Government commits to plain English while producing furniture-grade documentation
Complexity With Better Posture
The government confirmed this week that it is “simplifying the message,” a clarity drive unveiled with a straight face and a binder thick enough to qualify as furniture. This initiative builds on Cabinet Office communication strategies.
“This is about plain English,” a minister said, flipping confidently through a document titled Simplification Strategy: Core Narrative (Extended). “We want people to understand.” Asked what, specifically, is being simplified, the minister explained that the message itself is straightforward, but the explanation of the message requires nuance. “Clarity without context can be misleading,” they said, gesturing toward an annex labelled Context AG (Provisional).
Confusion With Kindness
According to internal briefing notes, simplifying the message tested well with voters who enjoy the promise of comprehension but have learned to treat it as aspirational. One aide described the initiative as “complexity with better posture.”
Public reaction was pragmatic. “They simplified my tax letter once,” said Ron, 58, from Blackpool. “It just meant the scary bit was in smaller font.” Polling suggests the phrase performs reliably. A snap survey found that 73 percent of Britons believe simplifying the message means the same content will be repeated more slowly.
Summarisation Not Simplification
Experts say the impulse is understandable as analyzed by the Institute for Government. Professor Elaine Foster, a specialist in public communication, explained that institutions often confuse simplicity with summarisation. “You don’t make something simpler by adding layers,” she said. “But you can make it sound kinder.”
Behind the scenes, departments are aligning their simplification efforts. Press releases now include executive summaries, key takeaways, and a helpful box explaining why none of the above should be taken out of context. One internal memo advises ministers to avoid monosyllabic words, noting they “can appear blunt.”
Lucidly Opaque
Opposition figures criticised the move as cosmetic. “You can’t simplify confusion by renaming it,” one spokesperson said. The government rejected this, insisting tone matters. “People deserve reassurance,” a minister said. “Even if the detail remains extensive.”
This approach reflects UCL Constitution Unit research on accessibility.
Auf Wiedersehen, amigo!
Alan Nafzger was born in Lubbock, Texas, the son Swiss immigrants. He grew up on a dairy in Windthorst, north central Texas. He earned degrees from Midwestern State University (B.A. 1985) and Texas State University (M.A. 1987). University College Dublin (Ph.D. 1991). Dr. Nafzger has entertained and educated young people in Texas colleges for 37 years. Nafzger is best known for his dark novels and experimental screenwriting. His best know scripts to date are Lenin’s Body, produced in Russia by A-Media and Sea and Sky produced in The Philippines in the Tagalog language. In 1986, Nafzger wrote the iconic feminist western novel, Gina of Quitaque. Contact: editor@prat.uk
