Name Chrissie Maher | ||
Tuebrook Uncovered Volume 3
Chrissie Maher OBE (born 1938) co-founded Plain English Campaign, an organization that promotes the clear use of English, particularly by businesses and official bodies.
Contents
- Tuebrook Uncovered Volume 3
- Gyles Brandreth talks about plain English
- Early campaigns
- Plain English Campaign
- Awards Honours
- References
Gyles Brandreth talks about plain English
Early campaigns
In 1971 Maher founded the UK's first community newspaper, the Tuebrook Bugle, which gave her the chance to write articles demanding that organisations start using plain English. In 1974 Maher started The Liverpool News, the UK's first newspaper for adults with reading difficulties. She was also a member of the UK's National Consumer Council.
Plain English Campaign
Maher officially launched Plain English Campaign at a demonstration in London in 1979. In 1994, as an example of the linguistic issues she found objectionable, Maher pointed out that Britain's National Health Service published a definition of the term bed that used 229 words. Tom McArthur, editor of the Oxford Companion to the English Language said, "In all the history of the language, there has never been such a powerful grassroots movement to influence it as the Plain English Campaign."
In 1997, an industrial tribunal found that the Plain English Campaign had constructively dismissed two employees, Martin Nobbs and Jill Cushway, who resigned from the Campaign after unfounded rumors were spread that they had an affair. In their action, Nobbs and Cushway alleged that Maher had started the rumors. Maher denied starting the rumor, calling the tribunal's decision "a miscarriage of justice".