does anyone understand what gordy is talking about?

Oh Gordon, you may be the next Prime Minister but you don't half complicate things.

Recently, like many people in Britain I've been trying to fill in a tax credits form...

There are two types of tax credit. Working Families tax credit and Child Tax Credit.

That's where the simple stuff stops.

Nowhere in the pages of forms we've been sent does it explain what exactly is a tax credit or why the Government thinks they are such a good idea.

And of course, the form itself is close to unintelligible.

"A child element may be paid for a child from birth until the day before September 1 following their 16th birthday. A single baby element is paid if at least one child is under the age of one.."

"A child element may also be paid for 20 weeks after a young person leaves full-time education provided they are still under 18 and registered for work..."

If nice middle class lads like me can't understand the forms, what hope for single Mums in grotty estates?

Anyone would think that the forms were deliberately complicated to stop people claiming cash from a Government that's far too busy attacking civil liberties - everything from hunting to smoking - and coming up with jargon-filled nanny state initiatives.

Does anyone understand what these people are talking about?

Keep it simple.

Will

you couldn't make it up

Newcastle City Council is denying allegations that it has told employees not to use words like "pet" and "hinny".

It claims these words are offensive. Surprise, surprise, workers were allegedly told about the new rules during an "equality and diversity" seminar.

The rumoured initiative seems a bit rich coming from a council that is guilty of far more serious crimes against the English language - see my earlier post 'touchdown for jargon'.

Newcastle City Council has that nasty habit of constantly alienating itself from the people who pay the council tax bills by using language that only public policy wonks can understand.

It is amazing that given Newcastle's variety of social and economic problems - taken a walk around the West End recently? - Newcastle City Council staff have time to attend such events and the council sees such language as a problem.

Remember, keep it simple - like Murray in straight sets against Federer.

Will