/Case 012
HM Treasury
2022
Public
Editorial
A budget statement,
rewritten.
An editorial engagement we can't show. We can describe the shape and the result.
I cannot tell you which document. I can tell you the duty officer's life got easier.— — Senior official, HM Treasury
/ 01 · Brief
A document the public was meant to read.
A high-profile fiscal communication, written by committee over six months, then reviewed by lawyers, then released into the wild.
The brief: keep the substance. Drop the wallpaper.
/Case 0122022
▦
[ Document spread — redacted ]
/ 02 · Approach
One editor, three drafts, no workshops.
The studio embedded one senior editor inside the relevant Treasury team for the engagement window. We rewrote the document in three drafts.
Lawyers signed each draft inside 48 hours — a record we are quietly proud of.
/Case 0122022
[ Style guide — pp. 02–03 ]
/ 03 · Outcome
40% shorter, same legal substance.
The published document was 40% shorter than its predecessor. The Plain English Campaign awarded it a Crystal Mark.
We can't show the work. We can show the result on inquiry.
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