Is it ever OK to shame someone for their accent?

As Lord Digby Jones criticises Olympics presenter Alex Scott...

DoES speaking English properly matter any more? This is the question in the debate about state-funded politicians and broadcasters who struggle with the basics of a language revered around the world.

Those in the firing line range from Home Secretary Priti Patel to the BBC sports presenter Alex Scott. The chief accusation is that they are incapable of pronouncing the ‘g’ in words ending with ‘ing’.

This sounds petty, and there seemed to be a degree of spite in the way Lord digby Jones slammed Scott’s coverage of the olympics. on Twitter, Lord Jones, a former Labour minister, said Scott needed ‘elocution lessons’ because her example ‘maybe aped by youngsters’.

Language is a dynamic of social mobility, and the vast majority of those who misuse it will not end up in the Cabinet or doing well-paid jobs for the BBC. on the contrary, the history of countries like Britain is one in which slick communication was invariably crucial to success.

In this sense, digby Jones was making a good point, albeit rudely. Wherever you are in the world, making an effort to speak English properly marks you out as educated and efficient. Your opinions will be taken seriously.

As someone from a foreign and by no means privileged background — I was born and brought up on a council estate in suburban Paris — I was unimpressed by Scott’s attempt to link a working-class upbringing with sloppy diction.

English is my third language after French and Arabic, but it is one I was determined to master due to the power and creative brilliance that underpins it.

As a child, I associated it with the best films, the finest pop music, great books and captivating TV.

Yes, the pronunciation of some words can be tricky, but the challenge is not insurmountable. For British nationals brought up in the UK to suggest otherwise is nonsense.

The tradition of clever, articulate language used within deprived communities is a rich one. You find it in interactions with all kinds of modern Britons, including those from ethnic minority backgrounds.

So the idea that vast swathes of the population have all sold out to bland cliches expressed in plodding vernacular is simply not true. Textspeak and ‘He done good’ platitudes are not the norm.

Those in influential positions should therefore acknowledge the importance of correct English usage, and show some pride in its heritage.

‘Show some pride in the heritage of the language