts are written in black print on a white background and use a font size of at least ten points.
Mr Palmer says he wants "tighter laws to prevent people using language that’s deliberately written to confuse."
The Royal National Institute for the Blind is supporting the bid – and now Plain English Campaign has thrown their weight behind it. "We wholeheartedly support Mr. Palmer in trying to make this law," said Plain English Campaign’s Steve Jenner. "We hope that this will help us read important documents more easily."
"This goes right back to the origins of Plain English Campaign, which started out campaigning on this issue in 1979 when founder Chrissie Maher shredded huge piles of official documents in Parliament Square. It is good to see that our elected representatives are now trying to fight this battle with us. It’s all a little different from 1979 when Chrissie was moved on by the police! We even published a book called "Small Print" about twenty years ago which dealt with this matter. It is disappointing that twenty years on some things are no better and that there is still a need for Mr Palmer’s bill to become law." Mr Palmer welcomed the campaign’s support on this issue. "I’m delighted to have the support of Plain English Campaign. I know they are working on a broad front to make official documents clearer for the reader."
'Generation text' blamed as companies are forced to teach teenage workers the 'Three Rs'
23 August 2007 Plain English Campaign has highlighted a controversial Confederation of British Industry report. It claims that half of all employers believe that some teenagers are "unable to function in the workplace". This is because they cannot read or write well enough.
The report goes on to blame the obsessions of "generation text" with communication technology at the expense of clear communication.
Director General Richard Lambert says "basic literacy and numeracy problems are a nightmare for businesses and individuals, so we have to get these essentials right."
Businesses are being urged to consider courses offered by the Plain English Campaign as a possible solution.
"It seems young people are more aware of the communication technologies developing around them. Nobody would argue that this is a bad thing. But they seem less interested in the basics of clear communication and this is a real concern" says Plain English Campaign's Steve Jenner.
"We have courses in plain English available on our website and would recommend businesses take a look at these. The web address is www.plainenglish.co.uk"
This report follows just days after it emerged that many universities feel forced to offer classes in essay writing. This is because many students who start degree courses are unable to write properly.
Plain English Campaign joins English standards debate as top grade A-level results top 25%
15 August 2007 Plain English Campaign has joined the debate about the standard of English in British schools and colleges, as government test results revealed 40% of pupils are failing to meet required standards in the ‘Three Rs’. The Government’s Key Stage Three tests showed that nearly 200,000 children failed to write in a formal style or spell words with more than two syllables.
This week also saw the publication of a list of writing ‘howlers’ collected by the respected academic Dr Bernard Lamb, who claimed that foreign students were better at spelling than their British counterparts. Yet top grade A level results have risen from just over 15% to around 25% in the last ten years.
'It is so disappointing to know that children are growing up without being able to read and write properly’, said Campaign founder/director Chrissie Maher. ‘Pupils need to be taught grammar and spelling at an early stage so that they develop good writing skills for later life. I couldn't read or write properly when I was a child and I know how difficult life can be because of this.'
Chrissie added:
''The shortcomings Dr Lamb referred to in his comments to the press are a concern to us as well. It seems that even 'well-educated' people do not appreciate the need for good, clear English. It is time the situation was sorted out.'
Plain English Campaign is developing a free online plain English and grammar course for schoolchildren, which it hopes to launch later this year. The organisation has fought long and hard to support standards in English, and famously gives Golden Bulls for jargon at its annual awards ceremony in London. It runs an internationally-recognised Crystal Mark scheme for crystal-clear documents.
Plain English Campaign urges clarity as advert watchdog raps skincare giant
14 August 2007 Cosmetic company Clarins faces criticism from the Advertising Standards Authority over claims for a new skin spray - and Plain English Campaign are expressing support for the stance taken by the watchdog. An advert for their Expertise 3P product claims the product formed an "advanced anti-pollution complex" for the skin. The press advert further claimed that "Clarins research reveals the link between exposure to artificial electromagnetic waves and accelerated skin ageing."
Clarins sent the agency details of their research into the impact of electromagnetic waves from mobile phones on skin cells. These studies were taken over six and twenty-four hour periods. The advertising standards watchdog remained unimpressed, saying "We considered that neither of those periods of time were representative of typical consumer experience."
