Johnson wins unwanted award

Sacked British Conservative party arts spokesman Boris Johnson landed one of the UK’s least sought-after awards today.

The tousle-haired MP for Henley-on-Thames, who lost his arts post and Tory vice-chairmanship last month amid publicity about his private life, was named this year’s winner of the annual Foot In Mouth award for gobbledegook.

The dubious honour, which recognises the “most baffling statement by a public figure”, is awarded each year as the highlight of the Plain English Campaign’s gobbledegook Oscars, the Golden Bulls.

This year the Spectator editor, famed for branding allegations about his private life an “inverted pyramid of piffle”, was chosen for the dubious honour for a comment on an episode of BBC quiz Have I Got News For You.

In an episode last December, the larger-than-life MP left viewers baffled with the statement: “I could not fail to disagree with you less.”

Should he wish to accept his award in person, at the ceremony in London on Monday, Mr Johnson looks likely to be reminded of his baffling remark by Have I Got News For You’s Ian Hislop, who is presenting the prizes.

The Plain English Campaign was set up in 1979 with the aim of fighting gobbledegook and unclear public information, and now claims to have almost 8,000 registered supporters in more than 80 countries.

The organisation is also set to hand out positive awards for what the judges viewed as good uses of plain English.

Winners include Age Concern Scotland, for a series of fact sheets designed for elderly people.