The Oxford comma is one of the linguistic devices that has always caused division and debate.
Now, new Health Secretary Therese Coffey has come under fire after her office issued guidance telling workers to “be positive” and avoid using policy wonk “jargon”.
The “Oxford comma” was referred to as one of the pieces of jargon that shouldn’t be used. Some think that this guidance is unnecessary and patronising.
The email is understood to have been sent to staff at the Department of Health and Social Care and sent on to workers at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
The Financial Times (FT), which first reported the story, said the document was titled “New secretary of state ways of working preferences”.