Plain English Campaign has other concerns, though. The Advertising Standards Authority found the advert breached rules relating to truthfulness, substantiation, and fear and distress. "It is possible for advertisers to play on fears by using language which sounds scientific but is very vague. This can encourage someone to buy a product they don’t need in order to protect themselves against an unproven risk" claims Plain English Campaign’s Steve Jenner. "We urge companies to avoid this kind of approach to marketing and applaud the regulator for the position taken."
View press releases from
2006
Campbell muddles her way to Foot in Mouth award
11 December 2006 The British supermodel, Naomi Campbell, has won Plain English Campaign's annual Foot in Mouth award for the following comment which she reportedly made in June. "I love England, especially the food. There's nothing I like more than a lovely bowl of pasta."
The Foot in Mouth award is given for a baffling quote made by a public figure. Past winners of the award include Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Gere, Alicia Silverstone and Tracey Emin. Seven Golden Bulls have been awarded this year, including one to the writer, broadcaster and academic, Germaine Greer. Fife Council won a Golden Bull for a confusing letter about bin collection dates. Wheale, Thomas, Hodgins, a recruitment agency, have landed a second Golden Bull for a job advertisement, having previously won one in 2001.
Broadcast journalist Mary Nightingale will present the awards at the Brewery, Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 4SD on 12 December 2006. It will be the 27th Plain English Campaign awards ceremony. Winners of 'good' awards include Harriet Harman MP, who has won the Osborne Award for services to plain English. Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine has won the award for the best national radio programme, while politics show This Week picks up the national television award.
Six organisations have won Plain English awards for clear writing, including The Essential Business Guide, which is the first comprehensive business publication to win the award. World Cancer Research Fund won a Plain English award for the second time. Six government departments have won an Inside Write award for clear internal communication.
Frankly Mr Shankly talks a plain game
7 July 2006 The famous quote, by Liverpool legend Bill Shankly, that football is 'more important' than life and death, has been voted the best footballing quote of all time by the supporters of Plain English Campaign. The pressure group, which campaigns for plain communication wherever possible, surveyed its 10,000 members during the early stages of the World Cup.
Campaign founder Chrissie Maher said "I am delighted, though not surprised, that people still find this quotation so powerful. Bill Shankly had a humour and charisma that lives on to this day."
The second-placed and third-placed quotes are more baffling than plain. Paul 'Gazza' Gascoigne's "I never predict anything, and I never will" was narrowly pipped to second place by Eric Cantona's "When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea."
The top ten in full is:
1. "Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I'm very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that." - Bill Shankly
2. "When the seagulls follow the trawler, it's because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea." - Eric Cantona
3. "I never predict anything, and I never will." - Paul Gascoigne
4. "They think it's all over... it is now!” - Kenneth Wolstenholme
5. "Do I not like that." – Graham Taylor
6. "I think this could be our best victory over Germany since the war." - John Motson
7. "It's a funny old game." – Jimmy Greaves
8. "I spent most of my money on birds, booze and fast cars. The rest I just squandered." – George Best
9. "The World Cup is a truly international event." – John Motson
10. "If Glenn Hoddle said one word to his team at half time, it was concentration and focus." – Ron Atkinson
7 June 2006 Plain English Campaign today applauded the news that the Coroner Reform Draft Bill, to be published on Monday 12 June, will be the first bill to feature a plain English translation alongside every legal clause. Harriet Harman, the Minister for Constitutional Affairs, is responsible for the move.
Campaign founder Chrissie Maher OBE said "Everyone, from the general public to senior ministers, needs to be able to understand the laws that affect them. We have been banging at the doors of Parliament for decades, trying to convince ministers to make their legislation more accessible. I hope that this historic step marks the start of a renewed commitment to plain English and an end to indecipherable documents."
Campaign spokesperson Ben Beer added "We have always argued that plain language in the law is possible and this proves it. We look forward to the day when every bill produced in Parliament is written in this way."
Famously, Chrissie Maher was once removed from Parliament Square by policemen after shredding hundreds of public documents which were full of legal jargon and gobbledygook. (see picture)
1 April 2006 A deadly computer virus has been discovered which poses a serious threat to computers in council and government offices.
The ‘GOBBLE’ virus, discovered by an IT boffin working in Whitehall, infects documents intended for the general public, and removes all traces of jargon and other misleading words. Letters and leaflets that have been contaminated by the superbug become extremely easy to understand.
