1 Introduction
This mixture of vagueness and sheer incompetence
is the most marked characteristic of modern English prose, and
especially of any kind of political writing. As soon as certain
topics are raised, the concrete melts into the abstract and no
one seems able to think of turns of speech that are not hackneyed:
prose consists less and less of words chosen for the sake
of their meaning, and more of phrases tacked together like
the sections of a prefabricated hen-house.
— George Orwell, "Politics and the English
Language"[1]
1. The language used in public life is a frequent
target for ridicule, whether by parliamentary sketchwriters making
fun of ministers' speeches, or in fictional works such as the
television series Yes Minister. Yet the language used by
government and public bodies is important because it directly
affects people's lives. It needs to enable those in government
(and those who want to be in government) to explain clearly what
the basis for a policy is, or to provide guidance on getting access
to the range of public services. Language therefore determines
how politicians and public servants relate to the people they
are there to serve.
2. We launched our short inquiry into official
language to highlight the importance of clear and understandable
language in government. In order to evaluate how effectively government
uses language, we invited the public and Members of Parliament
to submit examples of bad and good official language. Many of
these are included in this report to illustrate how government
uses (and misuses) language. We also held a public hearing to
ask questions of the Plain English Campaign, the academic expert
Professor David Crystal, and the political sketchwriters and columnists
Matthew Parris and Simon Hoggart.
3. The aim of our inquiry was not merely to highlight
the worst examples of official language (although such examples
have been by turns amusing and exasperating), but to explore why
the language used by government matters. We examine the damaging
effects that bad official language can have, before concluding
on a more hopeful note with some suggestions for making official
language clearer and more comprehensible, including a proposed
remedy for citizens.
1 George Orwell, "Politics and the English Language",
1946 Back
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