Quotes
The following people have lent their support to the use of plain English. Tony Blair MP, former Prime Minister 'The Plain English Campaign has played a major role in improving the way public bodies communicate with citizens. However, there is still plenty of room for improvement - not least from politicians - so the campaign's work is far from over.' 'All politicians are guilty of slipping into jargon - and all of us deserve scrutiny from the Plain English Campaign. Complicated sets of initials, official jargon, bureaucracies that over-complicate things to boost their own self-importance - all of these things help to build barriers between government and people. 'I believe that the use of plain English is at times an overlooked yet essential issue for the improvement of communication between companies and the public. The hard work of the Plain English Campaign to draw attention to this significant issue has been paramount in the improving English standards in our society.' 'Even the most complicated policies and decisions can be explained in a clear and simple way. People in public life sometimes forget this golden rule, but the Plain English Campaign has been quick to remind us of the importance of straightforward language. Keep up the good work.' 'As a great believer in straight talking whenever possible - even, occasionally in politics itself - I very much welcome the relaunch of the Plain English Campaign website. The English language is without doubt one of our most cherished national and international resources. It is functional and fulfilling in equal measure. We need to keep it that way in the political discourse of our national life.' 'We need to ensure that official documents - from Social Security forms to White Papers - are useful and comprehensible. The Plain English Campaign has a splendid track record in nudging us all towards making this happen.' 'Human relationships depend on communication. Bad writing is a barrier to communication. When a large organisation such as the Government tries to communicate with the man and woman in the street the scope for misunderstanding is enormous. Too often clarity and simplicity are overwhelmed by pompous words, long sentences and endless paragraphs. '(Plain English) is not just a question of getting some belly laughs at the expense of the bureaucracy, or saving John and Jill Citizen from unnecessary inconvenience or suffering because authority can't or won't communicate intelligibly; it goes deeper than that. 'We're pleased to win the International Plain English Award. We believe all the information we give to customers should be easy to understand, so we work hard to translate financial jargon into simple terms. Our goal is to write from the customer's point of view.' 'With the style of writing taught to South Africans by Plain English Campaign, the Government will indeed be seen to be transparent. 'Bad English is always a sign, as Orwell suggested, of insincerity or sloppy thought. But it can be fought, with the aid of constant ridicule. And this is happening. I think Orwell would have been cheered by the condition of our common culture because of the sheer quantity of this necessary ridicule. From the Plain English Campaign to Pseuds' Corner in Private Eye, from the mockery of Gordon Brown's 'endogenous growth theory' to the attacks on Sir Richard Scott's double negatives, this remains a country passionately committed to plain speech and instinctive in its hostility to overblown English.' 'We fully support the efforts of Plain English Campaign to help organisations around the world communicate clearly with each other and, above all, with the public.' 'Lawyers who use plain language know it doesn't just make good sense, it makes good cents.' 'It (Plain English Campaign) is the best thing to have come our way from England since parliamentary democracy and leavened bread' 'NatWest is committed to using clear language. Using plain English is not just a good intention. It is a business necessity. 'We are proud to be a corporate member of Plain English Campaign. We believe in plain English and use it in all our customer contracts.' 'Legalese persists for a lot of bad reasons - habit, inertia, fear of change, the overwhelming influence of poorly written opinions and forms, false notions of prestige, and any number of myths about plain language... There are enormous social costs of poor legal and official writing.' |
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© 2006 Plain English Campaign ||| This page was last updated on 14 December, 2007
© 2006 Plain English Campaign ||| This page was last updated on 14 December, 2007