Systems security staff in offices across the land are working around the clock to protect their systems from the bug, but many are finding themselves powerless to resist. One senior technician at HM Revenue and Customs said “We don’t know what to do. I saw a set of tax guidelines shorten itself from 25 to four pages in front of my very eyes.”
A spokesman for Plain English Campaign, which is helping to spread the virus, said “We urge everyone who receives the GOBBLE virus on an e-mail to open it immediately and send it on to everybody they know.”
9 February 2006 Plain English Campaign has discovered that this year, romantics everywhere will shun love sonnets and poems and will instead send their loved ones a text message. While Shakespeare turns in his grave, modern-day Casanovas will woo their loved ones with @]--[-- rather than the customary rose.
Millions of lovers will send each other e-mail ‘E-cards’ - ending years of tradition by revealing the sender’s identity in the e-mail address. Lines of love will be translated into ‘text-speak’ as romance enters a new era.
Campaign spokesperson Dave Smith said “Without meaning to sound ‘stuffy’, it does seem a shame that some people can’t be bothered to choose a nice card anymore. ‘WUBMV?’ isn’t as loving as ‘Will you be my Valentine?’. Mind you, it’s better than nothing I suppose.”
Ironically, a recent survey of the Campaign’s supporters revealed that the messages inside Valentine’s cards are improving. Lines such as ‘I love you more than chocolate’ and ‘Just for you, with so much love’ were considered ‘as plain as you can get’ by many.
2 February 2006 English is the world's business language. No country is attempting to catch up more than Russia, where Dickensian English can still be found.
But all that is changing, thanks to the world-famous Plain English Campaign. Senior campaigners George Maher and Peter Griffiths – suitably clad for the Russian winter – are visiting Moscow this week. They have taken the message ‘Plain English is the best English’ to journalism students, academics and business leaders at a series of meetings at a communications conference in Moscow State University.
George Maher, the Campaign's 'roving ambassador' who delivered a lecture as part of the conference said:
"This is my fourth visit to Moscow. Last year, students expressed an interest in starting a plain Russian campaign. It would be wonderful for Russia if this came true. But our first concern is to tell people here of the great advantages of using plain English."
Conference organiser Irina Alexandrova said: "One of our biggest problems is that modern Russian usage is losing its ability to meet the communication needs of the different sections of our society. In this new era of international English, obviously it is important that the style of language is as clear as possible."
Professor Yassen Zasursky, Dean of the State University’s journalism faculty, said the Campaign's involvement "will be a valuable contribution towards
co-operation between scientists and journalists of different countries".
Peter Griffiths, Plain English Campaign's Company Secretary, said: "There is great potential in the new Russia. English is the most widely used business language. But Russian business people don’t want jargon and outdated phrases and words in English-language documents. The clearer, the better. That is our message."
Rhodri Morgan puts Foot in Mouth for the second time
12 December 2005 Welsh First Minister, Rhodri Morgan MP, has won Plain English Campaign's 'Foot in Mouth' award for the second time in eight years. During a debate on policing, he was quoted as saying: "The only thing which isn't up for grabs is no change and I think it's fair to say it's all to play for, except for no change."
The Foot in Mouth award is given to a baffling quote by a public figure. Past winners of the award include Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Gere, Alicia Silverstone and Tracey Emin. Mr Morgan previously won the award in 1998.
Campaigner Dave Smith said: "We hope he doesn't think that this is part of a personal vendetta! Funnily enough, he won last time for the way he declared his wish to be leader of the Assembly, which of course he now is."
A 630-word notice, telling the public that a footpath had been relocated, has landed Halton Borough Council with a 'Golden Bull' award for gobbledygook. Plain English Campaign has also given Golden Bulls to Wanadoo, the Australian Taxations Office, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Development department at the Scottish Executive, Uk2net, Poole Lighting and the Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s University Hospitals NHS Trust.
As usual the judges had a tough time choosing the Golden Bulls. Spokesperson Ben Beer said: "We were flooded with entries this year, and it took us a while to whittle it down to eight winners! Halton Borough Council's notice is one of the most ridiculous pieces of public information we have ever seen."
Journalist and broadcaster Matthew Parris will present the awards at The Brewery, Chiswell Street, London EC1Y 4SD (Phone: 020 7615 1107) on 13 December 2005. It will be the 26th Plain English Campaign Awards ceremony.
