There is much justified comment about the BBC dumbing down its programmes. This is certainly true of TV, which is pumping out some atrocious rubbish under the heading of light entertainment, even trivialising its serious programmes as well. On top of this they are wasting time and money in exercises in political correctness - like sending Question Time to Glasgow. This is fundamentally daft and may well result in all its staff from David Dimbleby downwards resigning. We could see the programme in the future being populated entirely by obscure Highlanders in kilts waffling on about heather and taxes on Scotch Whisky. It is even rumoured that Paisley born Andrew Neal and his This Week team may be dispatched to Inverness.
Now they have given up on the English language. In a report on their web site today they tell us that "The Prime Minister has criticised "state multiculturalism" in his first speech on radicalisation and the causes of terrorism since being elected." Now, it may well be that the PM is very concerned about the problems of terrorism since he has been elected but I think he is trying to take a wider view. The reality is that this jumbled sentence needs completely re-arranging so that it no longer has the ambiguity of the chair and the lady with the Queen Anne legs.
How about this "In his first speech since the election on the subject of radicalisation and the causes of terrorism, the Prime Minster has criticised "state multiculturalism."" That sounds better and has taken away the ambiguity. It is still not perfect. It would be better if, like the tourist in Ireland, we had started from a different place.
Am I being too pedantic in these days of RU 18 and LOL? Fowler and Sir Ernest Gowers, those great instructors on the correct use of English would, I am sure, be less than happy with the BBC's construction.
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