It seems that in the last few days 14 people have arrived at my site having searched on Google for “Boris Johnson and Plain English Campaign“. How strange, I thought to myself. Surely there can’t be a connection there…? How wrong I was. A quick search leads you to the Plain English Campaign, and the following press release:
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.”
Well… at least he wins something this year!
(The headline, by the way, is from the Telegraph)