Ben Beer added: "The Golden Bull and Foot in Mouth awards are a bit of fun, but there is a serious point that jargon and waffle are still around and causing people problems. Writing in plain English not only helps you to avoid an award for gobbledygook, it can help you save time and money by getting your message across clearly and accurately. Everyone has a right to clear public information."
The Campaign has also recognised other organisations for producing particularly clear documents.
Join the battle against gobbledygook! Plain English Campaign visit Ireland
9 September 2005 Plain English Campaign, the world's original and best-known language campaigner, is coming to Dublin on Monday 12 September for a 'Meet the communicators' day.
Chrissie Maher OBE, the founder of the Campaign, said today ' Ireland has taught the world how to use the English language well, through its literature. But even here, gobbledygook is lurking.'
Journalists, broadcasters, politicians and business leaders are being invited to meet a team of representatives from the Campaign in the Westin Hotel, College Green, Dublin, from 9.30am until 12 noon.
Spokesman John Wild said, 'We want to remind Ireland about the long history and success of Plain English Campaign throughout the English-speaking world. Our Crystal Mark was the world's first recognition mark of plain language. It is a familiar sight on public documents and official forms, and is a guarantee that the language used is easily understandable.'
Plain English Campaign holds an annual awards ceremony at which clear and jargon-free writing is recognised. The infamous 'Golden Bull' awards are traditionally awarded to the people responsible for the year's most confusing waffle, and are also presented at the ceremony.
Chrissie Maher added 'Most people in Ireland have a high regard for language, so we feel confident they will have many examples of gobbledygook for us. Ridiculing these is one way of getting the Campaign noticed. Over the years, in the UK, the USA and other English-speaking countries, we have made good progress in getting government and big business to use plain language.'
12 August 2005 Following a number of complaints, Plain English Campaign has contacted the Department of Transport about the national 'Blue Badge Scheme', which allows disabled drivers or passengers to park their cars near their destinations. Apparently large numbers of people are being fined for incorrectly displaying the card in their vehicles.
Several people have asked us to try and get the card's design changed so that it is clearer. At the moment, the card carries the photograph and signature of the holder on one side, with an expiry date and serial number on the other. However, the wording on the card merely tells the holder to display the card 'in such a way that the front of the card is clearly visible', without specifying which side is the front. Most people would reasonably assume that the side containing the photograph was the front, but in fact this is not the case.
Many of those who have been displaying the card the 'wrong way' have received penalty charge notices as a result. Some councils have been inundated with complaints about the card, though so far no attempt seems to have been made to change it.
We suggest that this disgraceful situation is resolved as soon as possible, and we will be glad to help the DfT improve the card if they want us to.
20 July 2005 Plain English Campaign today launched two competitions, one for adults and one for children, to while away the summer holidays. This forms part of its renewed bid to raise awareness in the UK about writing in crystal clear English.
The children's task is to write a set of foolproof instructions on how to do something from start to finish. From 'Grandad's guide to his mobile phone' to 'Making a cheese sandwich', the instructions must be clear, complete and concise – unlike many of today's instruction manuals. The best entries will form part of our 'Plain English guide to doing things' booklet which will be out later this year. The winner of the competition will be presented with a prize by a celebrity on National Plain English Day.
For adults, we are looking for waffle-free translations of banking correspondence, tax demands and other letters or forms that people have found incomprehensible. The best entries will be published in our 'Before and after guide' in November. The winner will receive a selection of dictionaries and other useful language-related prizes.
Entries for both competitions should be sent by email to comps@plainenglish.co.uk before 9 September 2005.
14 July 2005 Plain English Campaign has thrown down the gauntlet, and is asking MPs to send in plain English translations of the HM Revenue inheritance tax return and the new Licensing Act form.
An avalanche of complaints has found its way to the Campaign recently as a result of the difficulties people have had filling in these two forms in particular. In the interests of public service, we are hoping that some MPs will take time out of their busy schedules to show that these forms can be made much simpler.
With hundreds of licensed establishments facing closure if they don’t submit an application for a new licence in time, and while bereaved families rage at the extra distress caused by complex inheritance tax returns, we think it is time MPs came to the rescue.
They should e-mail their entries to comps@plainenglish.co.uk and we will put the best ones forward for our 'Inside Write' award, one of the categories at our annual awards ceremony to be held in London on 13 December 2005.
10 July 2005 Plain English Campaign has hit out at the new British licensing laws, which come into force on August 6. Thousands of licensed premises face closure if they do not abide by the laws in time, yet the application forms, guides and even the Act itself are so full of jargon and legalese that many licensees are unable to understand them.
