Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, newly appointed as Leader of the House of Commons, has issued a style guide to his staff banning words such as 'very', 'lot', and 'got'. The guide, originally drawn up for his constituency team, also mandates the use of imperial measurements and the title 'esquire' for non-titled men.
The move has drawn criticism from fellow MPs, including Labour's Chris Bryant and Angela Rayner, and sparked debate on social media. Linguist Professor Lynne Murphy of the University of Sussex described the guide as aimed at preserving what she called Rees-Mogg's 'antique vibe', rather than enforcing grammatical rules.
Professor Murphy noted that the use of imperial measurements and 'Esq' reflects a political stance on societal change. The European Union has long pushed for metric measurements, which began phasing out imperial units in the UK in the 1960s.
Rees-Mogg has previously expressed disdain for the word 'unacceptable', calling it a 'New Labour' term with little meaning. His ban on the Oxford comma also drew attention, though Professor Murphy said it was unnecessary as few people use a comma after 'and'.
Despite his own rules, Rees-Mogg used the banned word 'got' during his House of Commons debut, saying, 'We have got perambulators and nannies into this session.' The Guardian reported that Hansard records over 700 instances of Rees-Mogg using banned terms.
