Just imagine a meeting of these two minds and the avoidance of split infinitives

We propose a meeting between former New Zealand Attorney-General Chris Finlayson and Britain’s newly appointed Leader of the House of Commons, Jacob Rees-Mogg, to swap notes on good grammar and effective communication.  Mind you, we would prefer to steer well clear of any meeting between this particular pair of politicians.  Their enthusiasm for pedantry – we fear – would rapidly become tiresome.

Finlayson, it might be remembered, had a passion for avoiding split infinitives and eschewing the use Oxford commas.

He provided his staff with a list of more than 20 banned expressions.

Rees-Mogg’s staff similarly have been directed to avoid using certain words and to address men with the courtesy title “esquire.”