Landlords and shopkeepers, who no doubt would much rather concentrate on serving alcohol to thirsty customers, have to wade through 23 pages of forms in order to retain their licences. Government 'help guides' seem to have only complicated the matter. Even some landlords who have managed to fill in their applications have had their forms returned because they were completed using the wrong colour ink.
Chrissie Maher, founder director of the Campaign, said "It is an utter disgrace that people are facing the threat of prosecution and closure, when they are not even in with a fighting chance of understanding how to apply for the new licence. It is criminal to destroy livelihoods because people aren’t familiar with legal terminology."
The applications need so much information, and the language in them is so complicated, that many licensees have had to seek and pay for legal advice in order to proceed. Whereas in previous years a corner shop would have paid £30 for a three-year licence, and filled out a one-page form, many stores with small profit margins are considering whether to continue selling alcohol at all, with some facing fees of up to £900.
The Licensing Act 2003 has been brought in to prevent crime and disorder, as well as promoting public safety, which will ultimately result in better conditions for licensees. However it seems to be alienating them as a result, as many remain in the dark as to what to do. Some councils fear as little as 10% of premises will be able to trade after the deadline.
Maher suggests that "if the Government wanted compliance on this issue, they should have run the forms past the Campaign".
With August 6 only eight weeks away, they are already far too late.
12 June 2005 Following Malcolm Glazer's takeover of Manchester United Football Club, he sent the club's shareholders a letter detailing his offer to buy their shares in order to seize a larger stake in the club. The offer document was full of legalese, jargon and incomprehensible sentences which only served to further alienate the club's supporters. We attempted to rewrite one section of the document, which told how Glazer's company were going to pay for the shares. We also provided some explanations of some of the legal terms contained in the document.
How we will pay for the shares
We will form a joint venture called Red Joint Venture.
It will be financed by money subscribed by:
1. Citadel Horizon S.a.r.l;
2. funds managed by Perry Capital Limited; and
3. funds managed by OZ Management, L.L.C.
The money will be invested in up to £275million of preferred securities in Red Joint Venture. Red will use these funds to buy Manchester United shares.
These preferred securities will mature (become due for payment) by 30 April 2020 at the latest.
Holders of preferred securities can ask for them to be redeemed (paid back) earlier if certain defaults (failures to do something the law requires) take place.
At any time after the share offer has closed, Red Joint Venture can ask that the preferred securities are redeemed (paid back). There may be a premium (an extra amount) to pay if the voluntary redemption happens on or before 12 May 2007.
No cash will be paid for preferred securities until they are redeemed. Holders of preferred securities cannot ask for them to be redeemed by any members of the Manchester United Group. Preferred securities will not be paid until all other creditors have been paid.
The preferred securities are guaranteed by Red Shareholder. In certain circumstances, they also have enforcement rights against Red Shareholder's shares in Red Joint Venture. These circumstances include Red Shareholder defaulting by not redeeming some or all of the preferred securities within 63 months from 12 May 2005.
These are some of the words that needed explaining
Encumbrances - A right or interest over land and the right is owned by someone other than the landowner.
Irrevocable - Cannot be stopped.
Lien - The right to keep possession of something owned by someone else who owes you money, until the debt has been settled.
Mutatis mutandis - The changes needed have been made.
Unamortised balance - The remaining balance of a fixed asset (such as a building or patent) still to be written off in an organisation's books.
Red - The company which bought the 75736960 shares owned by Cubic.
Red Football Partnership - The organisation which first bought Manchester United shares for the Glazer family.
2 June 2005 Plain English Campaign calls for a crystal-clear summary of Malcolm Glazer's bid for Manchester United FC.
The Glazer family have to help the supporters by issuing a single sheet summary. They shouldn't have to plough their way through 74 pages of legalistic and financial jargon. This document should have been simplified.
You can't fight what you don't understand.
The shareholders should be able to read, understand and act upon a document such as this, which will have such a big impact on what is so close to their heart!
Let's box: Campaign offers manufacturers a bunch of fives
14 December 2004 Plain English Campaigners have issued a Christmas charter of five facts that are too often missing from the packaging of popular presents. And they warned manufacturers that these missing details could bite into their Christmas profits.
