Lord Chancellor Michael Gove (pictured, Reuters) has demonstrated his journalistic pedigree by issuing his civil servants with a style guide.
Gove, formerly of Aberdeen Press and Journal, The Times and BBC, reportedly instructed officials not to use “impact” as a verb, and has also banned “unnecessary” capitalisations.
According to The Independent on Sunday, Gove’s “Ministerial Correspondence Preferences” guidelines encourage staff to spell out contractions, so “doesn’t” becomes “does not”. He also says that “ensure” should be replaced with “make sure”.
He has also told civil servants to avoid “anything too pompous”.
For more, read The Independent on Sunday’s report.
Email pged@pressgazette.co.uk to point out mistakes, provide story tips or send in a letter for publication on our "Letters Page" blog