"In the past, we've concentrated on the problems of confusing instruction manuals at Christmas," founder director Chrissie Maher said. "But this year our supporters told us they were having more and more trouble choosing suitable presents because the box was missing important detail."
According to the Campaign's supporters, the five questions every Christmas gift's packaging should answer are as follows.
Do I need anything else before I can use this gift?
Does the gift need batteries, and are they included?
What age is the gift suitable for?
Is there any health or safety information I need to know?
How long will it take from opening the box till the gift is ready to use?
"Any manufacturer that doesn't include this information risks double trouble," Chrissie warned. "Customers might simply decide not to buy the present if they can't get answers to these questions. And if they do buy it and the missing information leads to Christmas morning misery, they may well take it back for a refund. That's the last thing busy shops need during the sales season!"
Boris Johnson, British Airways and the European Commission honoured at awards
3 December 2004 Boris Johnson MP has won Plain English Campaign's annual 'Foot in Mouth' award for the most baffling statement by a public figure. And eight organisations have won 'Golden Bull' booby prizes for gobbledygook. But campaigners praised other organisations for producing particularly clear documents.
Broadcaster and journalist Ian Hislop will host the Campaign's 25th annual awards ceremony in London on Monday (6 December) to mark Plain English Day. The Campaign is a pressure group fighting to get public information written in clear and straightforward language.
Speaking on the 12 December 2003 edition of BBC TV quiz Have I Got News For You?, Mr Johnson said, "I could not fail to disagree with you less."
Campaign spokesman John Lister said, "We're sure Boris was just having fun, but this year's award is a linguistic safety warning. We urge everyone else to leave this type of gobbledygook to the experts!"
Previous winners of the award include Donald Rumsfeld, Richard Gere, Alicia Silverstone and Tracey Emin.
The Golden Bull winners are Bank of Scotland, British Airways, the Department of Health, the European Commission, the GENIUS project (based at the University of Reading), Panorama Software, Trilogy Telecom and TriMedia.
The judges had a tough time choosing the Golden Bulls this year, John Lister said. "The first time we picked all the 'definite' winners, we chose 25 documents. This might have accurately reflected the state of public communication today, but it would have made the ceremony unbearably long!
"We try to have fun with our awards, but people aren't so amused when they have to deal with inappropriate jargon, waffle and gobbledygook from day to day. Writing in plain English doesn't just help you avoid a Golden Bull trophy - it can help you save you time and money by getting your message across quickly and accurately."
9 September 2004 Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of California, may soon order the state's workers to use plain English - nine months after he narrowly missed out on the Foot in Mouth award for baffling comments.
He has been given a draft executive order after a government review condemned longwinded sentences such as "No person shall exercise the privilege or perform any act which a licensee may exercise or perform under the authority of a license unless the person is authorized to do so by a license issued pursuant to this division."
Or to put it another way "You can't do this without a license."
Among the other cases highlighted by the review was an employment form asking "Did you work or earn any money, whether you were paid or not?" Helpline staff said they received calls about this question from confused readers every day.
The draft order says "Californians who better understand their government are more likely to trust it and feel a part of it." It recommends "the use of common everyday words, the use of personal pronouns, the active voice, easy-to-read design, short sentences, descriptive headlines and sub-headlines and avoiding jargon, technical terms, acronyms and other abbreviations."
Last December, Mr Schwarzenegger was named a runner-up in Plain English Campaign's Foot in Mouth award for his comment that "I think that gay marriage is something that should be between a man and a woman".
Chrissie Maher, founder director of the Campaign, said "If you think I'm brave enough to call him a reformed character, you must be crazy! But seriously, we hope Arnold follows the advice to wipe out government jargon - and after he leaves office, perhaps we can get him over here to lean on the British wafflers!"
Plain English Campaign celebrates 25 years of fighting gobbledygook
23 July 2004 Plain English Campaign is 25 years old this Monday (26 July). To mark the occasion, supporters around the world have voted a draft law from 1998 as their favourite example of gobbledygook from the Campaign's history. And they are thanking writers who make the effort to communicate clearly.
The draft National Minimum Wage Regulations, which supporters picked as their favourite example, defined "non-hours work" with the memorable phrase: "the hours of non-hours work worked by a worker in a pay reference period shall be the total of the number of hours spent by him during the pay reference period in carrying out the duties required of him under his contract to do non-hours work."
The extract was one of 10 chosen for a shortlist by Campaign supporter Kieran Lefort, who was born on 26 July 1979 the day the Campaign was launched. Visitors to the Campaign's website (www.plainenglish.co.uk) then voted for the winner.
Second place went to a 1989 document by STC Technology Limited which explained that "There is an unavoidable conflict of terminology in naming the classes Class and Instantation. Instantation is not itself a real instance but a class (namely, the class of all real instances). Likewise, Class is not a class of real instances but a class of classes (namely, the class of all classes of real instances). Instantation could be renamed Class and Class renamed Type to avoid this. In that case, the members of Class would not be classes and the members of Type would not be types."
And third place went to a 143-word sentence in a 1982 letter from the Department of Health and Social Security. "From and including 26.2.81 an additional component is payable at the weekly rate of 5p which is the rate appropriate to 11/4% of the amount of the surpluses in the earnings factors for 3 years in the claimant's working life after reduction on account of his guaranteed minimum pension of £2.04 (the guaranteed minimum pension was originally notified to the claimant as £1.99 and has subsequently been amended to £2.04) (Social Security Pensions Act 1975 Section 6 and 29 (1) and the Social Security (Earnings Factor) Regulations reg 2 and the Schedule) and graduated retirement benefit at the weekly rate of £2.37 (£2.58 from 26.2.81) which is the amount appropriate to 67 units of graduated contributions paid or treated as paid by the claimant (National Insurance Act 1965 Section 36 and the Social Security (Graduated Retirement Benefit) (No.2) Regulations reg 3 (3) and Schedule 1)."
Campaign spokesman John Lister said the draft minimum wage law was a surprise choice. "It's not the type of jargon-riddled, overly-complicated sentence that we normally think of when we talk about gobbledygook. But it's certainly very memorable: it shows that even everyday words of one or two syllables can cause confusion when they are poorly chosen."
As well as looking back at 25 years of gobbledygook, the Campaign is celebrating the improvements in communication since 1979. It has asked its 7000 supporters, in more than 80 countries, to mark the anniversary by sending thank-you notes to writers of clear documents.
Chrissie Maher, the Campaign's founder-director, said at least one thing had changed in the past 25 years. "In 1979 we stood outside Parliament shredding gobbledygook to protest at the state of official documents. This summer we were inside Parliament giving evidence to a committee of MPs trying to improve communication with the public. So at least we've got through the front door!
"We've changed thousands of documents, but more importantly we've changed attitudes. Unclear writing is now far more likely to be caused by bad habits rather than bad intentions.
"In a way, it's depressing that we still need a Plain English Campaign after 25 years. Some of the campaigners who work at our offices weren't even born when the Campaign began. But a letter I received from a nurse a couple of years ago explains exactly why Plain English Campaign will keep on fighting. She said that gobbledygook 'makes us feel hoodwinked, inferior, definitely frustrated and angry, and it causes a divide between us and the writer'."
"When confusing ballot papers caused chaos in the last United States presidential election, we warned that lessons had to be learned. Four years later, there is no excuse for elections that leave more than half a million votes wasted.
"If those in power learn nothing else from the fiasco in London, they must learn to stop mixing and matching different voting systems on the same ballot paper. If we have to have different elections held on the same day, the rule must be a totally separate ballot paper for each election with a clear explanation of the voting system.
"Ballot papers should be properly tested in simulations before election day. When real elections are used for testing ballot designs, democracy pays the price of failure."
And even the people whose votes were counted may have been confused by the ballot papers. On 4 June, we gave the following warning in our weekly newsletter:
"There are also problems with the ballot papers for the London Assembly. This involves two separate votes: one for a local constituency member, and one for a political party to get seats that aren't specific to a constituency. The two votes appear on a single ballot paper in adjacent columns. So, the left-hand column contains a list of candidate names in alphabetical order (with the party listed below the name in smaller type). And the right-hand column contains a list of political parties in alphabetical order. This means it is very possible that voters will mistakenly read across the ballot paper and think the candidate and the party are linked. To show the potential for confusion, Ealing and Hillingdon independent candidate Dalawar Majid Chaudhry's name will apparently be listed next to that of the British National Party."
1 June 2004 A booklet about heating and insulation grants has become the 10,000th document to achieve Plain English Campaign's Crystal Mark status.
The Crystal Mark is the Campaign's seal of approval to say a document is as clear as possible for its intended audience, taking into account both language and design. As well as running in-house checks, the Campaign regularly tests documents on the public for clarity.
Crystal Mark number 10,000 appears on a booklet produced by Eaga Partnership Ltd about the Warm Front scheme, which provides government grants for home heating and insulation. An Eaga spokesman said the organisation was "particularly proud to receive the 10,000th Crystal Mark. We take great pride in providing accessible, informative and easy-to-read materials for our customers."
Plain English Campaign founder director Chrissie Maher said it was a particularly apt document to earn the 10,000th Crystal Mark. "One of the main inspirations for launching the Campaign in 1979 was a truly baffling application form for heating allowance. If documents in the 1970s had been as clear as the Warm Front booklet, there might never have been a Plain English Campaign!
"Even today, I still get frustrated by the amount of waffle and gobbledygook in public information. But when I think of ten thousand different documents written in plain English, it shows what a tremendous change the crusade for clarity has made to ordinary people's lives."
The Campaign will celebrate its 25th anniversary on 26 July.
Crystal Mark facts:
The first Crystal Mark was earned in 1989 by Eagle Star.
Each numbered Crystal Mark applies to an individual document rather than an organisation.
More than 1200 organisations have earned at least one Crystal Mark, including 315 local authorities, 171 medical organisations, 138 government departments and agencies, and 101 insurance and pension firms.
Documents as legalistic as NatWest's memorandum and articles of association and a British Aerospace international leasing agreement have earned the Crystal Mark.
As well as the United Kingdom, the Crystal Mark has appeared on documents in Ireland, the United States, Australia and South Africa.
23 March 2004 Plain English supporters around the world have voted "at the end of the day" as the most irritating phrase in the language. Second place in the vote was shared by "at this moment in time" and the constant use of "like" as if it were a form of punctuation. "With all due respect" came fourth.
The Campaign surveyed its 5000 supporters in more than 70 countries as part of the build-up to its 25th anniversary. The independent pressure group was launched on 26 July 1979.
Spokesman John Lister said over-used phrases were a barrier to communication. "When readers or listeners come across these tired expressions, they start tuning out and completely miss the message - assuming there is one! Using these terms in daily business is about professional as wearing a novelty tie or having a wacky ringtone on your phone.
"George Orwell's advice from 1946 is still worth following: 'Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.'"
The following terms also received multiple nominations:
24/7
absolutely
address the issue
around (in place of "about")
awesome
ballpark figure
basically
basis ("on a weekly basis" in place of "weekly" and so on)
bear with me
between a rock and a hard place
blue sky (thinking)
boggles the mind
bottom line
crack troops
diamond geezer
epicentre (used incorrectly)
glass half full (or half empty)
going forward
I hear what you're saying..
in terms of...
it's not rocket science
literally
move the goal-posts
ongoing
prioritise
pushing the envelope
singing from the same hymn sheet
the fact of the matter is
thinking outside the box
to be honest/to be honest with you/to be perfectly honest
From head to toe - medical consent company makes it crystal clear
2 February 2004 Plain English Campaign has described a healthcare company as 'pioneers in clear communication' after they produced a range of consent documents that literally run from head to toe.
The praise marks EIDO Healthcare becoming the first group to earn the Campaign's Crystal Mark for 150 separate documents. (Only six organisations of any type have ever achieved more than 100 Crystal Marks.) The Crystal Mark is the Campaign's seal of approval to show a document is as clear as possible for its intended audience.
EIDO produce patient information consent documents for the most commonly performed surgical and medical procedures: the 150 Crystal Marked documents run from cataracts to bunions and wisdom teeth to circumcision. EIDO's writers and editors (many of them trained by the Campaign) have worked to make the documents readily understandable but still retain medical accuracy and legal validity.
Chrissie Maher, founder director of the Campaign, praised EIDO's achievement. 'Expecting patients to sign a consent form they can't understand is nothing short of a cruel joke. EIDO have shown that, no matter what the medical or surgical procedure is, you can produce clear information that truly allows patients to understand what they are agreeing to. By achieving plain English in every document, EIDO have become a guiding light for the entire healthcare industry.'
Owain Tudor, the director responsible for product development at EIDO, said 'Having an operation in hospital can mean a very anxious time for most patients. A crystal-clear written explanation of what the operation involves, including the benefits and possible risks, is vital to ease stress and support shared decision making between doctor and patient. A natural by product is that the doctor's exposure to the risk of litigation is reduced.'
